THE principal of Ely College has hit back at claims that a recent set of below-par results in maths exams would leave some students in danger of failing their GCSEs.

Catherine Jenkinson-Dix acknowledged that the results were “disappointing” but said that the college was redoubling its efforts to ensure that the students were put back on track.

She said: “Yes, we received a set of disappointing modular results in maths but this does not mean that any of our students will fail by default, or are in any way ‘failures’.

“It does mean, however, that we as a college are putting in place a series of activities and strategies that will give every student the best chance of success.

“Our analysis of the results showed that some students have a projected grade that was below that we would expect at this stage. These teaching groups have been reorganised in order to improve their progress, they are getting additional targeted maths support and have been booked into a programme of revision classes after school.”

Mrs Jenkinson-Dix added that parents had been kept informed of the college’s plans and said that students had been “knuckling down” in response to their new plan.

Mrs Jenkinson-Dix’s response came after the Ely Standard revealed how the results of a set of modular maths exams had left some students in danger of failing to reach a C grade in their GCSE exams, due to take place this summer.

In a letter to parents and carers, vice-principal Richard Baker said: “It has become apparent that the combined results for some students means that the mathematical likelihood of them being able to achieve a C-grade is either now impossible or nearly impossible.

“In addition, other students are vulnerable to not achieve a C-grade, even though they have taken the higher modular paper.”