A student who aced his GCSEs has said he hopes future employers respect grades achieved during the coronavirus pandemic, despite exams being cancelled.
Star pupil Fred Allsop achieved eight 9s and one 8 in his GCSEs this year - and is still waiting to find out his grade in engineering.
The Stowupland High School student is celebrating the results which put him a step closer to his dream of attending Cambridge University to study either maths or engineering.
He, alongside all GCSE students, were put on edge after their exams were cancelled this summer.
However, the Suffolk student has expressed his delight at the grades put forward by his teachers.
Fred also raised concerns over how the results will be received by employers in the future.
He said: “It has been really interesting that we have had this big experience and it’s just a coincidence that it has come at the end of our five-year journey at school.
“I’m not overly worried about my generation’s future. But I do hope that employers respect the grades and don’t think we haven’t really earned them. We have had to work for them.
“I am a bit disappointed not to take my exams.
“I wouldn’t have minded doing them, but I think it’s a big relief for a lot of people who would have had a lot of stress from exams and now don’t have that.”
The Stowupland student now plans to return to the school’s Sixth Form before heading off to university.
His long-term goal is to join the navy as an officer. In the meantime, he will continue his work as a GCSE and SATs maths tutor.
On picking up his results, Fred said he felt that most of his friends were happy. He also felt relieved after the government made a U-turn on how grades would be decided this year with the absence of exams.
He added: “There are some people who have done better than others but I think on the whole people are happy with their results, which is a bit of a relief after all that’s happened over the past two weeks.”
“I think it was planned really well. People were social distancing and everything.
“It was nice to see my teachers again obviously we haven’t seen them for quite a while.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here