‘I put the hours in to get results I wanted’
GCSE students at Belfast Boys’ Model School were making plans for their futures on results day.
Codey McKee (16), from north Belfast, said he was “very happy” having “worked as hard as possible in order to do well”. He said he’s “dead proud” of his 11 GCSEs in Public Services (A*), Carpentry and Joinery (A), Technology (A), Preparation for Working Life (A), Digital Media (B), Maths (B), Statistics (C*), Double Award Science (B, C*), English (C*) and English literature (C).
“I put in the hours to get the results I wanted,” he said.
“I want to do A-levels in technology, either maths or science and something else. In the longterm, I’d like to be a car mechanic or an engineer.”
Luke Conville (17), from north Belfast, got 10 GCSEs in Public Services (B), Carpentry and Joinery (B), Further Maths (C), Sports Leadership (B), Double Award Science (2 C*s), English (B), English Literature (C*), Technology and Design (C*) and Preparation for Working Life (C).
“I was very nervous opening the results,” he admitted.
“But months ago, I decided to put my foot on the pedal so I woke up every day at 6.40am and I revised for 45 minutes before school and I revised after school, too.
“If you apply a work ethic you can achieve anything. I proved it to myself. I knew how hard it was going to be but I kept pushing forward because I wanted to achieve a result that defined me.
“I know the type of man I want to grow up to be. I’m hoping to do A-levels and then I want to do a degree in biology or English at Queen’s University.”
Luke said his mum Lee and dad Paul gave him “a lot of support at home” so he wanted to “make them proud” and to be a role model for his two younger siblings.
North Belfast teen Mason Beattie (16), who got nine GCSEs in History (B), Preparation for Working Life (B), English (B), Maths (B), Art and Design (C*), Religious Studies (C*), English Literature (C), Moving Image Arts (C) and Science (C), said he was “pretty over the moon”.
“I probably could’ve worked harder, I’ll not lie, but I did as best as I could,” he said. I’d like to stay on and do A-levels.”
Daniel McCalmont (16), from north Belfast, said he was delighted with his 10 GCSEs in Public Services (A*), Religion (A*), Science (A), Preparation for Working Life (A), History (A), English (A), Geography (A), Maths (B), English Literature (B) and Statistics (C*).
“I was stunned when I looked at the results sheet,” he said.
“I did put in the work. I’ve got a twin sister at Belfast Royal Academy. She got seven As, two Bs and one C but I did better. I won the competition. She’s raging!”
He added: “My dad William came with me to get the results and my mum Elizabeth went with my sister Kaitlyn so it was totally chaotic for us this morning.”