An Insider's Perspective on Local Schools' Exam Results

Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillor Ron Mushiso reports back

Cllr Ron Mushiso

August 22, 2026

Congratulations to everybody who has received their A-Level and GCSE results this summer.

Regular readers of ChiswickW4 will know that I am a teacher at St Benedict's School in Ealing. I also serve as a Trust Governor at Chiswick School and, during the last academic year, served as a Governor at Guru Nanak Sikh Academy in Southall. It has given me the privilege of seeing the efforts of pupils, teachers and families across three excellent schools.

Results Day is always a proud moment. For young people across the borough, it represents years of hard work, revision, determination and sacrifice finally coming together in one envelope or one screen. It is also a moment of relief. Parents, guardians and teachers will know the feeling of seeing the weight lift from the shoulders of every Year 11 and Year 13 pupil as they receive their results.

At Chiswick School, more than 30% of Sixth Form grades were awarded at A* or A. GCSE results were equally impressive, with 30% of entries awarded Grades 9 to 7, well above national averages. Congratulations to Headmistress Laura Ellener and her team for their tireless work since 2019.

At Guru Nanak Sikh Academy, A-Level students achieved 43% A to B grades and 75% A to C grades. At GCSE, the school achieved an Attainment 8 score of 56, again placing it above the national average. Congratulations to Executive Principal Jaskamal Singh Sidhu and his team.

At St Benedict's School, where I teach, the school recorded its strongest A-Level results outside of the Covid assessment years. Among 114 Upper Sixth students, 53% of grades were A* or A, while 82% were A*, A or B. At GCSE, nearly half of all grades were awarded at 9 or 8, with 66% achieving grades 9 to 7. A big shout-out to my colleagues for their enduring commitment to teaching and learning.

But those headline figures do not tell the whole story. Many pupils have overcome challenges that are invisible to the statistics. Some have balanced extensive co-curricular programmes, anxiety and personal setbacks along the way. That’s why their achievements are remarkable on so many fronts.

Pupils do not achieve success alone. Parents, guardians, teachers and support staff all make sacrifices and invest countless hours. For me, these results reflect a collective effort as much as an individual achievement.

Nationally, there is positive news too. The Department for Education reported that this year's GCSEs saw the largest ever improvement in maths standards, with thousands more pupils achieving the highest grades.

However, while many will be celebrating, some young people will understandably be disappointed. To those pupils, I want to offer a simple message: this is not the end of your story. There are options available. There are reviews and remarking processes in place with every school. There are re-sits. Most importantly, there are second chances available, known as re-sits, especially for English and Maths. I know this because I’ve been there myself many moons ago.

I failed my Maths GCSE twice, I think. It was not my strongest subject, and it did not come naturally to me. But eventually I got there. That experience taught me a lesson that has stayed with me throughout life: failure is not final unless you choose to stop trying.

As a teacher, I tell my pupils that many of the most important lessons come from setbacks rather than successes. On GCSE Results Day, as I made my way back from school, I found myself speaking to a group of pupils from Isleworth and Syon School. One of them had not achieved the Grade 4 in maths that he had hoped for. I shared my own setback with him, not because my experience was remarkable, but because young people need to hear that struggling at something does not make them a failure. It makes them human. What matters is how they respond.

Cllr Mushiso teaching at St. Benedict's School

That is why I believe we should continue to maintain high expectations for all pupils. If a subject is difficult, the answer should not be to lower our expectations. The answer should be better support, better teaching, better resources and more personalised help.

I understand the desire to put a protective blanket around pupils who may have to re-sit their English and Maths. Nobody wants young people to experience that disappointment. But I am not convinced that creating easier alternatives, as announced by Labour Education Secretary Lucy Powell MP, is the right answer.

English and Maths remain fundamental life skills. Rather than moving away from them, we should invest more in helping pupils succeed. Some pupils need more time. Some need different approaches. Some need extra intervention. Every child is different. Chiswick School, Guru Nanak Sikh Academy and St Benedict's School have demonstrated that high standards and strong support should go hand in hand.

Yet education is about more than examination results. As a teacher and governor, I have become increasingly convinced that we should give greater value to qualities such as behaviour, discipline, responsibility and respect. Qualifications matter, but character matters more.

I have seen outstanding leadership across these three schools. Mr Smith at St Benedict's, Ms Ellener at Chiswick School and Mr Sidhu at the Sikh Academy have worked tirelessly to create cultures where pupils are expected to behave well, support one another and contribute positively to society.

Those qualities may never appear fully on a results sheet, but they are just as important. A grade can open a door. Character determines what happens once you walk through it.

So, as we celebrate this year's achievements, let us remember the bigger picture. Let us congratulate those who achieved the grades they were hoping for, support those who fell short, and continue to encourage resilience, maintain high expectations and invest in young people here in Chiswick and across the borough.

Cllr Ron Mushiso

ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk

07976 702887

DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Anyone can attend public meetings of the council. Hounslow House is fully accessible. Hounslow Central tube station is not step-free. The 237 bus stops nearby. Parking in local roads is limited.

Principal meetings are broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel

Overview and Scrutiny Committee : 1 September at 7pm

Audit and Governance Committee : 2 September at 7pm

Planning Committee : 3 September at 7pm

Chiswick Area Forum : 16 September from 6.30pm

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS CONTACT INFO

Chiswick Gunnersbury ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446

Cllr Vickram Grewal vickram.grewal@hounslow.gov.uk 07904 184099

Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Michael Denniss Michael.Denniss@hounslow.gov.uk

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Linden Grigg Linden.Grigg@hounslow.gov.uk 07779 436258

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823