Jewish schools again have performed well above the national average in GCSE results this summer.

Immanuel College headmaster Millan Sachania hailed “outstanding results” from pupils with a rise in top grades 9 to 7 to 69 per cent from 65 per cent last year — more than triple the national average for 16-year-olds in England which was 22.7 per cent.

Across the fee-paying college’s GCSE cohort, its average score of 7.2 was markedly higher than the national average of 4.8.

For the second consecutive year, a photography candidateachieved one of the highest marks in the subject nationally — testament to Immanuel’s emphasis on the arts. The student, Keren Akerman, was sent special congratulations by the exam board. An impressive 94 per cent of art and photography pupils earned grades above 7.

Some of the work of Immanuel student Keren Akerman

Close to three in ten exams were passed at the top grade 9 — up to 28.4 per cent from 26.6 per cent last year. Seven pupils achieved eight or more grade 9s.

More than half — 51 per cent — achieved a grade 9 in religious studies (compared to 40 per cent last year).

Top-performing photographer: Keren Akerman of Immanuel College

Dr Sachania said the results ”highlight the importance of Immanuel College’s expert pastoral care and individualised attention, which play a crucial role in all pupil successes.”

One Immanuel high-flier, Jeremy Dahan, who bagged eight 9s, said, “I’m absolutely thrilled and grateful for all the support.”

Thrilled: Immanuel's Jeremy Dahan

JCoSS is also celebrating another year of impressive GCSE and vocational results, surpassing last year’s performance with 50 per cent of all grades at grade 7 or better – more than double the national average — compared to 45 per cent last year; 31 per cent were at grade 8 or 9.

A quarter of all students achieved at least seven GCSEs at grade 7 or above. Top performers at JCoSS include Alma Shabtay with eleven 9s; Mika Haber with ten 9s and an 8; Charlie Rabilizirov with ten 9s; Maisie Boyne with nine 9s and an 8; Gabriel Blustin with eight 9s and two 8s; Sam Broll with eight 9s and two 8s; Harry Moss with eight 9s and two 8s; Pippa Kurt with eight 9s, an 8 and a 7; and James Harris with seven 9s and three 8s.

Headteacher Melanie Lee said “the exceptional results” were “a testament to the hard work, determination and resilience that our students have shown throughout their studies. Each of them has demonstrated a commitment to learning and the strength of character to overcome challenges and strive for their very best.”

At Yavneh College, 49 per cent of students achieved grades of 7 or above, up from 41 per cent last year. Nearly a third - 31 per cent - of student grades were at 8 or above, also an improvement on last year’s 23 per cent, and 84 per cent of grades at 5 or above.

Top performers at the school include Aiden Fink with nine 9s; Sivan Hermon with eight 9s and two 8s; Izzy Levinson with eight 9s and an 8; Yael Benyosef with eight 9s and an 8; Ethan Kenton with seven 9s and two 8s; and Elissa Baigel with seven 9s and an 8.

Yavneh students celebrate GCSE results 2024.

Yavneh’s executive headteacher Spencer Lewis said: “I am incredibly proud of our Year 11 pupils who have done so well in their GCSEs this year. For almost 50 per cent of grades to be at 7-9 with 15 per cent at grade 9 is an amazing achievement.

“We should never take for granted just how much work goes into attaining such high grades and just how stressful the exam period can sometimes be. We are all really delighted with these results.”

While nationally a fall in passes in English and maths has caused concern, 95 per cent of students at JFS were able to secure pass grades in both subjects.

At the country’s largest Jewish school, 48 per cent of all grades were 7 or above, and over a quarter of were grade 8 and above — more than double the national average. Top performers were Jacob Stadler, Zac Simmons, Leah Baron, Libby Frenkel, Zac Lightman, Zachary Schneider, Dani Nissim and Talia Jaffe, each with eight or more 9s.

Headteacher David Moody said: “I am extremely proud of all the effort that students, parents and teachers alike have put in. The focus that families place on education is incredible to see and it is great to see all Jewish schools doing so well. Well done to everyone!”

Yavneh College students celebrate the release of GCSE results on Thursday.

Students at Manchester’s King David High School have also produced above-average GCSE results, with 23 per cent of all grades at 8 and above and an overall pass rate of 100 per cent.

Nearly a third of the cohort averaged a grade 7 or above in all their GCSEs. The Progress 8 measure of 0.45 for the school indicates that KDHS pupils on average scored nearly half a grade above what might have been anticipated when they entered the school.

Tracy Basger, interim headteacher, said “We are delighted with the achievements of this year’s GCSE candidates. This is testament to the hard work of the pupils and teachers at King David High School. We look forward to welcoming these talented young people into our sixth form when term begins next week.”

At King Solomon High School, students exceeded the national average in grades 9 to 5, achieving 61 per cent. Top performers included Eleonora Rafailova, who received six 9s and three 8s; Yusif Anis with seven 9s, two 8s and a 7; and Elli Saltmanw with two 9s, five 8s and three 7s.

King Solomon pupil Eleonora Rafailova celebrates her GCSE results.

Anis’s achievement was particularly commendable as he had been bouncing back and forth between the UK and his birth country in the Middle East and was home-schooled for several years before returning to the UK for years 10 and 11.

King Solomon student Yusif Anis.

At Hasmonean Girls’ School, 55 per cent of grades were 7 or above, beating Hasmonean Boys’ School, with 46 per cent of grades at 7 or above. More than a third of the girls’ cohort received at least eight top grades (9 to 7).

Juliette Cohen, Ariella Elias and Michal Faith each achieved ten grade 9s and one grade 8.

Cohen said: “I am delighted with my results and am so grateful to my amazing school and to all my wonderful teachers for their hard work in helping me to achieve my potential.”

King Solomon student Elli Saltman.

Girls’ headteacher Katherine Brice expressed her pride in the students’  results, noting that they were “the product of hard work by the girls who have maintained their commitment to Jewish studies alongside their secular subjects”.

She added: “We are very proud of our students’ achievements especially given the continuing effects of the covid pandemic.”

Miriam Langdon, headteacher of Hasmonean Boys’ School said the results were a testament to pupils’ “resilience and perseverance, especially given the challenges of recent years. We are delighted to see that over 20 per cent of our students have achieved eight or more top grades, a true reflection of their dedication.”