A TEENAGER who couldn’t walk seven months ago is “really proud”  after receiving his GCSE results.

Keiran Manser, a student at the Co-op Academy in Bebington, had to go into hospital for treatment on a severe scoliotic spine at the end of January, taking seven weeks out of school. Scoliosis is when someone has a side ways curve on the spine and before the surgery, Kieran’s mum Sarah said “he was in awful pain.”

Despite this, Keiran managed to get a 6 in English Language, 5s in English Literature and Maths, and passed all his sciences. He will now go on to study business and IT.

Keiran said: “I didn’t do any of the mocks. It was a bit stressful because I didn’t know what to expect but I tried to do the best that I could. I was quite nervous but I thought I’ll put all my effort in and what I get is what I get.”

Though he was disappointed with a 4 in Biology,  Keiran said: “I am happy, overall. I am really proud of myself. I have come a long way, I couldn’t walk in January.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence going forward. My parents, I think they will be happy.”

Sarah Manser said: “He has done amazing. I am so proud of him. It’s been horrific. He left hospital and couldn’t do anything, just the slightest movement and he was in awful pain.

“I just think it’s so amazing when you see him now. The school’s absolutely supported him and his class was amazing.  The catch up of the lessons, it was hard. Him trying to be in school all day and he missed some of them because he had been in agony.

“I think the other issue is he was in so much pain beforehand. Being able to retain information or even just get through the day was hard enough.”

Keiran was one of 193 students at the COOP Academy in Bebington receiving his GCSE results. Jess Galloway, thrilled about a 5 in English, said: “I feel amazing. I prepared myself to fail and I passed.

“I was just nervous and I didn’t expect to even be here. It’s just a shock. I didn’t really enjoy school. It just wasn’t for me so I never expected to pass. I am not a classroom person.” She is now off to an apprenticeship at a nursery.

Catherine Kelly, headteacher at the COOP Academy, said: “We’ve had some of the best results we’ve ever had in terms of the number of children who’ve got four and five grade nines, the top grades.

“I’m particularly proud of them because this year group went through COVID but we were also flooded in 2021 and lost 65% of the school. We had to alternate year 9 at the time.”

She added: “This is what I say to our students. Don’t ever let anybody tell you can’t do or be something. I got two O Levels, two GCSEs, when I left school but here I am.

“With hard work and determination, and support from all our fantastic staff here, our kids will do really well.”

Other schools have also seen success in today’s results. St Mary’s Catholic College saw some students like Elisa Fontana get six grade 9’s, an A in her history IGCSE, and two 7s. At Birkenhead School, ten students scored grades of 7 to 9 in all of their subjects.

At Wirral Grammar School for Girls, 80% of all grades were 9 to 6 with nearly 40% being the top two grades 8 and 9.

Eva Howitt has just come back from Trinidad and Tobago where she was playing netball in the Youth Commonwealth Games. After getting her results, she’s on a bus straight to Leeds Festival for a four day celebration.

She said: “I am very happy. I didn’t think I would do that well. I got a 7 in English Language and an 8 in English Literature. I thought I would have got a lot lower.” She also got 2 9s in business and PE.

Eva added: “It’s great, I feel amazing. It feels really refreshing. I have been stressing a lot but not I feel calm and I feel good.”

Her mum, Donna, said: “I am relieved and just I am so proud. They have worked so hard and I have always said the results are a stepping stone and it is not the same path for everyone.”

Maia Richie said she was most surprised about her English Literature grade, adding: “I thought I had failed that exam and I got a nine. I literally thought that was a mistake but I am very happy with all my marks.”

Wirral Grammar School for Girls  headteacher Jenny Ogunmyiwa said: “I am really proud of them. They have achieved remarkable success.”

For those disappointed with their results,  she added: “They need to play to their strengths because they will go on to achieve success even if they didn’t see the results they wanted today.”

Meanwhile, at Ridgeway High School in Noctorum, several students secured the very highest grades: Emily Elizabeth Jones achieved nine 5–9 grades, including grade 9 in both English language and English literature; Oliver Turner achieved eight 7–9 grades, including a grade 9 in history; Summer Hutchinson achieved eight 5–9 grades, including a grade 9 in statistics; Neon Bista achieved nine 6–9 grades, including a grade 9 in English language; Nasim Hussain, Lewis New, Owen Reece and Merab Fatima all got a suite of 6–9 grades and Stanislas Dugelet achieved six 6–9 grades. He also sat French A-level two years early and achieved an A grade.

Headteacher, Gavin Sterry, said: "Today is the culmination of months of hard work. In addition to studying in lessons and at home, many of the students attended our Saturday School classes and joined our online tuition sessions, so these results are well earned and thoroughly deserved.

"The students are about to begin the next stage of their educational journey. We wish them all every success in whatever they choose to do and look forward to hearing all about it when they come back and visit us."

Cllr Sue Powell-Wilde, Chair of Children, Young People and Education committee for Wirral Council, said: “I’d like to congratulate and say a big thank you to all students and teachers in the borough for their hard work during this past year. “Exam season can be a really challenging time, so I take my hat off to the dedication shown by Wirral students who have sat their GCSE exams.

“For many of you, A levels may be on the horizon, for others, you may begin the search for further training or even be entering the world of work. Whatever your next step is, I wish all of our students good luck for the future.”