PEP Scores Bring Pride to St. Paul’s Primary and Infant

St. Paul’s Primary and Infant School in Manchester is celebrating success in the 2025 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) where all students gained entry to a high school of their choice.

Principal of the small, rural institution, Garfre Robinson, tells JIS News that seven students sat the exams, with six placed on Pathway One, demonstrating a good level of competence in the subject areas assessed and one in Pathway Two, indicating partial competence in the required areas.

There was 100 per cent proficiency for Language Arts and 85 per cent proficiency for Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. One student was among the top pupils across the island in Social Studies.

Mr. Robinson says the PEP results were greeted with “joy and celebration” by students, teachers, and parents.

“Tears of joy was a common sight as the school community came together to celebrate the hard work and dedication that led to such impressive outcomes. This supportive environment is a testament to the strong community ties and the collaborative effort that defines St. Paul’s,” Mr. Robinson shares.

He notes that the teachers at the institution not only prepare “engaging lessons”; they also create an atmosphere that fosters learning and enthusiasm among the students.

“This success is attributed to the dedication of the teachers at St. Paul’s, who are committed to individualised teaching methods tailored to each student’s needs. The school’s approach focuses on personalising the learning experience, ensuring that every student receives the attention and resources necessary to excel. This commitment to student-centred education has played a crucial role in the school’s achievements,” Mr. Robinson says.

The Principal says there are several “exciting” programmes on the horizon to motivate students to push beyond their limits and enhance their reading comprehension skills.

“Moreover, the morning classes, which emphasise active learning from the start of the day, are set to continue, ensuring that students remain engaged and motivated,” he tells JIS News.

Top student, Kerecia Nelson who will be attending Manchester High School, tells JIS News that she was filled with joy when she was announced as the top student at the recent graduation ceremony.

The soft-spoken student shares that although she was anxious during the sitting of the exams and while awaiting the results, “I am glad that I got to shine and be the top girl of the school and top student”.

“The teachers helped us to achieve our best. When we are struggling, they always find a way to help us,” she tells JIS News.

For those students who will be taking PEP next year, Kerecia’s advice for them is to “focus in class and study for their upcoming exams so that they can do well”.

“To my parents, I just want to say thank you because when I was struggling, they were always by my side to help me through things and help me to pass my exams with excellent grades,” she expresses.
Kerecia’s mother, Julie Knight Nelson, tells JIS News that her daughter was confident that she would have done well.

“I was a little bit nervous but she was confident and because of her confidence I became confident also. So, that made me happy because she has been working hard all year. She has been doing well… she has kept a high standard and she was very settled going into the exam,” Mrs. Nelson shares.

Meanwhile, top male, Dontae Johnson, who is heading to St. Elizabeth Technical High School, says tells JIS News that he owes his achievement to dedicated focus on his schoolwork and strict discipline.

These are traits, he says, that every student needs to adopt.

His mother, Phillipa Getfield, tells JIS News that she was overcome with a feeling of pride and joy when her son’s name was called as the top male student.

“I just ran and hugged him and tears just filled my eyes. I said to him, ‘Dontae, you did your best and he said yes, Mophiaommy. I had everything in my head’,” she recalls.

She commends the teachers of the institution, which community persons call “a little university in the bush”.

“They do their best to push the children to do well,” Miss Getfield says.

Senior teacher, Keisha Knight-Wright, tells JIS News that extra classes and consistent homework assignments contributed to the achievement of the students.

“We did some online classes, gave them worksheets over the holidays so, basically, grade-six students were occupied, even during the holidays,” she points out.

She notes that the batch of students have been performing well from grade four.

“I am happy for them. All of this, for me, is about them, and they deserve this. If you look at the records of this batch, it would have been expected that they would have done this. They have been a very dedicated, diligent set of students from grade four and the records show it. They did well in grade-five, grade-four literacy, and now in grade six,” she tells JIS News.

For Custos of Manchester, Hon. Garfield Green, the success of the small, rural school is for the entire community.

“It is significant… and the teachers and the parents must be lauded for their effort,” he says.