MONTEGO BAY, St James — There was jubilation, Friday, at three St James schools visited by the Jamaica Observer as results of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams were released.

At Corinaldi Avenue Primary School, Principal Deon Stern-Anglin proudly declared that 196 of her 235 (83 per cent) charges had scored enough to get into Pathways One.

Pathways are used by the education ministry to indicate students’ readiness for high school. One is the highest level, Two means they are just about ready, while Three is a signal that they will need intervention as they begin secondary education.

According to Stern-Anglin, 35 of her students were deemed just about ready while four will need a bit of help.

She credited parents and teachers for improvements seen since the previous PEP results which had indicated that scores of the same batch of students were not performing at optimal levels.

“I feel elated because 60 of these students, when I got their Grade Four results they got near mastery. So, we started putting in the work, meeting with parents and we told them it would require more. The teachers did their part as well,” explained Stern-Anglin.

Her two top performers are Ariel Silvera and Kayden Daley. Silvera scored 384.8 out of a possible 400 and she will be attending Montego Bay High School for Girls. Kayden Daley scored 381.8 and he will be attending Herbert Technical High School come September.

Young Silvera could hardly believe how well she did.

“I am feeling kind of shocked because I didn’t expect this to happen,” Silvera told the Observer.

“I came to this school because I have been switching around schools a lot. This school is the first school that I have been to and I have actually stayed for the whole year. So, I am extremely grateful to all my teachers,” the teenager added.

There was also celebration for many at Chetwood Memorial Primary School, where most of the students are set to attend their first choice of secondary institutions.

While Principal Garvin Atkinson said he still has some analysis to do, he said there has been an improvement in the school’s overall performance.

“We have more students going to traditional high schools this year than last year and I’ve seen an overall improvement in the overall scores,” he stated.

“One thing that I also love to see is that the boys are stepping up. The girls continue to do very well but I am seeing the boys stepping up and that makes me proud as a male principal,” added Atkinson.

He said only 21 of the school’s 168 students were categorised as Pathways Two level while two were said to be at Pathway Three. He also noted that many students had secured spaces at sought-after institutions, including Herbert Morrison Technical High, Montego Bay High, Cornwall College, and Mount Alvernia.

Over at privately run St James Preparatory, Theodore Hayles had reason to be extra happy. He is heading to Campion College.

“I am ecstatic because it’s such a good feeling. I can’t even explain it,” the 12-year-old said while smiling from ear to ear.

His teacher Aldon Lettman, who is popularly known as The PEP Man, has been churning out high-performers for years. This year was no different.

“The grades are exceptional, over 90 per cent have gone to their first choice of schools and we have one child going to the top school based on ranking: Campion,” he declared proudly.

“We have a lot of Montego Bay High School — most of the girls are going there; 16 in fact are heading to that institution,” Lettman revealed.

Others are set to attend Munro College and Cornwall College, as well as other traditional high schools.