Ipswich great-grandad, 73, passes his English GCSE exam

A great-grandad said he was “emotional” after successfully passing his English GCSE at the age of 73.

Danny Davey, from Ipswich, left school at 14 with no qualifications, and decades later wanted to go back to get his GCSEs.

After previously passing his maths GCSE, he took on English this year at Suffolk New College, and he said it was a challenge.

Mr Davey was hoping for a 4 – a pass – but was thrilled to find he had been awarded a 6.

“I left school at 14, I had no qualifications, and in 2016 I thought I ought to have one because I haven’t got any,” Mr Davey said.

“With work and bringing up a family you don’t have time, so now I’m retired I’ve got time to come and do my English [GCSE].

“I got a 6 and I was really hoping to get a pass. A 4 would have made me very happy, so when I got a 6 I felt quite emotional.”

The retired roofer said studying for the GCSE was hard but he loved doing it.

The exam itself was “nerve wracking”, with the time limit adding extra pressure.

“All the plans that I had went out of the window – that’s why I can’t believe I got a 6,” he said.

“I had everything planned about the story and the questions, and in both exams I had to leave a whole question because I didn’t have time.”

His success was not Mr Davey’s only recent achievement.

In the run-up to his exams, he and his classmates were asked, as homework, to write a short story which would be entered into a competition.

“My dog had been diagnosed with cancer and I was feeling very sad. We had her for 15 years,” he said.

“That inspired me to write about her, but you don’t know it’s her until the end.

“I won my group, which I was really over the moon with, and then I won overall. I thought they had made a mistake. It was amazing.”

Mr Davey, who now plans to see if he can study creative writing, encouraged anyone considering trying for GCSEs to take them on.

“Have a go. It doesn’t matter whether you pass it or not,” he said.

“Challenge yourself and, you never know, you might end up like me – totally surprised at what you’re able to do.”