The headteacher of Berkeley Institute has praised the school?s graduating class of 2006 ? especially a handful of youngsters who earned high honours in each of their four senior years.

Michelle Simmons toldthat those five students picked up the Respice Finem award, which was established by Berkeley alumnus Dame Marjorie Bean.

The name of the award is the school?s motto, meaning ?keep the end in view?.

?I don?t ever recall having five students earning honours in every one of their years,? said Mrs. Simmons. ?It?s a great year for that.?

The award winners were: Sharneil Paynter, Tiffany Austin, Stephanie Lee, Wannita Benjamin and Kaamilah Al-Amin.

Seven other students at the school graduated with honours in their final year. They were: Serena Brangman, Murricea Iris, Linda Pacheco, Kemar Peters, Justin Ross, Malika Scott and Calae Steede.

The final number of graduates from Berkeley this year will not be known until the institute?s summer school finishes next month.

Mrs. Simmons said: ?There is still summer school that some kids can graduate in and I?d rather speak about the final number after that.?

The principal also spoke out about the use of ?challenge? tests to help students graduate. Shadow Education Minister Neville Darrell raised concerns about the use of such exams at the Island?s other public senior school ? CedarBridge Academy ? last week.

Mrs. Simmons said the tests were totally legitimate in certain circumstances.

?It?s not just about trying to squeeze kids through, it?s trying to make sure that they have met the requirements of the certificate,? she said. ?It?s used for specific cases.?

She said the exams could be validly used to allow pupils who had been flagging academically to move up a year if they had eventually mastered a subject to the required level of competency.

?They are used throughout the school. It?s nothing strange. Not everyone can assimilate the material at the same pace. Sometimes it?s counter-productive to hold kids back and hold them back for a whole year. It?s a judgment call on the part of the school as to whether we allow them to go on.?