Exceed Group's top PEP students celebrate hard-earned achievements

While top boy Jaiden Beech flourished under a relaxed approach that allowed him to enjoy childhood while receiving guidance from his mother at home, top girl Simone Spicer balanced long school days, multiple extra classes and hours of studying before earning a place at one of Jamaica's premier high schools.

Despite their different journeys, both students proved that determination, family support and consistency can produce outstanding results.

Beech, who earned an overall placement score of 352.4 out of 400, will begin the next chapter of his education at Jamaica College, while Spicer, who scored 327 out of 400, secured her first choice, Hampton School.

For Jaden's mother, Leonie Brown, PEP preparation was never about pressure or fear. Instead, she deliberately treated every assessment like an ordinary test.

“I did not give him any reason to think that it was going to be the end of the world if he didn't do his best,” Brown told Old Harbour News. “I supported him, motivated him and told him to treat it like another test because you've been doing this all along.”

Brown explained that because her son experiences anxiety, creating a calm environment was far more beneficial than overwhelming him with expectations.

“He was still able to play his games. He was still able to just be a normal kid. I noticed that if you don't apply the pressure that I see most persons doing, it allows him to be much more comfortable,” she said.

The journey, however, was not without setbacks. After relocating to Old Harbour, Brown transferred her son from Solid Base Preparatory School on Brunswick Avenue, Spanish Town to Exceed Group of Schools and made the difficult decision to have him repeat grade 4 after his academic performance declined while living away from her.

“He needed to be where I was,” she explained. “Being away from his support system really took a turn on him.”

With renewed stability and close parental involvement, Beech steadily regained his confidence.

Rather than relying heavily on private lessons, Brown spent Saturdays working through past PEP examination papers with him, sometimes printing papers dating back to 2019.

“If there was something he didn't understand, we'd sit down together and work through it. I would show him different ways to solve a problem because there's never just one way to arrive at the correct answer,” she said.

Although Beech originally dreamed of attending Wolmer's Boys' School, inspired by his passion for track and field after learning about sprint legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Asafa Powell, fate had another plan.

His placement at Jamaica College quickly became a source of excitement for the entire family. Months before the official results were released, relatives had already agreed to wear Jamaica College blue to his graduation ceremony if he earned a place there.

Their confidence proved well-founded. For the soft-spoken 13-year-old, hearing the news was unforgettable.

“I felt very happy, I was running around,” he said.

Now preparing for life at Jamaica College, Beech is eager to pursue two of his biggest passions, to become an athlete and a pilot.

“I really think I can get a lot of stuff done, like track and the aviation programme. I really like planes, so I think JC is the best option for me,” he explained.

For Exceed's top girl, success came through an intensive daily routine. Guardian Janet Cummings recalled that Spicer's days often began before sunrise and ended only after attending school, school-based extra lessons and private classes.

“She would wake up about 5:30 every morning, go to school, attend extra classes after school and then go to Miss Foreman's classes before coming home around 5:30 in the evening,” Cummings said.

Even after those long days, Spicer remained eager to learn.

“She loves to read, and if there was ever something she didn't understand, she'd come to me for clarity,” Cummings explained. “She doesn't like not knowing something.”

Cummings said Simone's natural love for Mathematics, combined with her curiosity and determination, made her an exceptional student from an early age.

“She has always been doing well academically,” she said.

Although Spicer consistently excelled in the classroom, she admitted there was one challenge she had to overcome — her own doubts.

“When I heard that I passed for Hampton, I was a bit shocked because there has always been a little voice in my head telling me that I wouldn't do it,” Spicer said. “That's why I always tried to push past my limits, and I did it.”

She said once she entered the examination room, any nervousness quickly disappeared.

“When I looked at one of the papers, for a second it looked hard. But then I remembered my teacher taught me these things, and then it got pretty easy after,” she recalled.

Her favourite subject is Mathematics, and while many students have one dream career, Spicer has several. “I want to become a neurosurgeon, a cardiologist, a lawyer or even a soldier,” she said with a giggle.

She credits her success to the encouragement of her guardian, Uncle Shane, Aunt Donet, her teachers at Exceed Group of Schools and private tutor Miss Foreman.

Asked whether she encountered any academic challenges throughout her PEP journey, Spicer offered a refreshing perspective.

“I had the resources, so I could have mastered everything. I had everything and everyone I needed. I have always been doing excellent in my class and passing my exams with flying colours,” she recalled.

Although their preparation looked very different, Beech and Spicer shared one important advantage — unwavering support from the people around them. One family chose calm encouragement over pressure. The other embraced structure, discipline and long hours of study. Both approaches led to exceptional success.

As they prepare to begin high school at Jamaica College and Hampton School respectively, the two Exceed Group of Schools students leave behind a powerful reminder that every child's journey is unique, and with the right support, excellence can take many different paths.