Eleven-year-old Tyriq Goddard, head boy of St George Primary School, has cemented his status as one of Barbados’ top emerging young scholars after ranking 10th overall in the 2026 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination, earning a coveted spot at his first-choice institution, Queen’s College. What makes Tyriq’s achievement even more notable is the steady, disciplined approach that carried him to success, with no costly extra tutoring or last-minute cramming required to reach his goal.
Tyriq’s mother, Karen Goddard, told reporters her son’s strong work ethic was established from his earliest years of primary school, and he never deviated from that consistent routine. “From Class One, he was always a very diligent child. I didn’t put him in anything extra in terms of lessons. He would have just gone to school, paid attention in class, came home, did his homework, done any assignments that he needed to do, and that was basically it,” she explained.
This consistent track record of solid performance left the whole family confident heading into exam day, with far more excitement than nervous energy surrounding the test. “I always had confidence that Tyriq would have done well because he has been doing well throughout his school life. I know that the outcome would not have been anything too far away from what he has been doing all along,” Karen added.
That confidence was vindicated when results were released, and Tyriq learned he had earned a place at Queen’s College, a decision the 11-year-old made entirely on his own after researching all of Barbados’ top secondary institutions. “He looked at the booklet with the schools and what all of them offered. He browsed through the booklet and saw what each of the schools had to offer and which one resonated best with him,” Karen said. “It was more his decision rather than me putting something on him… even in terms of the sixth form, he even looked at that.”
For Tyriq, Queen’s College stood out from other options because it balances rigorous academic programming with robust opportunities in his two favorite sports: volleyball and basketball. He added that having cousins already enrolled at the school was a nice bonus, but the strength of the school’s overall education program was the biggest draw.
Unlike many students who face national entrance exams with overwhelming anxiety, Tyriq approached test day with a quiet, grounded calm. “I didn’t really feel anxious or excited. I just felt like I made it,” he recalled. When his top-10 result landed in his inbox, however, that calm quickly shifted to unbridled joy. “At first I had to let it process. It was a lot. Then after I just smiled and I was rejoicing and celebrating and everything,” he said. When asked about his first reaction after learning he earned a spot at Queen’s College, he laughed: “I ran up and down the house and screamed, telling everybody.”
The family celebrated the milestone the same evening with a special dinner out, and Tyriq’s success comes as no surprise to anyone who knows the young scholar. Beyond his role as head boy, he has compiled an impressive record of academic and extracurricular achievement throughout his primary school career: he placed first in an inter-primary school diabetes education competition, claimed a board prize at a regional chess tournament after winning all five of his matches, finished fourth in a national mental mathematics competition, and took first place in the Lions language arts competition.
Karen Goddard credits not just her son’s hard work, but also the consistent support he received from the entire staff at St George Primary School. “The teachers at the school, they’re very good and supportive. I must commend them as well,” she said.
As Tyriq prepares to start his secondary education at Queen’s College this coming September, he said he will miss the close community of his primary school, but is eager to start the next chapter of his academic journey. A number of his close primary school classmates will be joining him at Queen’s College, and he has plans to stay connected to the peers and teachers he is leaving behind. “The teachers and the principals and the helpers, I would always come back to school and see them. So it’s not really devastating to me. I’m so happy I made the most of them,” he said.
Reflecting on her son’s success, Karen noted that Tyriq’s achievement is proof that consistent hard work over time pays off, saying: “A number of these children have been consistently doing well and the results at the end of the day really show, they show.”