Record breaking success for GCSE students

Students and teachers were celebrating a record breaking week after thousands of teenagers opened their GCSE results to discover top marks.Hours of worry and nail-biting was replaced with big smiles on Tuesday when a handful of schools recorded their best ever results.

STUDENTS and teachers were celebrating a record breaking week after thousands of teenagers opened their GCSE results to discover top marks.

Hours of worry and nail-biting was replaced with big smiles on Tuesday when a handful of schools recorded their best ever results.

Records were smashed at Diss High, Hartismere High, Long Stratton High, and Stradbroke Business and Enterprise College, when pupils received a flurry of A* to C grades.

The annual GCSE results day saw an improvement in grades for the 23rd year in a row in England with almost a quarter of papers in the east of England getting A*s and As.

Students topped an 'outstanding' year for Hartismere High School in Eye by getting the best results in Suffolk after the percentage of five or more A* to Cs jumped from 77pc in 2009 to 96pc this year.

Headteacher James McAtear said: 'Earlier this year the school received the top grade from Ofsted and these results are the culmination of an outstanding year. These results are a testament to the support of our parents and guardians, the talent and commitment of our staff, and the hard work of our students.'

Pupils at Diss High School also reached new heights after 80pc achieved five or more A* to C.

Several received straight A* and A grades, including James Baillie, Lucy Chubbock, Sasha Cox, Matthew Ellis, Rebekah Fiddy, Holly Fleming, Chloe Fulcher, Megan Frost, Thomas Harries, Harindi Loku Waduge, and Sadie Sharman.

'We are thrilled and delighted with these superb results. This is the reward of very hard work by staff and students,' said headteacher Jan Hunt.

Students at Long Stratton High School hit their target of 73pc five or more A* to C.

'There has been a large increase in the percentage of higher grades achieved in English, Maths and Science. The results reflect the hard work of our students and staff and the support of parents. It is exciting to see the expectations and performance of the students, of all abilities, continues to grow,' said headteacher Paul Adams.

And pupils at Stradbroke Business and Enterprise College continued the record breaking theme after 67pc got five or more A* to Cs.

New headteacher Andrew Bloom, who has been at the school for one term, said: 'I am delighted that all of the hard work by pupils and staff has resulted in the best ever results at Stradbroke Business and Enterprise Collage. I am new to the post and we are looking for further improvements in the future.'

Sixty-seven percent was also the magic number for GCSE students at Archbishop Sancroft High School, in Harleston.

'I am again very pleased with these results. They represent a huge effort by students and staff, both teaching and support. I am particularly pleased with the improved achievement of our boys, who have this year overtaken the girls. It is also very important to recognise the achievement of those students for whom learning is a real challenge and others who have succeeded by overcoming huge obstacles in their lives this year,' said headteacher Richard Cranmer.