Records set despite fall in top grades

Results from state and independent schools showed that students in the region were helping to rewrite the record books.

Bradford Grammar School has celebrated its best ever results with 93 per cent of papers resulting in an A*, A or B grade, and almost three-quarters gaining either an A* or A.

Sheffield High School’s GCSEs were also its best ever.

Pupils at the independent all girls school saw 77 per cent of the grades awarded either an A* or an A with almost half resulting in an A* – an eight per cent rise from 2011, breaking all previous records.

Head Valerie Dunsford said: “I am absolutely delighted with these results and I am extremely proud of what the pupils and staff have achieved which is over and above our expectations especially when we are told the examination bodies are restricting the number of top grades.”

Pupils at the Mount School in York were celebrating breaking records with more than a quarter of girls achieving at least five A* grades and around two thirds of all exams being graded A or A*.

Principal Julie Lodrick said: “The staff and I are extremely proud of all the girls. They have worked very hard and fully deserve their success.”

At Harrogate Ladies College 62 per cent of grades were either A* or A with 35 per cent getting an A* – a record.

Students at the Grammar School at Leeds have notched up 823 passes at A* amounting to 35 per cent of grades achieved at the school.

There was also record-breaking success being reported in the state sector. Roundhay School in Leeds had 70 per cent of pupils achieving five good grades including English and maths – their best ever results.

Associate deputy head Lorraine Bowman said: “To have had our best ever GCSE results we believe of 70 per cent five plus A*-C including English and maths on top of the outstanding A-level results makes this a terrific start to the new academic year. It is a tribute to the enormous amount of effort our students, their families, associate and teaching staff have put into supporting one another to enable, right across the ability range, these wonderful results to be achieved.”

Students from Leeds West Academy, in Rodley, celebrated more than half its pupils achieving the Government benchmark for English and maths. The figure rose from 44 per cent last year to 56 per cent this summer.

Academy principal Annette Hall said: “The growth of 12 per cent in the number of students achieving five or more A*-C GCSE grades, including English and maths, is a phenomenal achievement.”

The Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull has broken its GCSE records for the fourth consecutive year with 61 per cent of pupils achieving the GCSE benchmark.

Principal Andrew Chubb said: “Every year for the past four years, our students have broken all previous academy records. This year has been no different, where students have worked incredibly hard to achieve and, in many cases, exceed the highly demanding targets set for them.”