RECORDS are set to tumble across Hampshire today as students pick up their all important GCSE results.

Several schools across the county were posting the best results in their history as records were being smashed by the class of 2016.

Along with schools being compared on the usual benchmark of how many students secure five A* to C grades in GCSE subjects including maths and English, this year schools are also publishing a new figure called Progress 8.

That indicator is a measure of how much students have improved in eight subjects across the board, but putting more weight on maths and English.

Schools that record a zero rating mean that students have met the expected levels of progress but headteachers will be wanting to register a positive figure with anything over +.5 deemed as outstanding. A negative figure will indicate that the year group as a whole failed to meet the expected level of progress.

The new measure is being broadly welcomed by teachers who say it will give a better indication of how pupils have progressed during their time in secondary education.

The new measure is the start of a shake-up of GCSEs which continues next year when the traditional letter grading will be replaced by numerical grading. The A* to G grading system will be replaced as from 2017 for a numerical one, with grades from 9 down to 1.

The exam regulator Ofqual is to introduce the numbered system first in English and maths before rolling it out to all subjects.

Whilst schools number crunch students will be interested in their own grades as they strive to take the next step in their learning journey.

Pupils at St Anne’s school are unlikely to be disappointed as after this year group posted even better results than last year’s record breaking cohort.

Their Year 11 pupils are celebrating the best set of GCSE exam results ever recorded at the school with 81 per cent of students achieving five GCSEs at grades A*-C including maths and English - the first time a year group has exceeded 80 per cent.

Headmistress, Miss Lyn Bourne, said: “It has been an incredible year for St Anne’s. This time last year we were celebrating the best GCSE results for 6 years, putting St Anne’s in the top 1% of schools for progress and top 10% for achievement nationally, together with excellent A Level results. The following term we celebrated achieving ‘Outstanding’ in our Ofsted inspection.

We didn’t think it was going to be possible to top last year’s fantastic achievements but the staff have worked so hard to ensure that our girls have the very best possible chance to succeed.”

Records were also broken at Priestlands school in the New Forest, there 75 per cent secured the benchmark A*-C, including English and Maths - a new school record.

Preliminary Progress 8 figures show that on average each student performed half a grade better than expected.

Headteacher, Chris Willsher, said: “This is a superb set of results for our students. They have exceeded our targets and then some! Priestlands continues to be a successful school, rooted in its community and serving the community well. Education at Priestlands is about more than exam results. We know that their success today means our students have been given greater choice about what to do next. I congratulate them and wish them well in the future.”

Many schools across Southampton were also reporting improvements on last year’s results with St George Catholic School students delivering a huge 70 per cent of students meeting the benchmark with their progress 8 figure showing students smashed the expected level of progress whilst at the leaside way school.

Proud headteacher Graham Wilson said: “The progress figure is yet to be verified but it is hugely positive and is testament to what this school does so well.”

There was a positive trend across the city with the majority of secondary school’s either consolidating or improving on last year’s results.

Cantell and regents park posted several percentage point increases on last year’s figures.

Regents Park headteacher Jonty Archibald said: “We are extremely pleased with how our students have performed this year and particularly happy with our positive Progress 8 score. Within the headline figures are some fantastic individual results which pupils will be celebrating today.”

The school also had students sit AS levels for the first time with students securing impressive grades in creative writing papers.

At Upper Shirley High students there once again improved on last year’s figures with a 65 per cent A*-C including English and Maths pass rate, improving again on last year’s record breaking stats.

Independent King Edward VI School posted impressive results in IGCSE, an international version of the exams.

Figures there show that 99.7 per cent of IGCSEs were at grade C or above with 76 per cent of all grades at A* and A. Headteacher, Julian Thould, said: “This success is a fine tribute to our students and their teachers.”

Outside of Southampton, Crestwood school in Eastleigh has much to celebrate. The recently amalgamated school recorded positive Progress 8 Figures and five per cent increase in key markers.

Pupils from the former Quilley school showed a ten per cent increase on last year’s figures whilst English results also showed huge progress.

Headteacher Krista Dawkins said: “English results were stunning with 83% of students making expected progress and 37% making more than expected, both figures are well above National Averages..”

However, she added that grade boundary movement did limit the amount of higher grades in maths.

At the Mountbatten school Executive Headteacher Heather McIlroy confirmed that 77 per cent of students secured five GCSE passes at A* to C including maths and English - up 7 per cent on last year Mrs McIlroy said: ‘These represent superb results with many subjects securing between 30% and 40% A* and A.”