A HAMPSHIRE school has had a record year for English GCSEs – and it is still six months before pupils are due to sit their exams.

In a bid to improve results, Quilley School, Eastleigh, put forward most of the upper year for early entry into their English finals.

Staff say that they were delighted to get a 50 per cent A to C pass rate for the Year 11s. Debbie Penney, head of English, said: “Everyone has worked very hard and we are very proud of them.”

The top student was Adam Foster, who got an A* grade.

Those pupils who didn’t get an A to C, or who want to improve their grade, will sit the exams again in the summer.