Fingers crossed for GCSE results

Education bosses in Hampshire and Southampton were today hoping to smash all previous records with their pupils' performances.

The Joint Council for Qualifications was due to announce this morning whether results have once again risen for the 18th consecutive year since GCSEs replaced O-levels 19 years ago.

Across Southampton 47 per cent of pupils scored the golden benchmark of five or more GCSEs, graded A* to C last year, while the figure in Hampshire was 61 per cent and the national figure 56.3 per cent.

Early indicators suggest improved performances at a handful of Southampton schools, including Cantell, Oaklands, Bitterne Park and Woodlands.

Across Hampshire, Brookfield School in Sarisbury Green, near Fareham, and the Toynbee School in Chandler's Ford, also achieved record-breaking performances.

Other schools maintained last year's strong results while some saw a slight dip in their performance.

SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton's top performing school was St Anne's where 85 per cent of pupils gained five or more GCSEs graded A* to C.

Head teacher Beverley Murtagh said: "We are proud that these students have achieved excellent academic results that reflect the hard work and dedication of our students and teachers.

"These examinations place great demands on students, especially in terms of the coursework element, and the students have risen to meet these challenges, well supported by their parents and all the staff."

At Oaklands Community School 41 per cent of pupils gained five or more A* to C GCSE grades - up by an impressive five per cent on last year.

Delighted head teacher Sarah Howells said she was pleased that pupils had exceeded the school's targets to achieve such a good set of results.

They come after her first year as head at the 700-pupil school in Fairisle Road, Lordshill.

Mrs Howells said: "We are delighted with the results that have exceeded all our targets. We have had some outstanding performances.

"Science was particularly successful and the school's subject specialism of drama and art was also very successful."

At Cantell School in Violet Road, Bassett, half of all GCSE pupils scored the golden benchmark of five or more A* to C grades.

It represents an eight per cent rise on last year, with 50 per cent of pupils gaining five or more top grades.

The improvement comes just months after the 1,223-pupil school was taken out of special measures by Ofsted inspectors who praised the school's turnaround in performance.

Head teacher Ruth Johnson said: "I am absolutely delighted that the hard work that has been put in over recent months by both students and staff has resulted in such a positive outcome.

"Our Ofsted report of last term indicated that we have the potential to be an outstanding school in the very near future and this set of results prove this, as they are the best the school has ever had.

"This eight per cent rise on last year and 13 per cent rise over the past two years demonstrates the progress the school has made with dozens more students being given real opportunities to go on and succeed further."

Woodlands Community School in Minstead Avenue, Harefield, saw 35 per cent of its pupils gain five or more A* to C grades - a three per cent improvement on last year.

Head teacher Richard Martin said every exam candidate had achieved at least one GCSE and 95 per cent of pupils had achieved five of more A to G grades including English and maths.

One outstanding pupil managed to secure eight A* grades coupled with two AS-levels in music and religious studies.

Mr Martin said: "We are particularly pleased with the fact that everybody is achieving at the school and our most able are achieving very well."

Pupils at Bitterne Park School achieved a fifth year of continued improvement with 66 per cent of pupils gaining five or more A* to C grades - up by two per cent on last year.

Six top-performing pupils each gained ten straight A* or A grades.

Deputy head teacher Gordon Smith said: "It's the fifth year of continual improvement and follows on from our outstanding Ofsted report. It's nice to see our results mirrored by our achievements in the Ofsted report."

The 1,349-pupil school also saw the proportion of A and A* grades awarded rise by six per cent on last year.

Girls at Sholing Technology College maintained last year's big improvement with the percentage of students gaining five or more A* to C grades at about 55 per cent.

However, the final figure is yet to be finalised as the 1,023-pupil school was yesterday still waiting for one set of English Literature results.

Head teacher Karen Dagwell said she was particularly pleased with the performance in maths results with 54 per cent of students gaining an A to C grade in the subject.

She said: "Staff have worked very hard with the present Year 11 and some of the students at the top end have done particularly well."

For the second year running the school cancelled study leave, and put in place extra revision sessions and pre-exam warm-up workshops, to help students enter the exam hall in the best frame of mind.

At Grove Park School in Sholing 37 per cent of pupils gained five or more A* to C grades - a three per cent dip on last year's results.

Head teacher Eric Freeman said he was "generally quite pleased" with the results with more pupils making greater progress across the board.

A group of Year 9 pupils who took statistics GCSE saw 72 per cent gain results graded A* to C.

FAREHAM

At Brookfield School in Sarisbury Green a record breaking 71 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades compared to 68 per cent last year.

Deputy head teacher Matthew Leeming said: "We are very happy with the results. They are a fitting tribute to the hard work of teachers and staff."

ROMSEY

Mountbatten School in Romsey saw 70.32 per cent of pupils gain five or more A* to C grades - a slight drop on last year's figure of 72 per cent.

However, a total of 98.23 per cent of pupils gained five or more exams graded A* to G.

WINCHESTER

In Winchester, Kings' School was satisfied by another excellent set of results with 81 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grades, compared to 85 per cent last year and 82 per cent in 2004.

Deputy head Geoff Lucas said the results were better than expected as there had been 200 boys taking the exams compared to only 140 girls.

Mr Lucas said: "It is much more difficult to get lazy boys to jump through these hoops than girls. Based on the key stage three scores we had predicted 76 per cent, so we are really pleased."

CHANDLER'S FORD

In Chandler's Ford the Toynbee School enjoyed a big improvement in its GCSE performance with 71 per cent of pupils achieving five or more top A* to C grades - an increase of 11 per cent on last year.

The percentage of pupils gaining a top grade in maths increased by 11 per cent and in English by eight per cent.

Head teacher David Jones said: "This success belongs to the Toynbee students who have worked hard to achieve such high results. Credit is also due to the staff for their excellent teaching and support."

TOTTON/WATERSIDE

At Hounsdown School 70 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades compared to 70 per cent last year.

The Daily Echo contacted all schools in our circulation area for overall pass rates. For a full round-up of GCSE results see tomorrow's Daily Echo.