WHILST summer is the time for students to sweat out their exams, some pupils have got in on the act early.

Early entrants in GCSE English exams are already celebrating success in schools across the county.

Schools have the option of entering some pupils for their exams early, although under the new criteria that is the only grade that will count towards the school’s overall pass rate.

Nevertheless these pupils from Hounsdown School in the New Forest were delighted to have secured an impressive 84 per cent of students (200) achieved an A*- C grade with 45 achieving the top grades of A*/A.

Katie Magill, subject leader for English said: “This is a culmination of staff building strong relationships with their classes and both parties working hard to achieve their potential. It is one of the best results in English Language that the school has seen and we are determined to build on it as we approach the Summer exams.”

There were also big smiles all round at the Inspire Academy in Southampton where pupils there also reaped the rewards of hitting the books early.

Results from Southampton’s studio school showed that 83 per cent achieved A*-C, well above this year’s national average.

Every single student also progressed four levels, another key Government marker, in the 18 months that they have attended the school which opened in September 2013.

Year 11 student Oliver Neal said he and friend Rosie Murrell have benefited from the teaching at Inspire.

He said: “We would never have achieved these grades if we hadn’t changed schools to Inspire in Year 10. At Inspire we’ve had the individual attention that we needed to succeed.”

Headteacher Christian Down said: “We have plans to extend our school to make more places available. Today’s outstanding GCSE results are evidence that what we are doing is working and more people want to find out about it.”

As reported last week the national pass rate of GCSE students achieving the Government benchmark of five A* to C grades including maths and English fell, largely due to a change in the criteria of which grades counted. Both Hampshire and Southampton also saw a dip in headline results.