STUDENTS and staff at Archbishop Sancroft High School are celebrating the best GCSE results in the school's history. Seventy-three per cent of the students achieved five or more passes at grades A*-C - which a record for the school.

STUDENTS and staff at Archbishop Sancroft High School are celebrating the best GCSE results in the school's history. Seventy-three per cent of the students achieved five or more passes at grades A*-C - which a record for the school.

Retiring headteacher, Steve Carter, said: “This is the best leaving present I could possibly have. It's gold medals all round for the students and the staff in 2008. My congratulations to them all and best wishes to everyone for the future.”

Highest performing girls this year were Katie Griffee (five A*s and five As) and Molly Grace (five A*s and five As). The highest performing boy was Sam Carter (four A*s and six As). One-third of all the students gained at least three passes at A* or A.

Attleborough High School's Year 11 students also set new records for their GCSE results. This year, almost three-quarters of students gained five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C; a 20pc increase in the results since 2005.

Andrew Emerson was the top achieving student with 11 GCSEs at A*. He plans to continue his academic career in Attleborough High School Sixth Form and intends to pursue a career in medicine. Head boy, Nic Jackson, and head girl, Georgie Edwards, each achieved 12 GCSEs at A* and A Grades. Nic Jackson, who has spent this year filming a lead role in a major film, achieved a 100pc pass in his drama, GCSE hinting of a great thespian future ahead of him.

Stuart Bailey, headteacher at Attleborough High School said: “Once again, our Year 11 students have excelled themselves. They are a superb year group and they have worked hard to hone their skills. Year-on-year our GCSE results have hit record levels

Year 11 pupils at Stradbroke Business & Enterprise College also achieved excellent results again this year, with many individuals gaining outstanding grades.

There were numerous success stories, with several pupils exceeding their individual targets based upon prior attainment. Head boy Craig Slade and head girl Lauren Dilieto gained outstanding results with 10 A* and 6 A grades between them.

Old Buckenham High is another school celebrating.

Outstanding students included Richard Hodson who got five A* and five A grades at GCSE and a B grade A level in general studies. Top performing girl, Laura Burton, gained five A* and four A grades, as well as a C grade A level in general studies.

The school does not have a sixth- form and both had taken their

A-levels early.

These successes reflect a brighter outlook across Norfolk with 16-year-olds all over the county taking a giant leap forward in their GCSE results.

Superb efforts by thousands of young people helped Norfolk move to 59.9pc of students getting five-plus A*-C grades in any subjects - up 3.6pc from 56.3pc in 2007.

And in the measure that really counts, five good GCSEs including maths and English, the county improved from 45.2pc to 48.1pc. It means an extra 300 16-year-olds achieved the benchmark this time out.

Although the figures are provisional, they indicate a seismic shift for Norfolk, which has long lagged behind the national average.

In the last four years, there has been about a 10pc improvement in both measures, with 39.2pc getting five A*-C including English and maths in 2004, and 50.5pc getting five A*-Cs in any subjects.

Fred Corbett, Norfolk County Council's deputy director of children's services, said: “These are record results for Norfolk and it is fantastic news that the county's performance at GCSE is continuing to improve.

“There have been significant improvements at many schools …some have seen at least a 10 percentage-point increase in the number of pupils achieving five A* to C, including English and maths. These schools have seen the huge efforts of staff and pupils pay dividends.”

He added: “Despite these improvements, we will not

rest on our laurels and will continue to work with schools to further increase standards.”

ARCHBISHOP SANCROFT HIGH, HARLESTON

49pc (45) (52) (50)

73pc (56) (62) (67)

“This is the best leaving present I could possibly have. It's gold medals all round for the students and the staff in 2008. My congratulations to them all and best wishes to everyone for the future.” - Retiring headteacher Steve Carter.

ATTLEBOROUGH HIGH

53pc (50) (49) (46)

73pc (62) (64) (53)

“Once again our Year 11 students have excelled themselves. They are a superb year group and they have worked hard to develop their skills. Year-on-year our GCSE results have hit record levels. These results reflect the professionalism and dedication of our staff, who consist-ently and effectively challenge our students to fulfil their potential.” - Headteacher Stuart Bailey.

DISS HIGH SCHOOL

Unavailable (62) (67) (56)

62pc (62) (74) (64)

“More than 62pc of students received grades at five A*-C. There were record results in music and French and media studies. Staff and students are to be congratulated on their hard work and achievements.”

- Headteacher Dr Jan Hunt.

HARTISMERE HIGH, EYE

65pc (64) (57) (59)

73pc (74) (70) (68)

“Well done to everyone. To a really talented staff and to a highly supportive community of parents and most of all to our students.”

- Headteacher Jim McAtear.

HETHERSETT HIGH

58pc (51) (48) (57)

71pc (57) (61) (67)

“We are absolutely delighted with these record results. It is a year group we had high expectations for and they have really come through.” - Headteacher Rosemary Allen.

HETHERSETT OLD HALL SCHOOL

80pc (76.9) (69) (69)

95pc (89.7) (84) (88)

“We are again delighted by the results and pupils should be very proud of themselves. Exams are not getting easier. It is thanks to the hard work of both the pupils and the staff that we continue to enjoy such fantastic success at GCSE and we look forward to moving on to sixth-form with the girls.” - Retiring headmistress Janet Mark.

LONG STRATTON HIGH

47pc (49) (58) (53)

55pc (62) (62) (61)

“The vast majority will be delighted with these results, but others will ask the question: 'what might have been?'” - Headteacher Paul Adams.

OLD BUCKENHAM HIGH

64pc (58) (57) (55)

66.7pc (62) (64) 68.1

“It's an excellent year for Old Buckenham High School. We have actually had entrants for a record 23 GCSE subjects and there have been improvements in the majority of the GCSE subjects we do. I think it's a tribute and endorsement of the commitment and focus that the staff and students have brought together to give us the results we have got this year. Every ounce of performance has been produced from the students and they are very pleased with what they have got.”

- Headteacher Graham Hodson.

STRADBROKE HIGH, HARLESTON

51pc (50) (39) (56)

56pc (67) (47.5) (66)

“Once again we are delighted with the Year 11 exam results as so many of our pupils have gained outstanding grades, many well above their individual targets.”

- Deputy headteacher Christine Phillips.

WAYLAND HIGH, WATTON

37pc (44) (45) (38)

45pc (45) (50) (51)

“Overall our results were broadly in line with the targets we set for this year group. Students continue to score a high number of points indicating they are achieving higher grades.”

- Headteacher Michael Rose.

WYMONDHAM COLLEGE

88.7pc (89.7) (88) (87)

96.2pc (100) (99.3) (100)

I am delighted at the success achieved by our students this year - it is the result of their hard work and that of their teachers.” - Principal Melvyn Roffe.

WYMONDHAM HIGH

67pc (70) (61) (62)

72pc (74) (66) (69)

“We are very pleased with the GCSE results obtained by students. We are particularly pleased with the increase in the number of students gaining five GCSEs, including English and maths.” - Acting headteacher Peter Wadlow.

GCSE exam success achieved by Attleborough High School pupils followed good results from sixth form students last week.

The highest scoring girl, Georgia Dodson, achieved three A grades and a C. She gained full marks of 600/600 in her art A-level and will be going on to Norwich Art School. Angus Reger, who will be studying maths at the University of

East Anglia, was the top performing boy.

Headteacher Stuart Bailey said: “This represents a remarkable achievement from an outstanding group of young people. These results reflect the professionalism and dedication of our staff, who consistently and effectively challenge our students to fulfil their potential.”