Record breaking results for students in the first year of the government’s new style GCSEs.

Dartmouth Academy achieved a tremendous set of results with a record-breaking score of 65 per cent of students gaining the equivalent of a grade C or above in both English and Maths.

This year, 76 per cent of students scored a grade four or above in English and 67 per cent scored a grade four or above in Maths. This is above the national average.

Among the students who made an impressive progress during their time at the academy were Annalise Lane, Suzie-Lyn Hemmings, Izzy Tonks, Devon Bakewell, Archie O’Shaughnessy, Eryn Harding, Lucy Pyne, Josh Rogers, Chloe Carter, Lizzie North, Ryan Moseley, Poppy Colgate, Harvey Haver-Edmonds, Sam Green, Jack Wadeson, Sasha Bailey, Morgan Fisher and Georgia Webb.

Principal, Tina Graham said: “This year our pupils, parents and staff have had to work incredibly hard to meet and, in many cases exceed, the demands of the new GCSEs.

“In order to raise standards nationally, the government has ensured there is more to learn in every subject and has made the exams much harder.

“I am very proud of this group of young people, who were extremely determined in meeting a standard that 16-year-olds in this country had never faced before.

“They showed real character in their approach and were rewarded for their resilience with a very strong set of results.”

Nationally only three per cent of students scored the top grade, a nine; at the academy pupils scored a nine in maths, french, geography, art and design and photography.

This is the second year in a row the students at Dartmouth Academy have raised the bar.

Mr Bakewell, deputy principal said: “This year, we offered Year 11 pupils the incentive of a free trip paint balling, not for their results but for their work ethic.

“Those pupils who scored highly in their behaviour for learning were rewarded by getting to shoot me and the Principal during a great day out in the woods at Exeter Skirmish.

“It is no coincidence that those pupils who worked most productively also made the most progress in their GCSEs. We are very happy for them.”