STUDENTS across Farnham are celebrating their GCSE results after a long agonising wait, and as national results show a record decline in grades, local schools have bucked the trend as headline figures show grades have actually increased.

A national trend shows that results have dropped significantly across the board with grades A* to C falling 2.1 percentage points, from 69 per cent to 66.9 per cent.

And those attaining top grades have also dropped by 0.1 per cent from 6.6 to 6.5 per cent.

The number of students attaining grades A* to C in English had declined from 65.4 per cent last year to 60.2 per cent this year. Grades A* to C in maths also saw a significant drop of 2.3 percentage points.

These drops have partly been linked to new government polices which meant that students aged 17 who scored a D or lower in maths or English in 2015, were made to retake those exams.

This resulted in more students taking exams than the normal number. However, All Hallows Catholic School in Farnham was proud to announce that grades are one per cent up overall for A* to C grades in English and maths, at 82 per cent. As well as climbing up three per cent on EBacc.

Weydon School was celebrating too after an extraordinary set of GCSE results this year, and Farnham Heath End School are delighted to announce the success of many of their outgoing students.

Both the English and maths departments boast 64 per cent of their students achieving A* to C grades this year.

And their art results stand at 95 per cent with many other subjects improving on their performance last year.

A* grades were up on last year to an impressive 25 per cent of all results, with 58 per cent of all the results at A* to A and 87 per cent at A* to B at Farnborough Hill School.

And pupils at the specialist More House School in Frensham are celebrating GCSE triumph after more than half of the school’s year 11 students secured five or more GCSE or equivalent passes at grade C and above, including English and maths.

Following the release of the figures Linda Kemeny, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet member for schools, skills and educational achievement, said: “I would like to congratulate Surrey pupils receiving their GCSE results.

“I’m delighted their commitment has been rewarded. Thanks are due to the teachers, parents and carers whose support lies behind these achievements.

“For our part, we’ll keep doing all we can to make sure every child gets the best possible start in life amid rising demand for school places – we need to create 11,000 more in our primaries and secondaries over the next five years but face a shortfall of tens of millions of pounds in the funds we need to create them.”