SECONDARY schools in the Hart district have returned another fantastic year of exam results.

Last Thursday saw year 11 pupils from around the area pick up their GCSE results as they look to head off to their preferred colleges.

At Robert May’s School in Odiham it was announced that record results had been achieved.

The 2016 class “broke through the school’s own ambitious targets to achieve a set of brilliant outcomes.”

Of the 239 receiving their results, 77 per cent gained five A*-C grades including English and mathematics, a six per cent raise on the 71 per cent achieved in 2015.

Seventy nine students gained five or more A*-A grades, with 45 of those achieving eight or more A*-A grades, and three ‘superstars’ obtaining at least eight A*-A results.

Headteacher Joanna West said: “We are overjoyed for our students because many more will be able to access their first choice courses at college, or transfer with ease into apprenticeships.

“All praise and congratulations go to these incredible students who have worked so hard, our teaching and support colleagues who always insist on delivering excellence, our governors for supporting us, and to families who have gone out of their way to ensure that their daughters and sons have been well supported at home.”

It was the same success story for Sherfield School, whose GCSE students achieved an overall pass rate of 90 per cent, 23 per cent above national average.

Overall 87 per cent of students at the school gained at least 5 A*-C grades across all subjects and 77 per cent including English and mathematics.

The number of Hampshire students achieving A* to C grades in five GCSEs was recorded at 62 per cent of students achieving this measure compared with 57 per cent of students nationally last year.

Similar degrees of success were delivered at the local independent day and boarding school in Sherfield with their A-level results just a week previously, where it was announced that it was the school’s best ever year, with 100 per cent of students passing.

An impressive 82 per cent graded A*-B, while over 50 per cent of all results were graded A*-A (compared to 25 per cent nationally) and in what was labelled their strongest subject in mathematics, over 50 per cent were graded A*.

The school commented they said: “Given that A-levels were only reintroduced at Sherfield three years ago this is a considerable achievement and reflects extremely well upon the quality and efforts of staff and pupils alike.

“We are now building an ethos of excellence in the sixth form that we aim to utilise to inspire all sections of the school.”

The A-level results day at Lord Wandsworth College also delivered brilliant results.

Fifty seven per cent of results were graded from A*-B, along with some exceptional individual academic stories.

Student Max Van der Lande, achieved a clean sweep of A*s, which were followed closely by students Charlie Morrell-Brown and Max Wood who both achieved A*, A*, A, while Toby Cecil, Danielle Baker and Oliver Rosling received grades of A*, A, A.

There was also outstanding success for Charlie Morrell-Brown who achieved the accolade of obtaining the highest mark nationally for A-level English literature with 400/400, and will now be heading off to Cambridge University.

Headmaster Adam Williams said:  “At a school utterly committed to character education, the ‘pupil voice’ and an all-round education, our pupils can be rightly proud of some fine exam performances which will spur them onwards and upwards in their future careers to make a positive difference in the world. 

“They have been supported by some inspirational teachers too, who constantly strive for new and innovative ways to deliver the ever-changing A-level curriculum.”