Pupils pass the test (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Pupils pass the test

Beth Martin, Vicki Salter, Rachel Cooper and Danny Bye from Matravers School, Westbury celebrate their GCSE results yesterday morning (17505/03)THE new cast of the A-Team was unveiled at schools across west Wiltshire as GCSE students secured a string of top grades.

Students turned in a stunning set of results with some achieving up to ten A* grades.

Nationally the pass rate was up by 0.2 per cent to 97.8 per cent the same increase as seen in last week's A-level results.

It was another glittering show from girls at Stonar School, Atworth, with 93.8 per cent gaining five or more A*-C grades, with 43.9 per cent achieving A* or A grades.

Top performer was Leonie Hailes, 16, who achieved 10 A*s and one A and is now planning to take A-levels in French, German, Physics and History

At St Augustine's Catholic College, Trowbridge, 80 per cent of pupils achieved at least five A*-C grades for the seventh consecutive year.

Top of the class was Daniel Pieczko with nine A*s and one A and Yanika Waters with six A*s and three As.

Headteacher Brendan Wall said: "We are very pleased with this particular group of pupils and with the number getting five or more A* to C grades, especially as this is a bigger group than last year."

Matravers School, Westbury has seen its best ever GCSE results with 57 per cent of students gaining five A*-C grades.

Chris Dark, the new headteacher, dismissed claims the exams are getting easier.

He said: "I think if England won the World Cup, the question wouldn't be, 'is the standard of football worse than it was 20 years ago?' There are so many things to compare between now and then. It's the same with exams."

He said he was absolutely delighted with the 96 per cent overall pass rate.

Top performer was Beth Martin, 16, of Stradbrook Road, Bratton, who gained seven A*s and four A grades.

She said: "I was pleased but quite surprised, especially about getting an A* in Geography because I find it hard. When we were waiting, my friends were all excited but I was just nervous."

Of the 242 GCSE pupils at Kingdown Community School, Warminster, 58 per cent achieved five or more A*-C grades and there was an overall 98.5 per cent pass rate.

High performer Laura Brooks scooped nine A*s and one A, while top sportsman Ian Williams, who has just been signed by league one football club Bristol City, achieved nine A grades.

Headteacher Sheelagh Brown said: "We are really pleased with this set of results. As a comprehensive we are always keen to compete with the grammar schools and this year we had more pupils with eight or more A grades than ever before.

"I refute the claims that schools are not providing pupils with basic skills to cope in life."

Students at Warminster School were in jubilant mood after recording the highest grades in the school's history.

A record 98 per cent of students achieved five or more passes at A*-C grade, while one third of grades were A* or As.

Headteacher David Dowdles described the results as "fantastic".

At The Clarendon College, Trowbridge, the number of students achieving at least five grade A*-C passes was 45 per cent.

Student Michelle Bourne scored eight A*s and 3As.

Headteacher Colin Kay said: "I am pleased by the overall improvement on last year although I believe we still have more to do to raise the aspirations of our middle ability students.

"I am especially pleased by the results in French, German and Italian. It shows the work we are doing as a language centre is beginning to have an impact."

Half of pupils achieved five A*-C grades at The John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge.

Three star performers, Amy Cook, Emma Pearce and Alun Perkins, shared the top marks with eight and a half A*s and two A's respectively.

Year nine pupil Rosanna Hood delighted staff as she painted her way to GCSE success two years early with an A grade in art.

Headteacher Andy Packer said he was pleased with the performance in some subjects and pointed to the 53 per cent A*-C pass rate in maths, which represents an improvement for the fourth year in a row.

"I am totally confident that the children leaving John of Gaunt this year are equipped with the basic skills to cope with further education," he said.

Pupils at St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon, improved on last year's results with 67 per cent gaining five or more A*-C grades.

Out of the 183 students who took the exams, 13 achieved nine or more A or A* grades.

Headteacher James Colquhoun said: "This is just reward for an extremely pleasant and hard-working year group."

Nine talented students gained 60 A* or A grades between them at the George Ward School, Melksham, where the overall A*-C pass rate was 38 per cent.

There was an improvement in science results with 55 per cent of pupils attaining A*-C grades, compared with just 32 per cent last year.

Headteacher Dr Pam Stoate said: "There has been a welcome upward trend this year with several departments showing very large improvements. With the governors I would like to congratulate the students and staff in their successes and to thank them for all their hard work."