Gallery: How has your school performed on GCSE day? East Suffolk pupils open their results

Pupils and staff at Woodbridge School are celebrating an excellent set of GCSE results, with 92.39% of students gaining five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths.

Of the 92 pupils to sit exams at Woodbridge School this summer, 10 achieved more than 8 A*s.

Headmaster, Neil Tetley, said: “This is a quite superb set of results and one of the best in many years. Our students worked extremely hard to obtain such wonderful results but they also found time to enjoy everything else the school has to offer, from rugby to chess.

“School is about helping to prepare young people for life and good academic grades are a very important part of this but the ability to communicate effectively, to empathise with others and the confidence to believe you can achieve anything you want to are just as important. At Woodbridge School we aim to combine excellent academic results with strong personal development. I would like to congratulate all students and staff.”

Down the road at Farlingaye High School, pupils combined to achieve the best ever set of results – 72% getting five A*-C grades with English and maths, including Esme Harrington who achieved 10 A* grades, and Liam Flin, Ailsa Davey and Molly Leeson with nine A*s.

Headteacher, Sue Hargadon: “We are absolutely delighted with our best ever set of results with 72% achieving 5 A*to C, including English and Maths.

“There have been some astonishing individual results with 90 students (30%) achieving at least five A*/A grades and 31% of grades at A/A*.

“We had another great year in maths with 85% achieving A*-C and 30% at A/A*.

“These wonderful results are richly deserved by a lovely year group who have worked incredibly hard and deserve their success.”

Results were less encouraging overall for Saxmundham Free School and Beccles Free School – established two years ago by the Seckford Foundation – to which Woodbridge School also belongs.

At Saxmundham Free School, 28% of 47 students achieved five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths.

Headteacher, David Lees said: “The group of year nine students who joined us when the school opened in September 2012 faced a lot of individual educational challenges with 45% at the time being below the expected levels in literacy and 55% below the expected levels in numeracy. Over the last three years we have been able to increase the expected attainment levels of these students, who should be congratulated for their hard work.”

At Beccles Free School, 39% of its 49 pupils achieved five GCSEs at A*-C including English and Maths.

Headteacher, Nigel Youngman said: “This group of students joined us as year nines when the school first opened and our aim has been to help each young person develop their ambitions and to reach their personal as well as academic goals.

“Whilst we are disappointed with the overall results, a number of students have received outstanding results and each individual should be congratulated for their hard work and achievement.”

Year-on-year growth of Beccles and Saxmundham, which were both rated ‘good with outstanding features’ by Ofsted in 2014, means that from September 2015 there will be 330 pupils enrolled at Beccles and 315 enrolled at Saxmundham, with about 100 new year seven pupils being welcomed at both schools.

The Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust said it was disappointed with the overall statistics and recognised that the schools had not done as well as they wanted or expected to.

However, the trust said both schools had added “considerable value” to their pupils’ education since opening, and that there were some fantastic results for individual students.

An external review will begin when term starts, in order for the trust to put in place and take the actions it needs to improve on results next year.

Dr Robert Cawley, principal and CEO of the Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust, said: “Each of our schools has a shared sense of ambition and a broad and balanced traditional curriculum. They are underpinned by strong pastoral care and an exceptional breadth of enrichment activity which challenges each student to aspire to personal and academic goals. Our expectations are for each student to make above average progress and achieve to the very highest level in all that they do.”

At East Point Academy, Lowestoft, 35% of pupils achieved five A*-C grades, including English and mathematics, a rise from 32% last year. However, the figure is still below 2013 and 2012 figures at which 39% and 41% of pupils achieved the same results respectively.

Principal Kevin Blakey said: “This year’s results show progress across the board, with an 8% increase in the number of students getting five GCSEs A*-C and particularly strong performance in English and maths.

“Our staff have all worked exceptionally hard in this transitional year, supporting our students to make greater progress than ever during their time at East Point.”

At Saint Felix School, Southwold,70% of pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and maths.

Pupils Anna Harrod, from Carlton Colville, and Rosy Kelvey, from Reydon, both achieved 11 A/A* grades.

Headteacher, Fran D’Alcorn said: “I am delighted that our percentage of A* grades has continued to rise despite the slightly higher grade boundaries in some subjects this year. I congratulate our students and teachers on yet another set of excellent results which will enable the students to access their chosen sixth form courses”.

At Debenham High School, 68% of pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and maths, with boys at the school doing defying the national trends of girls taking the exam result glory.

Across all subjects, the proportion of pupils being awarded A* and A grades was 34%, an increase on last year.

Katie Morris achieved 10 A* and two A grades, while Jamian Stephan achieved 10 A*, two A and one B grade, and Jack Nelson achieved 10 A*, two A, one B, and a C grade.

Matt Cross, who achieved five A*, six A and one B grade, has been accepted at Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College in Loughborough.

Headteacher Julia Upton said: “With results that open doors to the next stage of their education we congratulate and wish all our students the very best.”

Thomas Mills High School, in Framlingham, celebrated another excellent set of GCSE results, with 72% of pupils achieving at least five A*-C grades including English and mathematics.

Philip Hurst, headteacher said: “This is a superb set of results. Pupils have made excellent progress and I am so proud of their achievements. I thank the teachers for their hard work and the parents for their active support. Success at GCSE is a real team effort.”

Nearly a third of entries were awarded either a grade A* or A. Mr Hurst said: “I am pleased to see that the highest standards have been reached by a very large cohort of pupils.”

Top performers included David Orrell with 15 A*s, Isabel Brooks with 13 A*s and two As, Jordan Wiseman with 10 A*s and five As, Imogen Holland-Howes with nine A*s and six As, Darius Whatling with 12 A*s, three As and one B, Amy Heather with 11 A*s, four As and one B, Lavinia Carless with eight A*s, five As and one B, Freddy Legg with eight A*s and seven As, Amy Ryder 11 A*s, three As and one B, and Jeremy Bones with 10A*s, four As and one B.

Sir John Leman High School, Beccles, recorded a 66% percentage for pupils achieving five A*-Cs including English and maths.

Headteacher, Jeremy Rowe said: “I am incredibly proud today of what Sir John Leman High School has achieved. Our staggering success is literally changing lives.

“We are now placed in the top quarter of all schools for five or more A*-C grades including English and maths, as well as English attainment, English progress, mathematics attainment and mathematics progress.

“Four fifths of our students achieved English A*-C and an even higher proportion achieved mathematics A*-C.

“Our approach has been proven to work in other schools too, for example in Sewell Park College, which we supported this year, and which has seen its GCSE results rise by over a third.”

Despite requests from this newspaper, the total percentage of pupils who achieved five A*-C grades, including in English and maths, at Benjamin Britten High School, Lowestoft, could not be confirmed.

However, headteacher James McAtear, said: “In both English and maths 55% of pupils received a C grade or above.

“As a new headmaster to this school it is difficult to comment on past results.

“All I can say is that with new governance, new structures, renewed facilities and a very new approach indeed future results will be excellent.”

At Bungay High School, 47% of pupils secured five A*-Cs with English and maths.

Headteacher, Angelo Goduti said: “We are delighted with the excellent achievement of a number of individuals with a special mention going to our highest attaining students.

“Ellen Rogers achieved a 10 A*s, and Mary Stammers nine A*s and one A grade. Nicole Rolph and Alfie Vaughan both achieved 11 A*/A grades. George Barham and Ben Walker achieved 10 A*/A, while Mary Thompson-Darch achieved nine A*/A. At eight A*/A were Annabel Millward, Jack Purlant and Zoe Smith-Howell. These students have done incredibly well.”

English literature results improved by 12%, while English language improved by 7%.

The school is currently in the process of querying some results and expects the overall percentage of A*-Cs with English and maths to improve once marking of some pupils’ papers has been challenged.

Claydon High School received its best ever percentage of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades including maths and English. This year, 69% of the 141 pupils taking GCSEs achieved the standard, up on 62% from last year.

Sarah Skinner, Headteacher, said: “A stunning set of results by a year group who richly deserve them.

“Fantastically supportive parents and talented and committed staff have contributed to our success this year. We are delighted with these results and wish our students success with their future plans.”

Headmaster of Hartismere High School, James McAtear, said the results were a “testimony to the hard work of all our staff, governors and students and to the support given to them by their parents” after 76% of the 140 students taking GCSEs achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.

Framlingham College enjoyed another good set of GCSE results, with 92% of pupils gaining five A*-Cs including English and maths, while a third of all pupils gained at least five A* and A grades.

Headmaster, Paul Taylor said: “We are again delighted to see so many very strong performances, both among our brightest students and also among those for whom the exam season is particularly challenging, providing further evidence of the added value that the college provides to a broad range of candidates.”

At Hadleigh High School, 57% of pupils achieved 57% of five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.

Caroline Gibson, Headteacher, said: “Exam success is important and pupils have also developed the broad set of skills, attitudes and dispositions to learning that will help them to succeed in their lives.

“We are very proud of the young adults they have become and are confident that they will make excellent future employees, parents, citizens and leaders.”

72% of students at Stradbroke High School achieved five or more A*-C grades including maths and English. Headteacher Andrew Bloom said: “It is incredibly pleasing that the hard work and commitment of pupils, the dedication of staff and the support of families has made this possible.”

Of the 195 pupils taking GCSEs at Stowupland High School, 61% of students gained five or more A* to C grades including English and maths, with an overall pass rate of 99%.

The results this year were best in the history of the school.

Headteacher Karen Grimes said: “We are truly delighted with the achievement of all our students and their success is very well deserved.

“It is particularly pleasing to see boys’ performance coming in line with girls and the new Progress 8 measure introduced by the government indicates that our Year 11 students have made outstanding progress.

“This has been an excellent summer for Stowupland.”

A number of students gained A* across a full range of subjects including Grace Balfour. Naomi Cheong, Sophie Cooke, Georgia Elgood-Hunt and Will Fitzpatrick.

And staff, students, parents and governors are celebrating GCSE results at Stowmarket High School. Of the 202 students taking GCSE exams this year, 47% of students achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.

Headteacher Dave Lee-Allan said: “The enormous responsibility of being a teacher really hits home when you see the students collect their results.

“We are delighted with some of our results, particularly English, however another hike in math grade boundaries has left our overall result a few percent below what we had hoped to achieve.

“Congratulations to all students – they worked so hard.”

In Norfolk, 68% of pupils at Diss High School achieved five or more A* to C grades including maths and English.

Felixstowe Academy issued a statement saying it would not be publishing its results while it challenges the marking on English and mathis papers following changes to the grade boundaries since the mock exams, leaving some students with lower than expected grades.

See more GCSE results day news here