Keighley schools yesterday were celebrating remarkable GCSE results. Many students have chalked-up top grades against a national picture of declining averages.

Greenhead Grammar School recorded its most successful GCSE results ever. The school's pass rate has almost doubled in the last two years.

There was an overall success rate of 97 per cent this year, with 75 per cent of those pupils achieving passes in at least five subjects. And the icing on the cake for the school was the 23 per cent increase in the number of pupils achieving five or more A to C passes.

Head Miles Mizon says: "We are delighted by the sustained improvements in our results and we would like to congratulate all of the students, parents and teachers."

Oakbank will have its biggest-ever sixth form after a magnificent set of results.

There was a whopping 50 per cent increase in the number of grade As, with 43 students obtaining nine or ten A-C passes. Philip Shorten topped the list with nine grade As including five A*s, while Terri Jacques and Eleanor Dobson both gained eight grade As.

Head John Roberts says: "It is a brilliant effort by staff and students. Many students worked equally hard to gain lower grades and to succeed in vocational courses, and are also to be congratulated. The same proportion of students as last year gained 5 A-Cs, but far fewer had arrived in school three years ago with a good reading score. So that's a great amount of value-added!"

At South Craven School, the overall pass rate was sustained at 98 per cent. Deputy head David Birks told us: "We are highly delighted with the results produced by the hard work of our students and teachers."

He said the proportion of A* to C grades increased to 51 per cent, while the number of A* and A grades rose by almost three per cent to 10 per cent. The school is looking forward to a large number of students registering for the sixth form on Wednesday, at 8.30am.

It was also smiles all round at Holy Family as head Conor Davis praised pupils for their efforts through the year. The proportion of passes at grades A-C was 40 per cent - a six per cent increase on last year. "Every child who entered the examinations has passed something," he says. "I am very pleased."

He added that 47 per cent of all passes were grade C or better.

Keighley College students scored 'significantly above' the national average, says its general education manager Andy Brown.

Almost 60 per cent of pass marks by the 231 students on day or evening courses were at grades A, B or C. Mr Brown says: "We made a lot of progress particularly in mathematics when nationally the picture is problematical."

"The results are a real achievement. Our students are of all ages and backgrounds, from school leavers to elderly people." cross refer to inside chunk

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