THERE was delight on the morning of Thursday, August 25, as students celebrated unprecedented GCSE success at Sir James Smith’s School in Camelford.

Whoops of joy filled the air and tears of delight were shed by parents, as well as students, as envelopes were opened and exam results discovered.

Jon Lawrence, headteacher, said: “I am absolutely delighted with the achievements of all our young people. I am so proud of them.”

Sir James Smith’s has improved on last year’s record, breaking GCSE performance by over 10%.

This year saw 67% of its students achieve five or more GCSEs at A* to C grade, including English and maths.”

Mr Lawrence added: “This is the highest score in the history of the school and shows just how well our students have performed compared to schools both locally and nationally. Nearly 79% of students achieved A*-C in English, with maths a close 77% and science up in the 80s.

“More than 73 per cent of students achieved at least one A*/A grade, which is a phenomenal achievement in a truly comprehensive school. The school sets ambitious targets for all students to aspire to academic excellence and this has really paid off with nearly one in five students gaining five or more A*/A grades, and an incredible 9% bagging ten or more of the top grades — a performance to rival that of Team GB this year!”

The staff was just as proud of those students who would struggle to get any top grades but nonetheless worked hard and consistently to exceed expectations. The school uses the new Progress 8 performance measure, which shows how well each student has done compared to their individual starting point.

Mr Lawrence added: “More than 76% of our students achieved better than similar students nationally. The provisional P8 score suggests that students achieved half a grade more than might be expected across eight subjects — this is fantastic and shows how good teaching and learning is across all subjects. This is a school that succeeds for students of all abilities.

“All the staff and governors are extremely proud of our students’ achievements. ­The class of 2016 have clearly worked hard with staff to secure our best results ever.

“I wish them every success in their chosen pathways and, on behalf of the students, thank our magnificent staff and parents for helping them to achieve this.

“I am confident our wonderful students are ready and well prepared to step into the big wide world.”