CLAIMS by the Government that too many pupils fail to achieve their full potential could not be applied to students at Haslingden High School, the headteacher has claimed.

Speaking at the annual presentation evening, Nigel Jepson said the school's number one aim was to do whatever it could to enable all students to achieve their full potential, irrespective of age, ability or background.

He said a programme of practical measures had been launched which was aimed at accelerating rates of progress and achievement.

He added: "The emphasis throughout had been on enabling each individual student to reach his or her full potential.

"In the end, the statistics backed the feeling that this aim had been very greatly achieved."

He said 48.4% of all students in Year 11 had achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, which was highly favourable compared with the national and county averages of 45.1% and 43.8%.

Nearly 100 starred As were achieved, with pupil Lucy Haken gaining 10 of the awards.

Awards were presented to pupils for excellence and endeavour at the presentation ceremony. FACULTY PRIZES - English: year 11, excellence, endeavour - V Entwistle, S Khan; year 10 - H Nichols, R Begum; year 9 - L Sewell, N Cryer.

Maths: year 11 - D Marrington, N Gul; year 10 - H Nichols, J Pilling; year 9 - N Pickup, B Smethurst; Science: year 11 - E Haken, M Nixon; year 10 - L Bangay, A Grundy; year 9 - J Harbin, J Moore.

Expressive arts: year 11 - R Ingham, S Duckworth; year 10 - E Aston, A Cook; year 9 - C Thompson, R Lock.

Design and technology: year 11 - C Wallis, R Kenyon; year 10 - N Platt, L Whittaker; year 9 - M Nuttall, J Engledow.

Humanities: year 11 - R Choudhury, J Alom; year 10 - C Ashworth, R Shah; year 9 - M Nuttall, J Kitchen.

Modern langauges: year 11 - J Holt, K Gray; year 10 - R Story, T O'Brien; year 9 - R Morris, T Entwistle.

IT: year 11 - D Marrington, A Pickup, J Alom, E Haworth; year 10 - P Schofield, S Loveday.

Year 11 prizes for outstanding achievement: L Haken, L Howard, D Marrington, C Hudson, D Faulkner, T Wilmers, A Finbow, R Choudhury, N Gul, M Khan, G Gregson, C Wallis.

Ken Wish prize for endeavour, awarded to the student who has worked consistently hard for the whole of their school career - N Gul.

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