Ahead of their time

Five students from St Annes College Grammar School have passed their English GCSEs TWO YEARS early.

Year 9 pupils, 13-year-olds Louise Benoliel and Carla Rushton, both from St Annes, and Marcella Hill from Blackpool, passed their exams with flying colours, as did Blackpool girl Donna Petterson and Michael Richardson, from Thornton, both 14.

Proud of his students, school principal Roger Welsby said: "We do everything we can to maximise each student's potential. This achievement reflects both the ability of the pupils and the enthusiasm of the staff.

"There was friendly rivalry between some year 9 and year 11 children," he continued.

"Donna's 16-year-old brother Gary was also taking his GCSEs. Happily he was successful too."

Unfortunately, the passes will not register in the Government league tables as year 9 students are excluded from the calculations.

However, Mr Welsby is not too disappointed as the school achieved a 100 per cent pass rate anyway, including 15-year-old Simon Morrison's GCSE in English, taken a year early.

Greenlands High School for Girls is also celebrating a striking improvement in GCSE results - up by 11 per cent on last year's league table figures.

Headteacher Alison Berry said the girls had outstanding results in the arts and technology and had made great progress in science and maths.

King Edward VII School announced record pass rates in French and German. With more than 50 per cent gaining A-star or A grades in French and 60 per cent achieving A-star grade passes in German.

Top achievers were Alistair Fletcher of Wrea Green, and Patrick Wrigley of St Annes, who both scored eight A-star grades.

Headmaster Julian Wilde described the results as outstanding and praised the high level of performance.

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