Boost for school special status

GCSE results in arts subjects reinforced why Felixstowe's Deben High School is seeking arts college status.

The school in Garrison Lane is putting together an application for special status and trying to raise the £50,000 needed for its bid.

In the GCSE examinations, students achieved a 100 per cent pass rate for A* to C grades in art and 94pc in music.

There was a 100pc overall pass rate in dance, with 67pc between A* and C.

Headteacher Terry Ring said: "The students have again done exceptionally well in the arts subjects which reinforces why we are looking for arts school status."

Overall pass rates were slightly down compared with last year, though staff had expected this. Early indications, not including vocational course results, were a pass rate of 57pc for A* to C compared with 61pc last summer.

In English the A* to C pass rate was 61pc and in science 50pc, both down slightly on last year, but maths was up at 52pc. History students did well again with 86pc getting A* to C.

Mr Ring said the school had several outstanding pupils, including a boy with six A*'s and three A's, a boy with six A*, two A and B, a girl with seven A* and three A's and another girl with three A* and six A's.

Orwell High School – as reported in later editions of last night's Evening Star –celebrated an overall improvement in results for the third year running.

Fiona Todd, joint exams officer, said early indications were that 53pc of students had gained five A-C grades.

One Year 11 student, Nick Boulton, had already been through the process once – he took Maths GCSE a year early, gaining A* grade last year.

This year, as well as his 6 A* grades and four A grades in his other subjects, Nick, who wants to be an astronaut, gained a B grade in AS Maths. He is now going on to Felixstowe Sixth Form to take A levels in maths and sciences.