Ely College has built further on the huge improvements secured in 2017 with some of the best GCSE results in its history.

62 per cent of students secured grades 4-9 in both English and mathematics - a 27 per cent rise on 2015. 44 per cent of students secured the top grades (5-9) in both English and mathematics – a 4 per cent increase on last year, and significantly above last year’s national average.

Richard Spencer, principal of Ely College, said: “The proportion of students achieving the top grades was particularly pleasing. An impressive 60 entries were graded at the new ‘Grade 9’, which is awarded to the top three per cent of students in the country.”

138 GCSEs were awarded at either grades 8 or 9 (equivalent to at least the old A*), compared with 91 at that level in 2017. Overall, the proportion of top grades awarded (grades 5-9) rose sharply, by 10 per cent, to 51 per cent.

Mr Spencer said: “I’d like to congratulate all of our students and their families on these excellent results for Ely College. Improving on last year’s results seemed a tall order twelve months ago, but I’m delighted with how the students and staff have risen to that challenge.

“Ely College is once again a school of which the community can be proud, and we are determined to build further on this success in the years to come.

“I wish all of our students every success as they move onto further education, and am excited to be welcoming many of them back to our own Bishop Laney Sixth Form.”

Last week, Bishop Laney Sixth Form, a new collaboration between Ely College and Soham Village College, posted an excellent set of post-16 results, with a 100 per cent pass rate in its vocational courses. The average grade awarded was a distinction. From this September, students will once again be able to study A Levels at Bishop Laney Sixth Form.

Exceptional individual outcomes:

Abigail Brown – seven at grade 9, one at 8, two at 7

Gemma Brown – eight at grade 9, two at grade 7

Harriet Cree – six at grade 9, three at 8, one at 7

Ellen Olley – seven at grade 9, one at 8, one at 7, one at 6

Oscar Wolfe – six at grade 9, two at 7, one at 5

Sam Cavill – five at grade 9, three at 8, two at 7

Hannah Croucher – five at grade 9, three at 8, one at 7

Suzumi Yokohama – six at grade 9, one at 7, two at 6, one at 5

Harry Whittaker – four at grade 9, one at 8, four at 7, one at 6

Beth Laws – one at grade 9, five at 8, three at 7

Max Johns – one at grade 9, three at 8, five at 7, one at 6