Kingsbridge Community College are celebrating their students’ success, despite their pass rates dropping for the first time in years.

Picking up their GCSE results on Thursday, 65 per cent of the students found that they had achieved five or more 9-4 (A*-C) grades, including the all-important English and Maths GCSEs.

In 2016, that number was 79 per cent, and 82 per cent in 2017.

When they looked at English and Maths in isolation, 70 per cent of all students were successful in passing both English and Maths at Grade 4 or above. 87 per cent of students were successful in achieving a Grade 4-9 within English and 72 per cent within Maths.

Our other core subject, science, performed extremely well too with 98 per cent of students being awarded grade 4+ in physics, 100 per cent in chemistry and 100 per cent in biology. 68 per cent of our students achieved two or more science pass grades.

The college has not released the overall pass rate across all subjects.

Overall 23 per cent of all grades awarded to KCC students this year were Grades 9, 8 or 7 with over 11 per cent of student entries being awarded the very top grade of a 9 or 8, an achievement all the harder in the new, more challenging reformed GCSEs.

The college is also very pleased by the number of KCC students who continue to achieve the English Baccalaureate, with 41 per cent of all students achieving a pass in the entire suite of subjects which make up the EBacc.

Some other stunning individual subject GCSE pass grades (9-4) awarded this year include: Art & Design - 83 per cent, digital applications - 100 per cent, English Literature - 84 per cent, English language - 80 per cent, Graphics Products - 95 per cent, Film Studies - 85 per cent, iMedia - 82 per cent and Photography - 97 per cent.

The college principal, Kenny Duncan, said: “As ever, I am immensely proud of all the results achieved by all our students. They have in many ways been the test bed for the newly reformed GCSE’s and as such have had to work closely with their subject teachers in interpreting and understanding the new and more challenging syllabuses.

“They have coped with uncertainty surrounding the examinations and are a credit to themselves and the College. These results represent the culmination of five years of hard work and reflect our students outstanding commitment towards their studies and their commendable levels of resilience and determination.

“I am so pleased to see that the dedication, effort and encouragement given to each and every one of these young people by their teachers has paid off.

“Just like the highly successful A-level results last week our thoughts again turn to individuals and the support they require for their next phase of learning and our focus will be on supporting them.

“I am enormously grateful to parents, families and everyone who has cajoled, reassured and looked after these fabulous young people throughout their journey and wish them every success as they now enter the next exciting phase of their lives.”