MARRIOTTS School, Stevenage, enjoyed dramatically improved GCSE results this year – which they hope to maintain next year. Headteacher Patrick Marshall said: We are delighted that 52 per cent of our students gained five A* to Cs. Last year that figure w

MARRIOTTS School, Stevenage, enjoyed dramatically improved GCSE results this year - which they hope to maintain next year.

Headteacher Patrick Marshall said: "We are delighted that 52 per cent of our students gained five A* to Cs.

"Last year that figure was 29 per cent so that shows how happy I am. Last year they were lower than they should have been but this year they are very pleasingly high and this is a sign of how the school is improving.

"A lot of hard work and things coming together are the reasons for the results - things that didn't come together last year.

"Very strong plans were put in place and I think coming out of the serious weakness category of Ofsted allowed us to stop looking over our shoulder and start concentrating on the students again.

"This is my fifth year here so these are the students who started when I arrived. This is the year I have had the most influence over so it is lovely to see how well they have done."

Amy Flecknell and her friends were highly excited over their results.

Amy achieved three As, six Bs and a C.

She said: "I'm over the moon. I'm really pleased and proud of myself. I have been stressed out all summer thinking about the results and having nightmares."

Amy plans to stay on at Marriotts to study A-levels in history, French, biology and maths.

Friend Nikki Day, who got two Bs, five Cs and three Ds, said: "I'm really pleased and there were a few surprises. I'm staying here for sixth form and quite a lot of my friends are too so I'm pleased with that. Everybody here has done well.