SIR John Colfox Academy is celebrating after achieving improved GCSE results for the third consecutive year.

Students braved the rain to nervously collect their results this morning (Thursday.)

For many though, there was little reason to be nervous with 66 per cent of all students achieving five A* to C grades including English and Maths.

Almost half of all the grades awarded at the school were A* to B with 97 per cent achieving at least five passes at GCSE.

Impressively, 26 per cent of grades were A* to A.

Headteacher Kay Taylor was happy with the results.

She said: “I am very pleased with these results.

“This was a lovely year group who always tried their best and were very hard working. I am particularly pleased that the extra support that we give to our more disadvantaged students has really paid off and 70 per cent of them have achieved five A* to C including English and Maths.”

Plenty of individual students were celebrating strong results.

Evie Dixon was celebrating twelve A* or A Grades as well as a C in AS Media Studies.

She said: “I wasn’t really expecting it. I’m quite surprised.”

Joining her in celebrating strong results was Theo Jones who achieved eight A* or A Grades  as well as two Bs and two Cs.

He said: “I was not expecting it. I was thinking three As, a couple of Bs. I’m really pleased.”

Many of the students celebrating were staying on to study towards their A-Levels at the school and Mrs Taylor was impressed by the students progress.

She said: “The academy is going from strength to strength. The overall results here look strong but the progress students make and the value the school adds is really impressive.

“Around three quarters of the year group are staying with us to do A-Levels or a Yeovil partnership course and we will continue to support them fully in Sixth Form. We wish all our students the very best for the future.”

Other high achievers included William Ackerman who managed seven A* or A grades as well as three Bs and 2Cs, Polly Hughes who managed nine A* or A grades as well as 3 Bs.

Polly was surprised by her results.

She said: “No I wasn’t expecting it really. I’m staying here to do A-Levels.”

The percentage of A to C grades was high across many subjects at the school, including Statistics where 100 per cent of students who took the subject achieved A to C.

Other subjects with high A to C rates include History, where 85 per cent managed and Religious Studies where 88 per cent achieved those grades.

In a year where Maths results were down nationally, 73 per cent managed to get an A to C grade.