About half of Thomas Clarkson Academy’s GCSE students achieved A* to C grades in English and maths.

Forty-nine per cent of students gained the grades in English and 52 per cent in maths.

Results improved in Modern Foreign Languages, Science and Art, but changes to the weighting given to different subjects meant less students than hoped achieved five A* to C grades.

Individual success stories included Chloe Ball, who achieved five A* or A grades, while Albert Smith and Ben Ayling gained three A* or A grades.

Georgia Ward gained 17 qualifications, including 6 A grades, and plans to take her A Levels at the academy. Fellow pupil Ellisia Tura matched her haul, with three As.

She said: “I’m feeling pretty happy. My results are better than I expected.”

Reflecting on the academy’s performance, principal Clare Claxton said: “Today is about celebrating the achievements of our hardworking students. These are the first students to be affected by the Government’s exam reforms and unfortunately today’s results don’t reflect the huge amount of progress many of them have made in the two years in which the Academy has existed.”