Marshland High School is increasing the number of Year 7 students it takes on this summer thanks to “exceptional demand”.

The school has raised its pupil admission number from the normal 162 to 189 (one extra teaching group) due to an increase in the number of people applying to start in September 2017.

It comes after the school celebrated its best ever GCSE results in 2015, with almost two thirds (65 per cent) of students gaining five or more A*-C’s, 57 per cent including English and Maths.

However the school is still heavily over-subscribed, and has 45 pupils on the waiting list, many of whom will appeal to have their allocation of school changed to Marshland.

Headteacher Elizabeth Dormer said: “Our long-standing reputation as a nurturing, friendly school with high standards of behaviour and excellent pastoral care has often led to us being over-subscribed.

“But with the rapidly improving exams results over the last few years now placing us in the top 20 per cent of schools nationally for progress in 2016, parents are keener than ever to get their child into Marshland High School.

“We are delighted to have been able to respond to parental demand by increasing our pupil admission number for this year.”

A parent, whose daughter has got a place for September, said: “I am so delighted, I can’t really believe it.

“I haven’t slept for weeks worrying about it. But I do feel sad for some of my daughter’s friends who haven’t got in.

“Many of them, and their parents, are literally in tears about not getting a place.

“What an accolade for the school for parents to be in tears about not getting a place.”