TAVISTOCK College is celebrating another year of improved GCSE results, with nearly a quarter of students (23%) achieving three or more A/A* grades.

67% of students achieved five or more good passes (A*-C grade) meaning that the majority will progress onto A-Level courses.

GCSE results also highlighted a decrease in the gap between girls and boys in Tavistock College.

A number of students excelled in vocational and practical courses this year, including construction, public services, design technology and photography.

Additionally, maths results saw an improvement this year, despite a decline in the national overall pass rate.

Helen Salmon, who left the college last Thursday after five years as principal, said: ‘They’ve all done really well. I’m particularly fond of this year group because they arrived at the college when I did in 2010.’

She added that the students’ work ethic had been good and that they deserved their successes today.

‘It is particularly pleasing to see the dramatic improvement across all of the arts subjects, as curriculum changes have put these under threat nationally.

‘Schools in some areas have reduced or lost their arts teaching at Key Stage 4 but we are determined not to do this as our young people showed that they can excel in these areas.’

She added: ‘We are particularly pleased with the good set of results achieved by John McCarthy, who by his own admission has done very little work for four years and seemed to be heading for a very poor set of results.

‘John decided in Year 11 that he was going to do well and join the sixth form. We were worried that he might have left it too late but all credit to him, he worked exceptionally hard in his final year and turned things around. It is good to see these sort of success stories too.’

Notable successes were: Emily Isaacs, nine A*s, two As and a B; Olivia Bates six A*s and six As; Camilla Snowden six A*s and six As; Natalie Stephens seven A*s, four As and two Bs; Rowan Graeme-Drury three A*s, six As and a B; Peter Alexander four A*s, two As and four Bs; Rosanna Brown four A*s, five As, two Bs and a C; Josie Clarke two A*s, six As and three Bs, Amber Schumacher two A*s, five As and three Bs; Amber Macinnes an A*, nine As and three Bs; Nicole Beer nine As and three Bs and Sarah Davies ten As, a B and a C.