AN OUTSTANDING performance by last year’s school leavers in their GCSEs has put The Thomas Hardye School among the top in the county’s league table.

Pupils managed to raise the standard by 10 per cent at the Dorchester school, compared to last year’s figures – with 86 per cent achieving A* to C grades in five or more subjects this year.

This put them ahead of every comprehensive school in Dorset and just a few paces behind many private schools in the county.

Head teacher Dr Iain Melvin said: “Our results were superb this year, it’s as simple as that.

“I’m fully confident we’re the best in Dorset as we have been for the last five years.

“We’re very pleased with them.

“They are much better than last year, we’ve improved again by 10 per cent.”

He added: “A total of 76 per cent of students got A* to C grades in English and Maths, which is the main benchmark.

“While 86 per cent of students got five A* to C grades overall.”

“For a comprehensive school it is fantastic.

“We’re very, very pleased.”

In Weymouth, pupils upped the standard at Budmouth Technology College with 72 per cent of pupils achieving A* to C grades in five or more subjects – four per cent higher than 2007.

Students at All Saints’ Church of England School at Wyke Regis in Weymouth matched the school’s top score of 72 per cent from 2007.

Head teacher Tim Balmforth said: “We broke the 70 per cent barrier the year before and we’ve maintained that, which is a big achievement.

“It’s the result of a consistent degree of hard work and application from pupils, staff and their parents.

“It’s a combined effort.

“Last year’s pupils worked hard and played hard, they were a very pleasant group of people.”

He added: “Targets vary year to year because different year groups of children have a different range of talents, therefore targets fluctuate.

“Our consistent target is to enable all children to achieve as close to their full potential as possible.”

Wey Valley School and Sports College also celebrated improved grades, with half (50 per cent) of the pupils achieving A to C grades in five or more subjects – a one per cent increase from the school’s 2007 GCSE results.

Portland pupils dropped two per cent below the 2007 standard at Royal Manor Arts College with 55 per cent achieving A* to C grades in five or more subjects.

But head teacher Paul Green said several success stories from last year included a record 100 per cent of pupils achieving A* to C grades in drama.

He said: “Overall I’m very pleased.

“Most of the subjects except one, which was maths, produced outstanding results for that year group.

“The maths department was suffering partly as a result of staffing difficulties over the last five years or so but we’ve resolved that now and expect better results next year.”

He added: “Overall we had outstanding results in English, science and humanities.

“Performing arts was better than ever with 100 per cent of drama students achieving A* to C grades.

“Music was twice as good as last year.

“I can see a steady improvement and there’s a real possibility we’ll achieve our target of 60 per cent of students achieving A* to C grades next year.”

In West Dorset 63 per cent of pupils at Beaminster School achieved A* to C grades in five or more subjects – four per cent below the standard of 2007 school leavers.

At The Sir John Colfox School there was a two per cent drop in performance with 56 per cent of pupils achieving A* to C grades in five or more subjects last year, compared with 58 per cent in 2007.

Meanwhile at The Purbeck School in Wareham, 60 per cent of pupils achieved A* to C grades in five or more subjects – nine per cent less than in 2007.