TOP grades have doubled at Rudheath Senior Academy as the school continues on its upward trajectory.

Students, staff and families joined together at the school on Thursday morning to celebrate a strong GCSE result showing, in the face of challenges.

As well as the everchanging face of GCSE exams, which has seen all subjects go 'linear' to be graded numerically, this year's leavers have experienced a devastating fire at the school and the damage it caused.

But their hard work has shone through, with more than half of students achieving at least five GCSEs at grade 9 to 4 – the equivalent of the A* to C benchmark.

An impressive 20 per cent of grades were at 9 to 7, with the proportion of learners in this bracket doubling.

Headteacher Ana Roslan praised the hard work of staff and students, who have put in extra hours before and after school, as well as during the holidays.

She added: "Particular congratulations go to Charlotte Dent, Jake Hartley, Alex Hough, Louis Ingham, Hannah Mullineux, Tom Parsons and Amelia Tharme who achieved five or more GCSEs at grade 9 to7, and to Mia Tonkin, Jacob Woodier, Aaron Hinkley, Chloe Brady and Jack Ballard who made extraordinary progress across all subjects."