STUDENTS at Shebbear College celebrated a strong performance in the new GCSE exams which are now graded from 1-9.

The new exams have become a much tougher challenge with far more content and much more focus on final exams.

Shebbear’s GCSE candidates nevertheless matched last year’s overall pass rate and well over 90% of students also achieved five passes or more (9-4).

The new top grade is grade 9 and the college said it was really pleasing that three students got a clean sweep of these in their separate sciences which will allow them to follow, if they wish, this year’s top A-level students at Shebbear into much sought after science-based courses such as medicine and veterinary science.

At least one in six pupils achieved at least one grade 9 and one student recorded a remarkable ten grade 9s.

Several others were closely behind with a number all achieving results that would have placed them as the top performers in other years.

Just as pleasing were the number of pupils who achieved the grades they required to go onto vocational courses. Shebbear Art results were consistently outstanding and this year was no exception with eight students achieving grade 9 and four students achieving grade 8.

Headmaster Simon Weale said: ‘The new GCSEs has provided a long and gruelling test for our students who have been used as guinea pigs in yet another educational experiment. It is to their credit they have come through this smiling and with deserved success.

‘They are now well placed to enjoy and thrive education at 16 plus.’