STUDENTS at St Joseph’s School, Launceston, are celebrating GCSE success once again this year.

Ninety per cent of pupils achieved the national benchmark of five A* to C grades including maths and English, demonstrating once again the benefits of small class sizes and the supportive, positive teaching and learning ethos for which the school is renowned.

St Joseph’s welcomes pupils of all abilities and sets no entrance exam, so for fully a third of GCSE grades to be A* and A is a remarkable feat. Over two thirds of all grades were awarded at B and above.

Individual highlights included three pupils achieving a remarkable 19A* and nine A grades between them. In addition, the inaugural cohort of students in both drama and DT all achieved A grades, which was a wonderful achievement.

Headmaster, Mr Oliver Scott, said: “I am very proud of the many success stories that we can see here at the school. There has been a great deal of national debate about making GCSEs ever harder, and to see our students with their wide range of abilities continuing to achieve highly is a real credit to them.

“As ever, we will be looking to improve further next year, but this is a chance to say well done to all those who now set of to the next stage of their lives with a firm foundation in place. Thank you to all those teachers who have taught the children, from nursery all the way up to Year 11.”

A school spokesperson added: “GCSE results are only one measure of a school’s success — St Joseph’s builds confidence and pupils take more with them than just certificates when leaving school — the personal qualities that the school develops can be seen in each one of the pupils who have graduated this year. Very well done to all in the class of 2016.”