Lavington School equalled its best ever GCSE results of last year with 71 per cent of pupils passing five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths.

More than 30 per cent of grades gained at the academy school in Market Lavington were at A* or A and of 140 students 36 achieved five or more A* and A grades.

Martin Watson, headteacher, said: “Once again our high level of success was due to the hard work and determination of our students and the commitment and support given by our staff.”

Top performers were Carmella Lowkis and John Townhill. Carmella, 16 and of Rowde, achieved 12 A* while John, 16, of Bratton got 11 A* and one A. Both also took an AS exam in maths and achieved A grades.

John, who is going to study A levels in maths and sciences at Bishops Wordsworth School in Salisbury, said: “I am pleased and relieved with my results, it was stressful.”

Carmella, who is thinking of a career in graphic design, is going to go to St John’s School, Marlborough, to take an International Baccalaureate. Also going to St John’s to study an IB will be Holly Sumbler, 16, of Patney. She achieved seven A*, three As and two Bs.

Other notable successes were Rachel Draper, of Market Lavington, who achieved eight A*, three As and one B; Sophie Taylor, of Bromham, who achieved ten A* and two As; Charlie Coleman, of Worton, got three A*, eight As and one B and Ben Clarke, of Worton, achieved three A*, seven As and two Bs.

Robyn Sayers, 16, of Market Lavington, is going on to study A-levels at Welbeck Army Defence College in Loughborough after gaining eight A*, three As and one B. Robyn has her sights on Sandhurst.

l Devizes School bounced back from its disappointing GCSE results of last year when it was near the bottom of the county’s ranking.

The number of pupils who passed five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths was 53 per cent, up from 38 per cent last year. The school is almost back to the results of 2008 – 55 per cent.

Headteacher Malcolm Irons said: “I’m really pleased. It gets us back to where we were previously. We want to get even better than that.”

He said the turnaround was due to tracking students’ progress and “amazing hard work”. Eight pupils achieved all A* and A grades. They are Rebecca Hanney, Emma Atkinson, Toby Hogan, Sam Jackson, April Palmer, Yasmin Russ, Joanne Wicks and Alice Wootton.