St John’s School in Marlborough is to make a formal complaint over the marking of English GCSE papers after the school’s results in the subject ended ten per cent below expectations.

Headmaster Dr Patrick Hazlewood could barely contain his anger when he spoke of the situation, which has been noted nationally, as students arrived to pick up their results on Thursday morning.

He said: “This is a major concern for us. When all of the controlled assessment was moderated the exam board officers commented on the high calibre of candidates and teaching - not one result was changed.

“Then when the results came through they were ten per cent down on the 86 per cent we were expecting. I don’t mind about strict marking but I do mind about the impact on the children. They have worked very hard and they have been penalised in the name of poltical expediency.

“The school will be submitting a formal complaint and seeking a significant number of re-marks.”

Despite the disappointment, the school has once again clocked up an impressive set of GCSE results. Some 86 per cent of students achieved five A* to C grades with 82 per cent achieving C or better in maths and 86 per cent gaining two or more C grades or better in science.

Over 30 per cent of all grades were A or A*.

Notable successes were Natasha Taylor with a remarkable 11 A*s, followed closely by Megan Richardson and James Claire with ten A*s and one A, Polly Howard with eight A*s and three As, Connor Ford with nine A*s and three As, Sarah Crookall with six A*s and five As, Hristinyar Georgiev with six A*s and five As, Izzy Payne with five A*s and six As, Cherilyn Mawby with five A*s and seven As, Christopher Baker with five A*s and five As, Will Ballard with four A*s and six As, Phoebe Studdert-Kennedy with five A*s and five As, Duncan Lorraine with four A*s and nine As, George Martin-Johnson with four A*s and six As and William Hendry with four A*s and six As.

Saskia Hume got two A*s and nine As, and Sophie Litherland one A*, two As, seven Bs and a C.