A NAILBITING wait for thousands of pupils across East Sussex came to an end today as this year’s GCSE results were announced.

With 26 results in from 27 of the county’s schools, provisional results show 60 per cent of students received five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths.

That represents a significant increase on last year’s figure of 56 per cent and was described by East Sussex County Council as ‘fantastic news for young people and their schools’.

A total of 22 out of the 26 secondary schools and academies that have currently reported their results either maintained previously strong performance or improved on their performance last year.

The average for the county in terms of 5 A* to C including English and maths has improved for the second year running by approximately 4%.

Outstanding improvements against this measure can be seen at Rye College which has gone up by 19%, The Eastbourne Academy up by 18%, Heathfield Community College up by 12%.

There are a further nine schools which have improved by more than 5% including Beacon Academy, Bexhill High Academy, Chailey School, Hailsham Community College, Peacehaven Community School, Seahaven Academy, St Richard’s Catholic College, The Cavendish School and The Hastings Academy.

For the first time, this year’s results are also measured against the new Attainment 8 indicator – the new national benchmark for performance at key stage four.

In East Sussex, the average Attainment 8 score, which measures a student’s average grade across eight subjects, was 4.9.

Cllr Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council lead member for education and inclusion, special educational needs and disability, said: “This is always a nerve-wracking time for young people awaiting their GCSE results.

“Achieving good grades gives them a solid step on the ladder towards a successful future in their educational and professional life.

“I’d like to congratulate all our students for the effort they’ve put in not just in the run-up to their exams but over the last two years, and to wish them every success as they go on to further education or training.

“We’re very pleased to see an improvement in this year’s results, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our young people and the teachers who’ve guided them.”