Students in Croydon bucked the national trend of declining GCSE performance to achieve “better-than-expected progress” in this year’s exams.

Provisional results suggest the borough’s schools were set to match 2015’s average of A*-C grades in combined English and maths, according to Croydon Council.

Pass rates fell dramatically across the country this year, with the proportion of pupils achieving grades A* to C declining by 2.1 percentage points to 66.9 per cent.

Top A* grades also fell by 0.1 percentage points, to 6.5 per cent.

AS IT HAPPENED: Relive our live blog of GSCE results day in Croydon and Sutton

However, such doom and gloom was not felt at Riddlesdown Collegiate in Purley, where 20 per cent of pupils achieved at least five A* or A grades in their GCSEs, and a fifth of all the grades awarded were A*-A.

Principal Soumick Dey said: “These results reflect the quality, dedication and hard work of our students and staff. We are an ambitious school and so we will always want to do better and deliver the very best that we can for our students.

“I am delighted that they have achieved the results that they deserve and am grateful to staff and parents for their support.”

The percentage of pupils achieving A* and A grades in Croydon is expected to be above the national average, Croydon Council said.

Oasis Academy Coulsdon recorded the best year in its history in 2015 - and it matched that level again this year, with 66 per cent of pupils achieving five A* to C grades.

Principal Andy Booth said: “We couldn’t be prouder of our students this year. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that they achieved the best possible results.”

High flyers included Francesca Mason, head girl Madalina Stremtan and head boy Oliver Griffin, who landed 29 A* and A grades between them.

Oliver, who will start at The Brit School in Selhurst in September after passing GCSE drama at grade A, said: “I am delighted with this set of results. They will allow me to follow my dreams and I am very thankful to all of my teachers for everything they have done to help me realise this dream.”

This year the Government introduced a new performance measure for this year’s GCSEs, known as Progress 8, which is is intended to track the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.

Under the new system, GSCE success at the Quest Academy in Selsdon was measured at 0.34, which means the school’s pupils achieved a third of a grade more progress per subject than the national average.

A council spokesman said: “Students [across Croydon] have also shown better-than-expected progress based on their attainment in year eight.

"With almost all of the borough’s schools having released their data, all but one have shown significantly higher grades than they had been hoping for."

Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people, and learning, said: “Set against what looks like a national decline in standards Croydon’s education system is proving it can buck the trend.

"And for the first time we have also seen improvements at every stage from early years through key stages one to four. Key stage five is holding level, and student performance in vocational subjects continues to be exceptionally strong.

“As a council, over the last few years, we have committed a huge amount of money to building new schools and classrooms so that everyone has a place. We’ve also worked closely with schools and academies to help them raise standards. This has clearly paid off.”

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