In the school’s 400th birthday year, staff have congratulated students on their achievements at a time when exam requirements have changed significantly. Lindsey Thompson, director of key-stage four and assistant head, said: “This is the second year of maintaining our record breaking and best-ever results for our year 11 students - 73 per cent of our students achieved five A* to C including English and maths. “This continuing success comes in a time of increased national change, increased rigour and linear exams - where all exams are taken at the end of the course. “This fantastic achievement is in spite of a warning that ‘schools in England have been told to expect big variations in their GCSE results because of the largest set of changes to exams for several years’, according to the BBC.” In English language 84 per cent of students at Steyning Grammar School gained a C grade or above, with 24 per cent of students achieving A*/A. In mathematics, 79 per cent of students gained a C grade or above, with 28 per cent of students achieving A*/A and 79 per cent achieved at least five GCSEs A* to C overall. Overall, 27 per cent of all GCSE grades were A/A*. Head teacher Nick Wergan said: “Students worked hard and showed great resilience in their work ethic — they deserve these superb results, and these will be a great springboard to their ongoing learning journeys. “With the changes to examination and assessment this year, and the increased emphasis on end-of-course exams, we are delighted to have maintained our record GCSE results again at a time of national volatility in results. “This is testimony to the great efforts of our students, and the commitment and dedication of our staff to ensure every student is supported in fulfilling their true potential. It takes great teamwork between student, teacher and home to produce outcomes such as these, and I am truly grateful for all the support our students have been given to be ‘the best they can be’. “We are very proud of our students’ exam successes, but even more importantly the skills, grit and character they have continually shown us.” High-achieving students included Amy Haeffner and William Miller with 12.5 GCSEs at A* grade, Louisa Hunt with 11.5 GCSEs at A*, Evie Taylor with 10.5 GCSEs at A* and one A grade, and Atticus Albright with 9.5 GCSEs at A* and 3 A grades.