NEARLY 80 per cent of schools in The Gazette area managed to hit the Government benchmark for GCSE results.

Secondary school league tables, published this week by the Department for Education, show that 11 out of 14 schools in The Gazette area achieved the minimum required, by having at least 35 per cent of pupils achieve five GCSE’s between A* and C, including English and maths.

The standard has been increased this year, from 30 per cent to 35 per cent, and the results are based on the GCSE exams sat by students last summer.

At the independent Lord Wandsworth College in Long Sutton, 100 per cent of pupils gained five or more GCSEs between A* and C, including English and maths.

The school also had the highest number of pupils achieving the new English Baccalaureate in the whole of Hampshire and came in the top 20 in England for the new qualification.

Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School in South Ham had its best results in four years, with 76 per cent of pupils achieving the benchmark five A* to C GCSE grades, including English and maths.

Tony Corish, head teacher, said: “We are delighted. It shows solid progress from year to year so it’s not just a one-off.”

Aldworth Science College in Western Way, South Ham, was one of three schools in Basingstoke that failed to meet the benchmark, with 34 per cent of pupils achieving the grades.

For Aldworth, it was the worst results the school has had in four years, falling from 39 per cent in 2009.

It is one of 216 schools across England that failed to meet the benchmark.

Everest Community College in Oxford Way, Popley also fell way short, with only 17 per cent of pupils hitting the target.

The school had been steadily improving over the years, and achieved 30 per cent in 2009.

Head teacher Julie Rose said results should improve this year.

She added: “The progress that children make is still being monitored and we have tight systems in place, and the expectations are that we will meet or exceed targets this year.”

At The Vyne Community School in Vyne Road, South View, 33 per cent of pupils met the target.

However, Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College in Wessex Way, Basingstoke, saw a huge improvement on the previous year’s results, with 62 per cent of pupils achieving five GCSEs between A* and C, including English and maths.

The figure was well up on 2009, when 44 per cent of pupils met the lower 30 per cent target.

Across Hampshire, an average of 58.9 per cent of pupils achieved the Government benchmark, compared with 53.4 per cent across England and 58.7 per cent in The Gazette area.