Devastated students at a borough secondary school are still awaiting their full GCSE results, after an administrative blunder by examining boards meant marks for certain subjects had not been collated.
Shene School pupils arrived yesterday morning to be told they would not get results for their mathematics GCSE, and a number of other subjects, until next week.
Lesley Kirby, headteacher of the Park Avenue school, said: "We have had an administrative disaster, none of our maths results are complete and a lot of other subjects are incomplete."
Ms Kirby explained the examining boards had failed to correctly add up the marks for all papers sat earlier this summer, and in mathematics students had been given a grade based on two thirds of marks.
"For the students it is devastating," she added. "The boards have been very helpful and supportive and they are working with us to get these results out, but we will not have them until next week."
Shene pupils did get most of their marks yesterday and Ms Kirby assured them it would not affect any college places as the school and examining boards would talk to any college with questions. She added the results that had been collated were pleasing.
"Results can always be better, and we will strive to be better next year but we are positive about them and we have seven or eight outstanding candidates."
Meanwhile, other headteachers across the borough were congratulating staff and students as the number of pupils reaching the benchmark for five or more GCSE passes at A* to C grade continued to rise.
Richard Burke, headteacher at Christ's School in Richmond, praised his teachers after 71 per cent of pupils achieved five good passes, a record for the school.
Christ's also continued its dramatic year on year improvement, having had 53 per cent of pupils hit the five A* to C target last year and 36 per cent do so in 2005.
Mr Burke paid special tribute to the staff who have risen well to the task of raising standards at the school.
"While we do not want to be judged on our academic success alone, it is very pleasing to see GCSE results improve again so well," he said.
"Our young people have one chance in school and I am very pleased that an increasing number of Christ's School students are leaving us at 16 better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead."
Waldegrave School for Girls announced 83 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grade passes, an increase on 2006 levels and the fifth year in a row more than 80 per cent of pupils hit that level.
Headteacher Philippa Nunn said: "These results reflect a great deal of hard work from students and staff.
"I am very grateful for all the hard work that has gone into these achievements."
Richard Weeks, headteacher of Teddington School, said he was delighted that his pupils had achieved their best ever results with 74 per cent of pupils getting five top passes.
"We set ourselves a very ambitious target, we are on course for that and we are delighted," he said. "There have also been some fantastic individual results."
At Orleans Park School, in Twickenham, 70 per cent of students achieved five top passes, a two per cent improvement on 2006, and the school also announced a 100 per cent pass rate at A Level computing, which it offered for the first time.
Dave Talbot, headteacher, said: "We are naturally delighted with these results, it is good to set yet another school record. The pupils and staff worked very hard and it is great to see that so obviously rewarded."
Maggie Bailey, headteacher at Grey Court School in Ham, said the school was encouraged by the improving trend in results after 54 per cent of pupils were awarded five A* to C grades, an improvement of three per cent from 2006.
"We are particularly pleased with the improvements in all our specialist subjects, maths, science and ICT," she continued "There have been some excellent achievements by individual students notably ten students achieving A* and A grades in all their subjects.
"The sustained and continued improvement in standards at Grey Court is a tribute to the efforts of our students, teachers, governors and parent body.
"These results serve to reinforce the conclusions of our extremely positive OFSTED report in June 2007 that Grey Court is an improving school'."
There was also improved performance at Hampton Community College (HCC) where 43 per cent of students were awarded five top passes, up from 35 per cent last year, and 95 per cent of students achieved at least one pass.
Sue Demont, principal at HCC, said she hoped this would increase further and had asked the examining boards to double check some results.
She said: "The task of improving a secondary school is never easy, and it is heartening to see that our efforts are bearing fruit in terms of higher GCSE results.
"OFSTED noted two years ago that HCC was an effective and improving school' and these results confirm the establishment of an upward trend.
"Our performance in English, modern languages and the arts has always been good but we are delighted this year to report significant improvements in science and technology subjects."
Lady Eleanor Holles School (LEHS) in Hampton also announced best ever results with 91.3 per cent at A and A* and 58.7 per cent of exams returning with an A* grade.
Gillian Low, headmistress at LEHS, said: "The girls and their teachers deserve many congratulations and we are especially delighted to have achieved the best ever results, the girls can move forward into their sixth form studies with great confidence."
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