Students across Telford and Wrekin are celebrating after official confirmation that they have achieved the borough’s best ever GCSE results.

New figures show that 47.7 per cent of borough pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths in 2009 – showing a three per cent improvement on the previous year.

It is the third year-on-year improvement achieved by Telford and Wrekin in the Department for Children, Schools and Families achievement and attainment tables and this also demonstrates that the borough is improving at twice the national rate.

Individual schools with excellent improvements include Hadley Learning Community, where the number of pupils achieving five plus A*-C grades including English and Maths rose by nine per cent from last year.

A similar rise has been recorded by the Phoenix School in Dawley, who showed an improvement of eight per cent since 2008.

Councillor Clive Mollett said: “These results are down to the hard work of students and the commitment and support of staff, governors and parents.”

Jim Collins, Telford & Wrekin head of learning and achievement, said: “The council’s secondary school improvement team is working closely with our secondary schools to ensure that we build upon these positive performances.”