GCSE TABLES 2004: Last year's GCSE results revealed mixed fortunes for schools in the Devizes area. Devizes School achieved its best ever results with 59 per cent of pupils passing five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C.

This compared with 54 per cent in the two previous years.

Head Malcolm Irons said: "We are steadily increasing our results which is the sign of a good school. The success is due to improved attitudes among the pupils and improved teaching.

"We are looking forward to further improvements in this year's exams. We would like to get over 60 per cent."

The percentage of pupils at Lavington School at Market Lavington gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C fell to 59 per cent, compared with 70 per cent last year and 71 per cent in the previous two years.

Headteacher Martin Watson said the dip was the result of a handful of pupils who underachieved.

He said: "Following a very good Ofsted inspection we were asked to concentrate on the most able students and perhaps we did that too much.

"The most able and the less able students did very well in last year's GCSEs and we perhaps concentrated slightly less on the average ability students who could slip from getting grade Cs to Ds, which is exactly what happened.

"We expected a dip in the results last year and we thought it could be around 65 per cent so to achieve 59 per cent is disappointing for all concerned."

When Mr Watson arrived at the school seven years ago the percentage was 50 per cent and he said he was determined to improve on last year's results. "I'm quite optimistic having had the surprise of last year's results that we will make sure we don't take our eye off the ball this year," he said.

"We will be identifying more carefully those students at risk of under performing and targeting some support for them."

At fee paying Dauntsey's School in West Lavington 95 per cent of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at A* to C, compared with 93 per cent last year.

At Wootton Bassett School, the marks were lower than last year's results but only marginally and headteacher Chris Montacute was delighted with another successful year.

He said: "There were some excellent individual results across the whole board and there were youngsters who have achieved some excellent marks.

"I think I counted seven pupils who got ten As or A*s and three were sent special letters from the examiners for being in the top five best marks across the country."

Looking at the school's GCSE performance at a whole, he said: "The marks are very similar to last year but of course it was a different cohort of youngsters and difficult to compare. I'm very pleased with the good results."

Some 64 per cent of Corsham School students gained five or more GCSEs at grade A to C and assistant headteacher Marcus Chapman said they were delighted. "We got excellent results, well above the county average," he said.