The headteacher of Litcham High school has said a difference in the performance of boys and girls contributed to falling GCSE results, despite some outstanding individual successes.

The number of students achieving at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and maths, fell slightly from 56pc last year to 55pc this year, while those achieving at least five good grades across all subjects fell from 64pc to 62pc.

However, Alice MacNeill achieved 10 A*s, including one in PE which she studied in her own time, while Ellen Berry received nine A*s.

Headteacher Jeremy Nicholls: 'Students who have worked hard have done well and in some cases outstandingly well. The disappointment is that the disparity between girls' and boys' performance is quite marked with the girls doing significantly better.

'A lot of boys don't see it's cool to succeed. Girls are more aspirational.'

Mr Nicholls said the school had not been affected by stricter marking of English GCSE papers, which saw results at some other schools fall below expectations.

Sevara Khusanova, who came to Litcham from Uzbekistan with hardly any English aged seven, achieved grade As in English and English language.

KEY TO FIGURES:

*The first figure is the percentage of students who gained five or more A*-C GCSEs, including English and maths,

*The second figure is the percentage of students who gained five or more A*-C GCSEs in any subjects, with

*The third figure is the percentage of students achieving the English Baccalaureate – A* - C in English, maths, double science, history or geography, and a modern foreign language.

LITCHAM HIGH SCHOOL

55pc (56) (66) (58) (66) (61) (59)

62pc (64) (71) (66) (77) (75) (77)

24pc