RESULTS have rocketed at Oxford Spires Academy in just its second year.

The school saw a huge 16 percentage points jump in the proportion of pupils achieving the benchmark five A* to Cs at GCSE including English and maths, from 41 to 57 per cent.

It represents an impressive upwards shift for the former Oxford School , which in 2008 failed to meet Government targets of 23 per cent of children reaching the key milestone.

Headteacher Sue Croft said she was “ecstatic”.

She said: “It is good-quality teaching, hard work from the students and that extra bit of care from the teachers and support staff.”

King Alfred’s Academy, Wantage – recording its first results since converting to an academy – also saw a massive increase in the proportion of children achieving five A* to C GCSEs with English and maths, a 12 percentage point jump to 74 per cent.

Headteacher Simon Spiers said: “We are over the moon.

“We received an email from the exam board saying results in English were being reissued and had a real panic.

“But we aren’t affected, and in fact we have gone from 68 per cent A* to C to 81.5 per cent in that subject.”

Wallingford School also recorded a stunning set of results, with what looked to be the top results for a state school in the county.

Seventy-five per cent achieved five or more A* to Cs including English and maths, compared to 61 per cent last year.

Headteacher Wyll Willis said it was a “stellar” performance from pupils and added: “These results are at the top end of what we could have hoped for.

“The league tables will make very encouraging reading indeed.”

Earlier in the year Larkmead School, Abingdon, made the headlines for a gallery of pictures identifying the worst-performing students.

But headteacher Chris Harris said: “The gallery had no impact itself. What had impact was the enormous media furore that went with it – it galvanised students to say ‘we are not like that’.

“It brought everyone together, and you can see that from the very proud group of kids here.”