More than six-out-of-10 pupils at Swanlea Secondary in London’s East End made it to top grades, one of the school’s best years ever.

East London Advertiser: Syeda Kamil (far left) with Swanley Head teacher Brenda Landers and two other top GCSE graders, Azwad Rahman and Flora McLaughlinSyeda Kamil (far left) with Swanley Head teacher Brenda Landers and two other top GCSE graders, Azwad Rahman and Flora McLaughlin (Image: Swanley Sch)

It reached 62 per cent getting five A* to C grades, including English and Maths, while 77 per cent gained five A* to C grades overall.

The school in Whitechapel has seen a five per cent improvement on last year’s GCSE results, adding to its latest Ofsted inspection last month when it was judged “outstanding”.

Headteacher Brenda Landers said: “This is a testament to the commitment Swanlea has from our whole community of students, parents, staff and governors.”

It was the school’s second-best year, after the 65 per cent top grades of 2011.

One pupil this year, Azwad Rahman, got five A*s, four As, a B and an A in his AS level Maths paper.

“I am very relieved,” he admitted. “I couldn’t have managed it without the support of teachers and my family.”

Flora McLaughlin’s 11 GCSEs included four A*s, six As and a B. “All that hard work was worth it,” she said.