A HEADTEACHER has spoken of his disappointment after many of his students failed to make the grade in their GCSEs.

Roger Gilbert, of King Edmund School in Yate, said that too many pupils had not lived up to the school's expectations following the publication of the results last Thursday.

Only 32.8 per cent of pupils at the school scored five A* to C grades - a six per cent drop compared to last year.

Mr Gilbert said the school, which received a glowing Ofsted only eight months ago, must now concentrate on ensuring students make improvements.

He said: "We had a group of students this year who I thought would do well and bring our GCSE results performance higher.

"But sadly the students did not get what was expected of them, bringing down with them the school's performance.

"Whilst initial figures we looked at turned out to be not so bad, we still expect better at this school.

"Looking through the results, we have found a large number of students just missed out on a C by a small amount of marks.

"The challenge for the school now is to help the students make up those marks and achieve a C or above."

The results have come as a setback for the improving school, which only two years ago was saved from closure.

Its future had come into question when education chiefs at South Gloucestershire Council launched an investigation into the provision of education for comprehensive school children in Yate and Chipping Sodbury.

Out of the three schools in the two towns, King Edmund was told it was underachieving and had falling pupil numbers.

But parents and staff fought to keep the school open and grants worth £3.1million were ploughed into the school to refurbish dilapidated buildings. A vocational centre and new science block in were also built in its grounds.

Just a year later, the school received praise in an Ofsted report that credited Mr Gilbert for the turn around at the school.

Mr Gilbert added: "Whilst disappointed we must look at the positives.

"We are seeing benefits from bringing the school into the 21st century in our excellent Key Stage 3 results and GCSEs in some subjects.

"And the 6th form intake at the school has increased for next year considerably."

Mr Gilbert also added a lot of students had excelled in this year's GCSEs.

Among them were Fran Andrews who achieved four A*s, three As and two-and-a-half Bs, while Martin Turner landed three A*s, six Bs, one C and one D.