THOUSANDS of GCSE students have made Trafford proud by achieving grades well above the national average.

Trafford students have achieved significantly better results than the national average with nearly 90 per cent (87.9 per cent) of 16-year-olds in Trafford achieving a grade 4 or higher in English. The national average is close to 70 per cent (69.6 per cent).

Trafford students also performed better in Maths with over 80 per cent (84.2 per cent) of them achieving a grade 4 or above, compared to 70 per cent nationally.

The provisional figures for Trafford also show an improvement on last year for both English and Maths.

In 2017, the grades for grade 4 and above, English and Maths, were 86.8 per cent and 81.4 per cent, respectively.

Cllr Jane Baugh, executive member for children’s services said: “Congratulations to all the students who have worked so hard to achieve these outstanding grades.

"I am delighted for them. Once again we have shown that Trafford offers its pupils a fantastic educational experience.

"The results are also a testimony to the skills of the teachers, governors and staff who work hard to ensure that the borough remains a beacon for the rest of the country.”

GCSE students who are looked after, either in a home or fostered, have also done well this year after a scheme was put in place by Trafford Council to provide enhanced support.

A record 22 per cent of these young people achieved a level 4 or higher in English and Maths. This is twice as many as 2016 when 8 per cent of students achieved the equivalent A* - C in these subjects.

Cllr Baugh added: “I am delighted for all the looked after children who face additional challenges and have to overcome struggles that other GCSE students do not face.

"Most of them have no stable environment and as their ‘corporate parent’ we have created an environment where they can thrive in their studies.”