What a result at axed school - VIDEO

Wisewood Secondary is to merge with Myers Grove in four years' time in a new building on the Myers' Stannington site, following a bitter nine month battle.

This year 60 per cent of its 16-year olds passed at least five GCSEs with A to C pass rates - a record - while 48 per cent of students managed five passes including English and maths, a substantial 10 per cent rise on 2006.

Meanwhile, Mo Laycock, head at Firth Park which celebrated its best A-C results, and this year's chair of Sheffield's Secondary Heads Group, said: "Many schools are showing rapid improvements, but it is also important that we are helping most of our young people get to the next stage of their education and training."

Wisewood has produced rapidly improving results for four consecutive years - in 2003 the pass rate was just 33 per cent.

Campaigners have consistently argued that council proposals to close a popular and improving school make no sense, while education chiefs argue falling pupil numbers in the area make a merger the best option.

Toby Mallinson, a leading member of campaign group Save Our Community Schools, said the results would encourage parents to continue their fight.

"These results prove what we've said all along - that it's educational vandalism to close what is undeniably a successful school," he said.

"We believe persisting with the merger is simply the wrong way to go, and that is why this campaign will continue."

Lucy Fairest, a mum with children affected by the plans, said no one would be surprised by the results.

"People in this area know this is a brilliant school and it clearly is getting better and better," she said. "But the council doesn't see it that way."

**See The Star on Tuesday for 12-pages of South Yorkshire's GCSE results**