CHEERS, sighs of relief, and a few tears among pupils outside Mill Chase Academy were sentiments shared across the country, but in Bordon it also marked a celebration of yet another year of improved exam results.

More students were making progress beyond national expectations than ever before, notably in English and mathematics, said principal Paul Hemmings.

He said: “I am delighted that 79 per cent of students achieved or exceeded the government’s expected progress measure in mathematics and 69 per cent of students in English.

“These results are particularly pleasing as they show an increase of nine per cent in mathematics and 18 per cent in English compared to last year.

“These results show how effective our school has become. This is testament to the excellent attitude our students have towards their learning and the positive working relationships they enjoy with our hard working and talented staff.

“Our parents and staff work very successfully together for the benefit of the young people in our community.”

Last year the school reported a significant increase in the proportion of students achieving A* and A grades and this year’s results continue to build on that success.

The school also has the largest number of Year 7 students starting in September than it has had in at least five years.

“Furthermore, 96 per cent of the new parents have chosen Mill Chase as their first choice secondary school,” said Mr Hemmings.

The excellent GCSE results this year are also a celebration of how far the school has come in two years when at one time it was placed in special needs after two disappointing Ofsted reports and the loss of four head teachers in a year - one blamed on “staffing turbulence.”

It was then that the University of Chichester Academy Trust (CAT), began overseeing the school’s transformation into an academy, but waiting to find “exactly the right principal” to run it.

On November 1, 2014, Mill Chase School officially became an academy run by the University of Chichester Multi-Academy Trust established by the University of Chichester.

The all important key role to its future success came in the appointment of principal Paul Hemmings and the academy has gone from strength to strength and now a record number of pupils are starting in the autumn.

Mr Hemmings said one of his main roles has as principal “is to ensure that the very best teachers remain at the academy whilst appointing high-quality, talented staff.

“Last term, I made several excellent appointments to join our teaching team, all of whom will be joining us at the start of September. This will strengthen the school even further. I am therefore very excited about the new academic year ahead.”

As part of the redevelopment of Whitehill and Bordon, it is anticipated that Mill Chase Academy will relocate to brand new buildings at Budds Lane. However there are no plans for a hoped-for sixth form college and so local teenagers will still have to travel to Alton or other colleges in the area.

Discussions are well under way between senior staff and governors of the academy along with senior staff from the University of Chichester Academy Trust and the architect team from Hampshire County Council.

It is expected that the staff and students of the academy will move into their new buildings in September 2019.

Mr Hemmings said: “The proposed new buildings will allow us to have access to wonderful new facilities so that we can enhance even further the learning experiences of young people and the wider community in our town.

“Our continued improvement in academic standards and the anticipated new buildings mean that this is a really exciting time for the long term future of our school.”