WALLINGFORD School’s headmaster, Wyll Willis, moved to reassure students and parents after the school’s “disappointing” A-level results.

Last week’s results showed that 46 per cent of students had A* to B grades — down ten per cent on last year.

Mr Willis said the results were “anomalous” and the percentage had perhaps fallen as they have given less gifted students the chance to take A-levels.

He said: “We let kids do A- levels who perhaps would not be able to elsewhere.

“Do you send them away because they are not going to help you up the league table or do you give them a chance?

“I would rather take them on and let them have a crack at it. It is not the percentage at the end that matters, it is the value you add.”

He added: “As a general rule we made about the same amount of progress as we did last year, but we did not do enough.

“We have been very, very strong and perhaps we took that for granted. But any story is not going to be fantastic all the time. We have got two big departments that perhaps did not do as well as we would have liked. But we have good teachers and these results are anomalous.

“If results slip, everybody has to ask themselves some serious questions. If you did not, then you would not learn from it. But we are better than this.”

Parent governor Sally Feaver said she had nothing but praise for the school.

She said: “The staff deal with a mixed bunch of kids and they work very hard to deal with all of their needs.

“You can massage results by putting the right kids in for A-levels, but this school does not do this.”

Parent, Sue Johnson, 45, said the results did not worry her.

She said: “It is a very good school and there is not a member of staff here that is not supportive of these children.”

The school yesterday came up with record GCSE results.

Sixty-seven per cent of the 171 Year 11 pupils got at least five GCSEs between A and C, and 95 per cent of them got five or more GCSEs Casie Marshall, 16, could become the first person in her family to take A-levels after she got five Cs and four Ds.

She said the school’s mentoring program had helped her to get the grades and said her family were over the moon.

Mentor Siobhan Lancaster said staff gave up their time to help the less able students to maximise their potential and take A-levels.

She said: “It is about offering the best opportunities to kids in Wallingford.

“I would not think much of a school who would only take kids who would improve their league position.”

Katherine Reggler, 16, got eight A*s, two As and two Bs.

But she said there was a ridiculous amount of pressure on youngsters to succeed —“For some people it helps, but for some it just makes them worry about failing.“ Lizi Smart, 16, who got five A*s and six As, said: “It is fantastic. I could not ask for more.”

Mr Willis said: “They have done us proud and there are a lot of happy faces.

“It is a very important day for them — more important this year than it has been for a long time.

“The job market has shrunk, university admissions have shrunk, and the private sector is shrinking too.”

“It is as hard as I have known it in my teaching career, but the better the results, the more choices you have.”

Wallingford youth worker, Kevin Brophy said: “The school has improved immeasurably and it has a much stronger community profile. We all want the best for our kids and the best results possible and I am convinced that the school will provide that.”