Academies led the way as a host of Norwich high schools posted record results on a memorable GCSE results day across the city.

School after school reported best-ever scores as thousands of nervous students turned up to find out their results.

Leading the way - as it was on A-level results day last week - was Ormiston Victory Academy Costessey, on MIddleton Crescent.

The former Costessey High School's percentage of students gaining five or more A*-C grades including English and maths soared from 38pc to 65pc.

Principal Rachel de Souza said: 'We won't be happy until we've got 100pc of students with five A*-Cs including English and maths. We believe every student should leave with the best possible results and we will do everything it takes to get there. That's what academies are about.'

She added: 'What the staff have done has been absolutely amazing. They coached kids all Easter for their GCSEs. They went out in the mini bus and got students out of bed. It's been a big job.'

City Academy Norwich, on Earlham Road, which four years ago as Earlham High posted results in the bottom 10 of all English schools, improved from 26pc last year to 41pc.

Principal David Brunton said: 'We feel we have still got a lot we can get for our students. We are very much on goal towards being outstanding. We already had a target for next year but we surpassed it this year – it was 40pc. We will have to re-visit that now.'

City of Norwich School on Eaton Road registered an all-time high of 61pc of students getting five or more A*-Cs including English and maths.

headteacher Jim Nixon said: 'It is really superb and there were a lot of happy, smiling faces around the school.'

Framingham Earl High School was another record-breaker, up from 59pc to 71pc, as was Hellesdon High on Middletons Lane, up from 60pc to 66pc.

Hellesdon High headteacher Gerard Batty said: 'These results are absolutely fantastic. I'm more proud than I can say.'

Hethersett High, with another all-time record, saw its scores increase from 57pc to 71pc. Headteacher Kerry Jordan said: 'These excellent results reflect not only the hard work of the students and staff but the ethos of high achievement for all that runs throughout the school.'

The Hewett School on Cecil Road bounced back from disappointment last year to improve from 25.5pc to 36pc, while Notre Dame School on Surrey Street hit 80pc - another record.

Open Academy on Marryat Road, Heartsease, hit 36pc - its best result yet.

And the story was the same at Sewell Park College on St Clement's Hill, which hit a new high of 40pc.

Across Norfolk, there was a 3pc increase in the proportion of pupils achieving the gold standard of five A* to C grades, including English and maths, taking the figure to 55.3pc.

It was the biggest increase for Norfolk in the past six years and means just one of the county's schools now falls below the government's minimum standard of 35pc.