Steve Downes Norfolk's students set the standard yesterday as they posted a host of impressive GCSE results which added up to another county record.Thousands of teenagers collected a crop of top grades to help dozens of schools to improve their efforts - including at least 20 which hit an all-time high.

Steve Downes

Norfolk's students set the standard yesterday as they posted a host of impressive GCSE results which added up to another county record.

Thousands of teenagers collected a crop of top grades to help dozens of schools to improve their efforts - including at least 20 which hit an all-time high.

Norfolk's improvement, which was the sixth consecutive rise in results, saw 52.3pc hit the gold standard of five or more A*-C grades, including English and maths - up from 50pc last year.

The proportion gaining five A*-C grades across any subjects also increased, from 63.9pc in 2009 to 66.8pc this year.

There will be no indication of the equivalent national scores until mid October. But yesterday it was revealed that girls are continuing to leave boys behind nationally.

The gender gap has widened slightly at grade A-A*. This year, 24.4pc of girls' entries were awarded at least an A grade compared to 18.7pc of boys' entries - a gap of 5.7pc. This has been widening since 2007, when the gap was 5.2pc. In 1989, it was 1.5pc.

Overall results have risen for the 23rd year in a row, with 69.1pc of all GCSE entries awarded at least a C grade, up two percentage points on 2009. More than one in five (22.6pc) entries achieved an A* or an A, up one percentage point on last year.

Since 2004, Norfolk has improved from 39.2pc of pupils getting five or more A*-Cs, including English and maths, to the current 52.3pc.

Alison Thomas, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for children's services, said: “It was been a fantastic week for Norfolk's secondary schools - with early results suggesting significant improvements at both A-level and GCSE.

“I would like to congratulate every one of the county's GCSE students, who have worked extremely hard to achieve these results. Schools have set high personal targets for their students and worked relentlessly to achieve these.”

Among the most eye-catching performances by East Anglian schools were:

Bungay High - up from 46pc getting five A*-Cs including English and maths in 2009 to 71pc

North Walsham High - up from 30pc to 50pc

The Denes High, Lowestoft - up from 27pc to 42pc

Aylsham High - up from 60pc to 73pc

Hellesdon High - up from 47pc to 60pc

Framingham Earl High - up from 59pc to 71pc

Springwood High, King's Lynn - up from 38pc to 50pc

Oriel College, Gorleston - up from 24pc to 36pc

Rosemary Musker High, Thetford - up from 30pc to 40pc.

Of the schools that reported their results to the EDP in East Anglia, 34 improved, five stayed at the same level and 17 fell back.