A unique school in Macclesfield has had a record amount of pupils receive their GCSE results.

The Fermain Academy in Macclesfield recently celebrated GCSE Results Day with their biggest ever cohort of Year 11 students since the school opened.

This has been achieved against a backdrop of significant expansion, with the school having recently expanded to admit 90 students (up from 60) and having officially opened The Fermain Academy Skills Centre, a new off-site centre which the school is looking to make a beacon of best practice in vocational learning.

The school is like no other in Macclesfield. It is a free school, where pupils are dual-registered. This means students can be enrolled at both The Fermain Academy, and another secondary school in Macclesfield.

The Fermain Academy offers schools an alternative route in secondary education, for students who may struggle in mainstream schools and all parties involved benefit as a result.

While it may look like a regular comprehensive from afar, it is the little things that set The Fermain Academy apart from a conventional school.

Class sizes are smaller, the school day is structured differently (with only one class in the afternoon), and recreation is encouraged on-site. For example, darts and pool can be played at The Fermain Academy.

And it is with these unique qualities, that has allowed this latest cohort of Year 11 pupils to thrive.

In addition to the specialised vocational qualifications that they gained at the new skills centre, the majority of all Year 11 students achieved at least 4 Level 2 qualifications in traditional academic subjects.

Students passed qualifications in a diverse range of subjects, including English language and literature, maths, statistics, biology, triple science, geography, art, music, health and fitness, hair and beauty, construction, textiles and home cooking skills.

In a statement, the Youth Engagement Schools Trust, who also operate a similar school in Crewe said: "Departing Year 11 students have been a pleasure to work with and it is no surprise to us that every single one of them has an appropriate career pathway in place for September."

"In addition, we would like to thank our staff for the passion and commitment they have shown in supporting our students.

"Finally, a heartfelt thank you to families and the wider community for all of the support we receive from you- we continue to be a trust focused on transforming lives and will always ensure that we are child-centred, authentic in the relationships that we form, and are adaptive and sensitive to need."

The school turns eight years old this year. The Fermain Academy is located on Beswick Street, Macclesfield SK11 8LH.

Macclesfield: You can learn more about the school on their website, or by clicking HERE.