The headteacher of Tytherington School has paid tribute to his GCSE students, saying they achieved "an excellent set of results".

Results were based on the teachers predicted grades following last week's A-level controversy in which 40 per cent of pupils were downgraded due to an algorithm used by Ofqual.

Manny Botwe referenced the unusual year students have had, saying: "This year group have had quite a journey this year and have risen to the challenge. I know that many students were anxious throughout the summer and the debate about the awarding of grades has caused a great deal of unnecessary distress."

He said the was "particularly proud" of the class of 2020, as they had just started at the school when he joined as headmaster in 2015.

A number of high achieving students at the school earned an eight or more grades at 7+. Mr Botwe named those pupils:

Amelia Preston

Leonie Benn

Francesca Curtis

Samuel Dodd

Evie Hadfield

Beatrix Haigh

Ben Holland-Fricke

Freddie James

William James

Jake Kilpatrick

Archie Mattocks

Olivia Muir

Phoebe Mullins

Aidan Simpson

Declan Sutcliffe

Alfie Taylor

Alexander Allen

Myles Corn

Nadia Hulme

Caitlin Hunter

Emily Paton

Henry Stone

Amber Black

Cella Cupertino

Daniel Gaskell

Olivia Kewney

Thomas Roberts

Megan Storey

Mr Botwe highlighted the efforts of a number of Tytherington pupils, saying: "Behind the headlines, there are some great stories of individual success, with many students making huge progress over the course of their time at Tytherington School."

Morgan Leigh-Howard was one of the pupils singled out by Mr Botwe: "Morgan joined Tytherington school during Year 10 and immediately became a central figure of the school community. Morgan participated in the school shows and was part of the Youth Speak Team who won the District Championships earlier this year."

He said a "diligent approach" to her studies enabled Morgan to achieve "outstanding" GCSE results.

Mr Botwe also praised Will Bayley who will be moving on from the school after securing a prestigious apprenticeship with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

Amelia Preston was also mentioned by the headteacher for "making the most of the opportunities" provided by the school, including her membership of the orchestra since year 7 and her completion of the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Mr Botwe concluded: "Whilst we are delighted that so many students have achieved well this year, what matters to us most is that the youngsters leave here as A* people with a real desire to make a positive difference to the world, particularly during these exceptional times.

"These results are a consequence of the hard graft of our students combined with the sheer passion and enthusiasm of our staff. We look forward to seeing what this very special year group will achieve in the future."