A FLAGSHIP school has bounced back from a difficult start to the year to achieve improved GCSE results.

Walthamstow Academy, in Billet Road, suffered disruption in March when headteacher Fiona Cordeaux made a sudden mid-term departure as principal weeks before a union ballot to decide whether staff should strike over her alleged unreasonable behaviour.

But the school, now under acting principal Emma Skae, has bounced back and is today celebrating a third of its pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades including maths and English and 69 per cent gaining five A*to C grades overall.

The Academy's results have improved year on year since it opened in 2006 as a replacement for McEntee School.

Ms Skae said: “All the staff are incredibly proud of what the students have achieved.

“The students have worked really hard to do their very best and the staff have worked tirelessly to make sure everyone achieved the best results possible.”

Ms Skae said a system she refers to as “targeted intervention”, in which pupils' performances in different subjects are closely monitored, is one of the reasons for the Academy's success.

Among the high achievers were Ama Ukpe, 16, of Maple Avenue, Chingford, Atinuke Phillips, 16, of Leucha Road, Walthamstow (12 A* to Cs) and Cashet Davis-Clarke, 16, of Matlock Road, Leyton, who are all celebrating achieving 12 A* to C grades.

Zainab Iqbal, 16, of Antlers Hill, Chingford, was pleasantly surprised after gaining a B in maths and a C in history after previously scoring E and D respectively in mock exams.

She said: “It was the biggest shock of my life!, I can't believe it.”