STUDYING hard and showing dedication for three years equalled success for Tottington High School pupils who passed their maths GCSE one year early.

For the first time in the school's history, 29 Year 10 students sat their mathematics GCSE with more than half of them gaining A* grades and the remaining 13 students passing with grade A.

The results were the outcome of two years' planning and teaching which had been written into the school's status bid to become a specialist college in maths and computing. The group, all aged 14 and 15, will now begin studying for their AS level Mathematics while still at the Laurel Street school.

Deputy headteacher Mrs Imelda McLaughlin explained: "This will consist of Pure Mathematics Core 1 and Core 2 together with Statistics S1 and will be delivered in the normal three maths lessons and an extra after-school session on Tuesdays."