OAKWOOD is one of the best schools in the country for improving GCSE results.
The announcement this week is the latest stage of the Horley school's recent meteoric rise.
After being taken out of special measures by Ofsted last summer, the school jumped from 70th to 54th in the county for GCSE results with 77 per cent of students getting five A*-C grades.
The results, which were above the national average, were a far cry from the 54 per cent of students who scored five A*-C grades in 2010.
Now, with this year's results looming, Oakwood has been named in the top 20 per cent of schools for improving GCSE grades in the country.
The acknowledgement from the SSAT – formerly the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust now named The Schools Network – which works with schools to improve education nationally, praised Oakwood's "stunning" recent achievements.
Head teacher Sue Child said: "I am absolutely delighted.
"We have been building up to this, the foundations were laid many years ago.
"We focused on every aspect of the school and applied the 'what went well' and 'even better if' philosophy to ensure that we could make improvements in every area.
"If we can make every part of Oakwood more successful then added together we can make big strides forward."
Better student leadership and more school trips are the secret to the school's improvement, according to Mrs Child, and she believes the best is yet to come.
She added: "Our impressive 26 per cent increase in results over three years is set to rise even further, placing us high in the league tables."
Changes at the Balcombe Road school, which include tracking students' progress to ensure they are keeping up, has made the school a model for others, according to assessors.
Sue Williamson, chief executive of SSAT, said: "Oakwood School should be congratulated for their stunning achievement in improving their GCSE results.
"Oakwood School has proved itself to be one of the best schools in the country at improving GCSE outcomes for their students.
"There is plenty that other schools could learn from Oakwood's success.
"These results are a testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, teachers and leadership team at Oakwood School and a vindication of their belief in high expectations, good teaching and ambition for every young person."
A new school council, which gives the students more say in the direction of the school, and feedback from the parents' forum have also been central to Oakwood's improvement, according to Mrs Child.
She said: "Our vision is 'achieving excellence together' which represents our high expectations with the emphasis on partnerships. We are looking forward to the future with excitement."
