FAIRFIELD High School students received their rewards for years of hard work and dedication that brought the Herefordshire school their best ever exam results.

At speech night, Headmaster Chris Barker commented on the cohesion of the year group and the sense of co-operation between pupils and staff, which contributed to the Golden Valley comprehensive being allocated fifth place in a nationwide study by the Sunday Times of the top schools with no sixth forms.

Although delighted with the ranking, Mr Barker said that the school gave the students much more than excellent academic qualifications.

"It is very pleasant to feature highly in league tables but they do not tell the whole story," he explained.

"The work of a school is in developing the whole person and some of our real successes do not contribute to these measures."

Guest speaker

Chief Inspector for Herefordshire Ted St George also congratulated the students in his guest speech before handing out the prizes and certificates to the winners.

The prize winners were: English, Emma Wright; art and design, Jessica Watkins; mathematics, Lisa Dillon; science, Amelia Brereton and Lisa Dillon; drama, Ilizane Broks and Leo Bentley-Leek; modern languages, Mary Ellen Wright; ICT, Grant Pritchard; design and technology resistant materials and product design, Kayleigh Ede; design and technology food, Heidi Watkins; design and technology textiles, Emily Jones; PE, Greg Christopher; geography, Lily Robinson; history, Amy Davies; outdoor education, Lee Pritchard; engineering, Hannah Jones; music, Elvin Robinson; vocational work, Phillip Greenow; head teacher's prizes' Amelia Brereton, Rachael Davies and Ben Pritchard.