Outstanding students have completed their English literature GCSE exams a year early.

This is the first time youngsters at Appleton School, in Croft Road, Benfleet, have had the opportunity to study for the exam in year ten.

And staff said the results were a testament to all the hard work they have put in during the year. Included in the studies was work by Shakespeare and pre-20th century love poetry.

Head of English Jane Davies said: "We hope students have begun to develop a critical facility for analysing texts and will be able to transfer their skills for the English language GCSE paper next year.

"More than 90 per cent of our students got at least a B grade in the literature GCSE coursework and that is something the school is very proud of."

Published Wednesday, June 25, 2003

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