A GCSE student promised a £1,000 if he got an A* in English Literature is laughing all the way to the bank.

Francis Walton, 16, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough who studies at King's Academy in the town, is going to save up to buy a car after his parents hand over the cash.

Francis, who enjoys singing, dancing and acting with Stagecoach at Yarm and is staying on to studay maths, history and science at A Level, said: "I’m over the moon, not just with my results but also with the £1,000. I actually did better than I expected. It was a great surprise.”

A total of 57 per cent of all King's Academy GCSE students gained at least five A* to C grades including English and maths.

Principal Chris Drew said: "Coming after last week's outstanding A levels in which 66 per cent of grades were a B or better, we are delighted with these very strong performances across a broad range of subjects at GCSE and congratulate all our students and staff.

"In its most recent inspection Ofsted judged The King's Academy to be a good school with outstanding features and we feel this summer's results, particularly at A level, would warrant an outstanding judgment at the very least for our sixth form provision."

Other top performers at the school were Abigail Grosvenor, 16, of Marton, who achieved six A*s and four As; Katherine Dent, 16, of Coulby Newham, with five A*s and three As and Lewis Melvin, with four A*s and five As.

Twenty-five per cent of students gained the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), gaining at least a C in the core subjects of English, maths, history or geography, sciences and a foreign language.