Students and staff at Co-op Academy Failsworth are celebrating a significant improvement in this year's GCSE results, with the school reporting rapid progress in both attainment and the narrowing of the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

The proportion of students achieving a Grade 4 or above in English and Mathematics rose by 5.5% in a single year, while the number securing a strong Grade 5 or above surged by 14%.

The academy said the improvements were being seen across the whole school community. The gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students has narrowed to 0.58 of a grade per subject, a figure the school says is significantly below the national disadvantage gap.

Rebecca Shaw, Headteacher at Co-op Academy Failsworth, said: "We are incredibly proud of our students and the progress they have made. These results reflect the hard work of our young people, the dedication and commitment of our staff, and the support of our families. Our staff team have worked tirelessly to create a culture where every child is encouraged to believe in what they can achieve, and I'm particularly proud that we are seeing strong improvement across the school and narrowing the gap between different groups of students."

The results at Failsworth come as part of a wider picture of improvement across the Co-op Academies Trust, with Co-op Academy Belle Vue also securing some of the top results in the country.

Chris Tomlinson, CEO of Co-op Academies Trust, said: "These results are an incredible achievement for the young people at Failsworth, and they should feel immensely proud of what they have achieved. Behind every set of results is the hard work of students, a staff team and Headteachers and, importantly, families who support and encourage their children every step of the way."

He added: "Every child deserves the opportunity to leave school with results that open doors to their next steps, whatever those steps may be, and these results show what can happen when a whole community believes in the potential of its young people."