A SCHOOL at the centre of a merger debate is celebrating after another landmark achievement.

The day after Hurworth School achieved an award for excellence, it found out its year nine pupils had achieved record-breaking results.

The 13 and 14-year-olds recorded the best performance the school has seen in their Standard Attainment Tests (SATs).

The tests are taken by students at the age of seven, 11 and 13, and the Government sets benchmark levels of achievement. In this case, 97 per cent of Hurworth's year nine pupils achieved the standard in ICT, compared to 93 per cent last year.

Ninety-four per cent achieved the level in maths, compared to 83 per cent the previous year and 86 per cent hit the target in science, compared to 78 per cent last year.

The results of SATs in English will not be known until later this year.

On Thursday, Hurworth School received an excellence award for performance from Darlington Borough Council's children's services department.

Bosses at the council want Hurworth and Eastbourne Comprehensive to merge on a new site in Darlington.

Dean Judson, headteacher of Hurworth, said the SATs results came as a big boost to staff and students.

"We are thrilled for the kids because this is a good indication of how they are going to do in their GCSEs," he said.

He said the SATs results would put Hurworth in a very good position in the value added league tables which will be collated and published by the Department for Education and Skills.