Girls at Farlington school have celebrated another set of impressive GCSE results.

Nearly 60 per cent of youngsters passed with A or A*s while almost 65 per cent have left with grades between 9 and 7.

Ms Louise Higson, Farlington School’s Headmistress, said: “Congratulations to the Year 11 girls at Farlington on their excellent GCSE examination results.  With 58 per cent A/A*s and 63 per cent of 9 to 7 grades, there is much to celebrate.

“We are delighted with their performance; these brilliant results are no less than the girls deserve and are a reflection of their hard work and desire to succeed.

“My appreciation and thanks go to all their teachers; their passion and commitment are key in providing the excellent teaching and support which enables the girls to achieve outstanding results across a broad range of subjects.”

St Wilfrid’s students in Crawley have achieved some exemplary results this year with a high number of students making excellent progress.

A spoesperson said: “At St Wilfrid’s we remain committed to ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to maximise their progress across a broad and balanced curriculum.

“As such we work hard to create a curriculum which allows students to access courses that meet their needs and allow them to excel in subjects in which they are passionate about.”

Mr Michael Ferry (headteacher) said: “I am immensely proud of the achievements of all of our students. They have worked extremely hard, as have the teachers who have supported them. Both students and staff have had to cope with significant changes to a high number of exam specifications over the last two years and they have done so with excellent effect, reinforcing the fact that students at St Wilfrid’s continue to make excellent progress.”

The highest performing students with regard to the progress they have made are:

Angela Kintu, Mekha Justin, Jasper Hawkes, Dominic Smith, Rory Nash, Amy O’Connor, Katie Hind, Alexandra Moore, Alexander Marshall, Fiona Kagiri.

There were also some stand-out performances from students who have achieved 8 or more Grade 7s or better (A*/A equivalent) including Chinazo Okeke, Rushil Patel, Alex Thorogood, Mekha Justin, Samantha Black, Rory Nash, Henry Olding, Cristian Viteritti, Monica Intelligenza, Jonathan Fines and Ceara Mitchell.

This year also sees the introduction of the new numeric system for the majority of subjects (English and Maths experienced this last year for the first time).

To gain one grade 9 is exceptional but to gain 8 is absolutely phenomenal - congratulations have gone to Chinazo Okeke for this amazing feat.

Rushil Patel came a close second with six, with Alex Thorogood close behind with four, both amazing in their own right.

Many others, including some of those already named, achieved at least one.

“Congratulations to all of our students, we wish them well as they move into the next phase of their education or training.”

We have action featuring Middleton, Chichester Priory Park, Bognor, Stirlands and West Wittering in our latest round-up from the top five divisions of the Sussex Cricket League.

Middleton v Cuckfield

Sussex Premier

Another batting collapse cost Middleton the chance of success at home to Cuckfield - but they had reason to celebrate at the end of the day.

Cuckfield won the toss and decided to bat. Middleton took early wickets and at 87-4 Cuckfield needed a partnership – and got one as . Tom Watson and Abi Sakande put on 76 to take the score to 162, which was to prove a match-winning partnership.

Craig Fowle got the breakthrough, holding a return catch to dismiss Watson for 71. Cuckfield added 46 in the final six overs for the loss of three more wickets. The innings closed on 208-8. Russell Talman was the pick of the Middleton bowlers, with 3-22.

Middleton got off to a good start and it wasn’t until the 14th over that they lost their first wicket with the score on 43, Josh Wood first to go for 20. But soon Middleton were reduced to 58-4.

Despite an innings of 42 from captain Sean Heather, Middleton lost their last six wickets for 32, ending all out for 126.

The pick of the Cuckfield bowlers was skipper Josh Hayward, with 3-8.

Hastings’ loss at East Grinstead means Middleton have maintained their Premier League status for next season.

Chichester v Three Bridges

Division 2

League leaders and heavy promotion favourites Three Bridges were too strong for Chichester at Goodwood on a day when the hosts had wanted a good haul of points in their quest to remain in division two.

The pitch looked a little damp and under overcast skies, home captain Matt Geffen elected to bowl first.

Runs weren’t easy to come by but despite the helpful conditions, neither were wickets. New Zealander Dave Winn (31) and Joe Walker (31) joint top-scored for the visitors.

Veteran bowler Johnny Heaven, on his return to the first XI, was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-35. A late burst of wickets restricted Three Bridges to 171 all out. Chichester took maximum bowling points.

Chichester’s batting wasn’t much to write home about. Charlie Futcher (25) top-scored as Chichester slumped to 72- 6. A late blast from Magnus Kristensen (19) and Morgan Hopkins (17no) was nothing more than consolation with Chichester bowled out for 130, giving the hosts victory by 41 runs.

Results elsewhere meant CPP retained sixth place. Critically they are 52 points above the relegation zone with 60 left to play for.

They travel to Billingshurst for their final away game of year on Saturday.

Bognor v St James Montefiore

Division 2

At the Regis Oval the visitors were invited to bat and made steady progress at Tom Prideaux de Lacy made a steady 69 and Henry Sims 56 not out. St James posted 211-6 in their 45 overs.

For Bognor zesty left-armer Scott Bingham was the pick of the attack, grabbing 3-44.

Bognor’s response was juddery. The hirsute Jim Fallick led the charge with 61 and contributions came from all around the team. However Charlie Davies with 5-18 proved the difference as St James ran out winners by 19 runs.

Vital wins for top teams
Stirlands v Roffey 2nd

Division 3

Stirlands returned to Birdham in search of another win in their push for second place – but couldn’t manage it.

Stirlands elected to bat on an overcast day. Jake Moores and Will Gubbins opened and Moores’ charge at the left-arm spin of Fred Bridges saw him bowled, the score 14-1.

Gubbins reached 19 before pulling a long hop from the off-spin of Matthew Bidlake to backward square leg, where Raj Choudhiri took a catch. Jamaine Bullen followed without scoring, caught by Chris Webb. And 33-3 became 40-4 when George Coles swept Bidlake to Choudhiri.

George Briance worked hard for 16 before edging Mark Pavlovic’s off-spin to Leigh Harrison at slip. Ed Clarke made 14 before Bridges picked up his first wicket, inducing a catch to Oliver Rivers.

Dom Fecher drove to point, and at 66-7 Stirlands were staring down the barrel. Dan Mugford and Adam Downing added 20 before Downing fell to Choudhiri, and Mugford followed for a battling 21.

At 89-9, last pair David Briance and Harry Moores did their best to drag Stirlands to respectability and they added 18 before Tom Barnes bowled Moores. Stirlands were all out for 107, all 10 wickets falling to spin.

Bullen and David Briance knew they would have to bowl extremely well to defend 107, but the opening Roffey partnership of Webb and Rivers put on 50, effectively put the game to bed.

Bullen and Briance bowled well with little reward. Gubbins and George Briance came into the attack, butWebb reached 33 before holing out to Bullen on the deep mid-wicket boundary off Briance.

Stirlands picked up their first point when Rivers chopped on off Mugford for 23. Max Rivers and Conor Griffiths followed, Rivers well stumped by Coles off Briance and Griffiths chipping Mugford to Bullen at mid wicket for an extra point for Stirlands, but Roffey progressed to their target without further alarm to win by six wickets.

Stirlands have plenty to put right this weekend at West Chiltington.

Wisborough Green v West Wittering

Division 5 West

Overcast. Wet strip. Thick outfield. These were the conditions West Wittering faced away at Wisborough Green – understandably, they were asked to bat.

Gareth Lendrum and Sam Wookey did not get the start they wanted. Lendrum was caught and bowled in the first over, bringing in skipper Carl Tupper.

Runs were difficult to come by and Wookey (5) was caught fishing outside off. Jake Irwin-Brown was out for 12 and 50-2 soon became 64-7 with Tupper dismissed for 36.

Liam Bates (37no) salvage something with support from Jack Harte (6) and Kieran Baker (8), leading the team to a total of 129 all out.

Wisborough Green started quickly – shots were flying in the air but were finding gaps. Harry Staight (2-39) brought about the first wicket with some fine swing bowling.

Joe Pink (0-13), in his bid to be leading wicket taker in the league, was unfortunate not to take a wicket, with two difficult chances going down.

The home team reached 70-1 at the drinks break. A few quick wickets, including an outstanding run-out by Lendrum and Tupper (1-30), kept hope alive but Wisborough chased down the total in the 32nd over, with five wickets remaining.

Promotion is no longer possible for West Wittering after Chippingdale won.

Elsewhere, West Wittering second XI secured an emphatic victory against Eastergate seconds, keeping alive their hopes of staying up, with one game to go.

West Wittering's day to savour

Crawley Town are going flat out to earn the top EFL award for clubs by pushing their facilities for families.

In a move to increase the number of children supporting the club, they are relaunching the Junior Reds scheme.

The club are going to invite all Junior Reds to watch an open training session at Broadfield Stadium this Friday, August 24.

The stadium’s gates will open up at 10am for a 10.30am start.

They will also get to meet head coach Harry Kewell and be able to get autographs and take pictures of their favourite Crawley Town players.

To take part, you must join the Junior Reds scheme, which can be done online or by going in person to the club office during normal office hours.

Operations director Kelly Derham is keen to reach the highest standard in providing a family-friendly experience for fans.

The EFL gives recognition to clubs who provide good facilities for families by presenting them with the Family Excellence Award.

Crawley Town have so far won the award twice but have their eyes set on the highest distinction.

She said: “It’s my aim this year is to go for gold.

“The idea is to encourage our fans of the future - children - to come to the club.

“So we are making a conscious effort to help Junior Reds. We are going to open the stadium for them.

“My vision is for us to have a lot more younger fans coming along to support the team.”

Membership for the season costs just £5 and entitles you to various incentives.

These include: a welcome pack of Crawley Town goodies, monthly draws to be a mascot at a home game and flagbearer opportunities for home games.

Junior Reds hold an annual Christmas party, which is exclusive to members of the scheme.

They also receive a signed autograph from the Crawley Town skipper Jimmy Smith.

The hard work and extra studying has paid off for youngsters at Ardingly College after picking up the best set of GCSE grades in the school’s history.

Nearly three quarters of the students achieved grades between 9-7 (A*-A) a big leap on last year’s total which was around 66 per cent.
According to the school of the 109 people to take the exams more than 500 grade 9s were achieved with all girls at the school picking up at least one A*.

There was also a growth in grades between 9 and 6 (A*-B) and more youngsters passing with grades between 9 and 4 (A*-C).

Ardingly College Headmaster Ben Figgis said: “Across the country this year group has had to adjust to new GCSE courses and exams, and had to prepare for their exams without the usual number of past papers to help them. In this context the grades achieved by Ardingly pupils are astonishing.

“The new top grade of 9 was introduced to reward the very top performers, so for our GCSE cohort of 109 to achieve over 500 grade 9s is a sign of real academic distinction.”

Three Bridges manager Martin Dynan wants to bounce back from defeat in the Bostik League by putting up a better display against Phoenix Sports in the Emirates FA Cup preliminary round.

They face the same side they lost to 5-2 last weekend, Phoenix Sports, this Saturday, but this time with home advantage at Jubilee Field, kick-off 3pm.

He said: “I am very disappointed with the way we played in the first half.

“We didn’t seem like we were interested and looked tired. In the second half the boys responded very well but then conceded the fifth goal against the run of play.

“I made two changes as well as the formation and we dominated the rest of the half, missing two good scoring opportunities.

“Having said that, Phoenix deserved the win.

“Connor was the Connor I know: very strong, he dragged us through the half!

“He’s such an asset that we clearly missed in the game against Crawley Down Gatwick (suspended) and the first half of this.

“Daniel Da Costa was brilliant when he came on.

“I know this group of lads well and know they’ll be hurting.

“They want to put this right and I think it’s a blessing we don’t have to wait too long to do so.”

Forest School has maintained its record as one of the highest performing schools for boys after another year of ‘outstanding’ GCSE results.

Around 66 per cent of students achieved grade 4 and above (C+) in both English and Maths while 17 per cent of all grades were between 9 and 7 (A*-A), above the national average.

Retiring headteacher, Siobhan Denning, said: “We are extremely proud of our pupils’ achievements, with 66 per cent of them achieving grade 4 and above (C+ in “old money”) in both English and Maths in the new, harder GCSEs, in line with the national figure for all pupils of 66 per cent.

“Many of us were in school this morning to watch the joy and delight in our pupils’ faces as they opened their envelopes and read their results. There were so many happy faces!

“As in all schools today, there was some concern about the impact of the new exams. However, we had worked hard with the boys to ensure that they were fully prepared and they performed outstandingly. 77 per cent achieved a Grade 4 or above in Maths; our English results of 72 per cent are especially pleasing, as we continue to buck the national trend for boys’ results in English.”

Forest said 17 pupils achieved 10 or more Grade 7+ results. Thomas Clark, Joshua Martin and Nathan Kettle picked up 12 or more grades at 7+ while Ben Green, Kieran Moore, Dougkas Moore-Loizides, Joshua Cooper and Toril Azzalini achieved 11 7+ grades.

Ms Denning added: “The new highest GCSE grade, a Grade 9, intended to raise the bar beyond the old A*, was one schools have been told would be almost impossible to achieve. I am therefore delighted that 5 per cent of our boys achieved this Grade 9 in Maths.

“Todays’ press has also focused on the poor performance of British pupils in foreign languages. Again – our results are stunning, with an average of 78 per cent across French, Spanish and German.

“We celebrate all our boys’ results and it is worth noting that those pupils who achieved less than a Grade 4 in English today sat exactly the same paper as those who achieved a Grade 9. Some of our boys made outstanding progress: Piran Shoebridge, Tom Clarke, Murphy Arliss, Tim Manalo, and Kiyoshe Crawley achieved on average two grades higher in their exams than forecast.”

“I am always pleased when the hard work, commitment and dedication of our pupils and staff, along with the support of parents, have been rewarded.

“At Forest we strive to challenge pupils and provide an environment where boys really do learn best.”

Cliff Purvis, Chair of Governors added: “I am very pleased with the results and the boys should be extremely proud of their achievements. Our pupils, their parents and the staff at the school are to be congratulated.”

Billingshurst got their Division 1 campaign up and running in emphatic fashion on Tuesday night as they hit St Francis Rangers for six.

Goals from Dumitru Vaduva, Nick Tilley and a brace each from Chris Spiers and Jordan Stallibrass helped ’Hurst to their first win of the season in Division 1.

Rangers dominated the play early with Billingshurst failing to settle on the ball at Jubilee Fields. But the hosts led on 36 minutes when a good passing move from the back saw Spiers cross for strike partner Vaduva to calmly finish.

Five minutes later a through ball to Vaduva saw his shot saved, but Spiers scored from the rebound for a 2-0 half-time lead.

St Francis had a couple of early chances after the break, before Stallibrass netted his first on 62 minutes with a fine volley from a corner. Eight minutes later, Spiers was played in with flick from Stallibrass to finish past the keeper for 4-0.

Straight from kick-off a high press saw Billinghurst win the ball back and Stallibrass netted.

A final goal came from build up play through the midfield with Tilley finding himself through on goal to slot past the keeper on the 89th minute. ’Hurst had gone down 2-1 away to Sidlesham in their opening league game of the season on Saturday.

The visitors led through Stallibrass on 12 minutes, before Ryan Chittock equalised against the run of play. Just five minutes later, Morgan Corry made it 2-1 in the 30th minute.

In the second half, ’Hurst had a good penalty shout waved away, before Vaduva went close late on.

’Hurst boss Luis Freitas said: “On the whole the boys gave a better account of themselves and apart from two technical errors, but a draw was the minimum we deserved.”

Hurst v St Francis: Hopkins, Nason, H.Bowles, Rendell, Bradshaw, Simester, Tilley, Weatherstone, Stallibrass, Vaduva, Spiers. Subs: Bagwell, Bennett, Jeal.

v Sids Hopkins, Bryant, Rendall, H.Bowles, Simester, Spiers, Beck, Mason, Vaduva, Tilley, Stallibrass. Subs: Bradshaw, F.Bowles, Weatherstone.

Plans to build two new houses on a former nursery site in Worthing have been approved unanimously by council planners.

Developers want to build the units on a piece of vacant land off Walton Close. Glasshouses have already been cleared off the site.

Planning permission was granted by members of Worthing Borough Council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday August 22.

Residents raised concerns about parking and access arrangements to the site, as well as overdevelopment and the effect on neighbouring properties.

But officers explained they had negotiated a raft of changes to the application since it was submitted, including reducing the number of new homes from three to two.

Emma Frost, an objector who lives in Walton Lodge, said: “Our concerns are about right to light, privacy, overlooking and overshadowing, while the proposed property plot one would be overbearing and imposing to us.”

She argued parking would spill out on to Walton Close, while the tight site entrance to the two new homes overlaps with the cul-de-sac’s turning circle.

Pete Marshall, speaking for Dave Francis who lives in Stone Lane to the east, argued the privacy and tranquillity of his property would be affected by the proposals.

Meanwhile Noel Atkins (Con, Salvington), a local member, focused his objections on the tight site entrance. He said: “It’s not an ideal site and therefore for safety reasons I would recommend the application be refused.”

Officers explained the first plot had been moved away from the Walton Lodge properties and were 14 metres from the main part of the new house and 11.5 metres from the garage. Plot two was 22 metres from any overlooking windows, while properties to the south had long gardens.

Hazel Thorpe (LDem, Tarring) said she would like to turn the application down but did not see any sufficient grounds to do so. She explained: “I do feel for the residents. It’s not nice to have this building imposed on you but I can’t see any planning reason to turn it down.”

Jim Deen (Lab, Central) said housing was at a premium in Worthing with empty plots to develop limited in the borough.

He added: “For me this is a development which is in scale with the size of the plot. It has been reduced after work by the officers.”

His request for the developer to consult residents on a construction management plan was accepted, but another amendment to reduce working hours on the site to 9am-5pm Monday to Friday was rejected by his fellow committee members.

The application was then approved unanimously.

Oakwood School is delighted to report another strong set of GCSE results for 2018. 60% of pupils were successful in gaining standard passes including English and Maths and there were good outcomes from virtually all subject areas.

The overall school progress measure has risen further and the number of 9-4 grades compares favourably with the national average.

Thirty-nine students (over 25% of the student cohort) gained top grades in either English or Maths.

Headteacher, Simon Potten, commented: “I am delighted to be able to announce another very positive set of GCSE results for Oakwood School.

“Many subjects have exceeded expectation and produced strong outcomes and, given the new challenging assessment framework that schools have had to face, this is very pleasing indeed. I would like to offer my congratulations to all students and pay testament to the continued hard work of staff in achieving these results.”

It’s been another successful year for pupils at Tanbridge House School as they achieved a ‘stellar set’ of GCSE results.

Scores of youngsters popped down the school in Guildford Road this morning to open their ominous brown envelopes.

The school said pupils had gained ‘very strong’ results this year in English Maths and science.

A spokesman for the school said: “Tanbridge House School is again delighted by another stellar set of GCSE results. Whilst all schools in England have to wait for a national database in order to provide a ‘final’ academic Progress Score, we already know enough to be confident that our student body has done exceptionally well.

“Results in areas such as English, Maths, Science and a host of other subjects are very strong and reflect the dedication of the students themselves and my colleagues at Tanbridge House School. As ever, we are extremely grateful for the steadfast support we gain from parents, carers and our wider community.”

A late Scott Jones goal handed Chichester a 2-1 victory over Horsham YMCA, helping Miles Rutherford’s side preserve their 100 per cent record in the SCFL premier.

Like Chi, the visitors had won their opening two league games. When the teams met at Oaklands Park last season, the match ended 1-1 and this proved another close encounter.

After the disappointment of the FA Cup exit, Rutherford made changes to the starting XI. Kieran Hartley came in for the injured Ellis Martin and Jimmy Wild and Rob Hutchings joined Jones in attack.

Chi forged an opportunity when Wild beat the offside trap but the Bath University-bound striker couldn’t square a pass to a team-mate.

YM’s Tony Nwachukwu blazed his shot over from six yards, only for an offside flag to spare his blushes.

The visitors might have scored from a corner in the next passage of play but Guy Harding’s header was off target.

The hosts went ahead in the 27th minute when Wild got a touch to a Dan Hegarty cross. Aaron Jeal parried but Jones was first to the loose ball and slotted it in from close range.

Chi’s back four of Hartley, Connor Cody, Ben Pashley and Terrell Lewis had to keep their wits about them in this spell. A knockdown from Harding was smuggled away, then Ollie Gill flashed an effort over. Lewis recovered well after an awkward first touch almost let in Alex Barbary.

In the second half, Luke Donaldson came on for Gill at the break and had the first chance of a scrappy second half after Wild lost the ball.

The home side lost Hegarty with an injury – Matt Axell slotting into his position in midfield on his debut.

Hutchings had another go without troubling Jeal before YM hauled themselves level when a fierce Dan Mobsby shot from some distance went into the bottom corner off the post on 68 minutes.

A couple of minutes later, the visitors’ Tony Garrod’s free-kick lifted narrowly over the bar. Pashley cleared another set-piece before an errant header back to Matthews from Lewis was almost intercepted.

Dan's double downs Stortford
Ladies earn their Spurs
Rutherford, who replaced Hutchings with Tiago Andrade, brought on Sam Ndlovu for Dave Herbert with five minutes to go. A bit of trickery from the Chi winger helped set up Hartley whose shot fizzed just past the post.

Jones, City’s top scorer last season, got on the end of a delivery from Wild with the winner in the 88th minute.

There was still time for other chances. YM went close in the third minute of added time when Harding smashed a shot against the bar and at the other end, Andrade almost capitalised on a mix-up between Jeal and Ash Dugdale.

Chichester: Matthews, Lewis, Cody, Pashley, Hartley, Way, Jones, Hegarty, Dave Herbert, Wild, Hutchings. Subs: Steve Herbert, Ndlovu, Callnon, Axell, Andrade.

* On Tuesday night City couldn't find a way past a determined Broadbridge Heath side at Oaklands Park. It finished 0-0 and the point left City second, behind Pagham on goal difference

Edwards' effort 11 minutes from time ensured Golds were 1-0 winners at Lyons Way.

Football was put to one side prior to kick-off with a two-minute silence held in memory of former Mavericks players Matt Grimstone and Jacob Schilt on the third year anniversary of the Shoreham Airshow crash.

Golds boss Nigel Geary, who was in charge of United when Jacob and Matt were killed in the Shoreham Airshow tragedy, admitted it was a difficult evening.

He said: "Worthing United were brilliant, arranging for a minute silence each for Matt and Jacob to be held before the game. Myself and a lot of the players currently at Littlehampton were with me at Worthing United when Jacob and Matt died, so it was nice to be able to remember them in front of their stand at Worthing United.

"When the football got going, I'd say it was the worst we've played against Worthing over the three games this season. Lawrence (Edwards) was a big part of the team when Jacob and Matt were at the club so for him to get the winner was fitting."

Player-manager and Mavericks goalkeeper Matt Evans pulled off a couple of stops in the first 45 minutes.

United squandered a great opening after the restart before Edwards' thunderous finish sealed a second straight win for Golds.

Mavericks player-manager Evans echoed the views of Littlehampton boss Geary.

He said: " It was an emotional evening for everyone. Littlehampton have a lot of players who were at Worthing United when the crash happened so to be playing them on this day made it quite poignant.

"Some things are bigger than football and to see the families and many ex-players who knew Matt and Jacob was something really special.

"It’s the third time in ten days we’ve played each other so it was always going to be tight but the magnitude of the day made it difficult for both sets of players to find any rhythm.

"I’m so proud of my players though. To play in these circumstances isn’t easy for anyone.

"I thought they acquitted themselves brilliantly and anyone watching would’ve said we deserved at least a draw."

WORTHING UNITED: Evans; Nagle, Luff, Webber, Sherwood, Hurley, Patching, Funnell, Deacon, McKernan, Robbins. Subs: Layton (Hurley, 60), Tapscott (Robbins, 65), Ellis (Nagle, 75), Seymour, Mulhern.

LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN: Platt; Hands, Haward, Boxall, McKay, Edwards, Borges, Hayes, Santos, Elliott, Lintott. Subs: Rahman (Lintott, 59), Tilley (Hayes, 62), O'Regan (Elliott, 90), Khan, Askew.

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Brighton & Hove Albion striker Tomer Hemed says he has joined Championship side Queens Park Rangers on a season-long loan to score goals.

The 31-year-old forward has joined the west London club until the end of the season and could be set to make his debut against Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

The R's sit bottom of the table having scored just twice in four straight defeats.

Hemed, who has previously scored 30 goals in two seasons at Championship level, told www.qpr.co.uk: "I know the reason I am here.

"I’ve good experience at this level. I scored goals in the Championship for Brighton, so I know how to do it.

“I came here to score goals but also to create chances for others and be a big factor in the attacking side of the game.

“I’ve done good things with Brighton and I can use my character to show that, even though it has been a bad period for QPR, we can do better every week.

“Of course I have to score goals, but if I can give a bit more confidence to the players after a difficult start, then I’m sure after one or two good games we can do good things together.”

The Israeli international joined Albion from UD Almeria in July 2015 and scored 33 goals in 108 apperances in all competitions, but has found game limited since the Seagulls were promoted to the Premier League.

Manager Chris Hughton said: “Tomer hasn’t been able to play the number of games he has done in recent seasons, and this move will give him a chance to play regularly.

“It’s a highly-competitive Championship division, and a level Tomer knows well; we will keep a close eye on his progress throughout the season.

“I would like to wish him all the very best for the remainder of the season.”

There was ‘huge excitement’ and ‘tears of relief’ at The Weald School this morning as students celebrated another bumper set of GCSE grades.

Of the 259 students that sat exams at the school over the course of the past year 60 per cent achieved grades between 9 and 5 (A*-B) while 80 per cent of results were between grade 9 and 4 (A*-C).

In total around 82 per cent of students achieved a grade 4 (C) or above in English whilst 81 per cent did the same in maths.

Headteacher Peter Woodman said: “There was huge excitement, joy and some tears of relief as students opened envelopes to receive their GCSE results.

“Students have produced another bumper set of grades which match our best previous performance as a school.

“This is the second year that students have been graded using a numerical system for maths and English. This year 26 subjects were graded on the new 9-1 system. 82% of students achieved the new grade 4 or standard pass or better in English and 81% achieved this in maths. 76% of students achieved both English and maths at a grade 4 or above.

“We are thrilled to see that all our students’ hard work has paid off. Examinations in nearly all GCSE subjects were more demanding this year with more content to cover and higher levels expected from students so it is gratifying to see that our headline figures have been sustained and improved on within this national context.”

The school has singled out some stunning individual performances.

Nicola Kemp achieved a clean sweep of 9 GCSEs at grade 9 along with an A*.

Other top performers included Isabella Stevens with 8 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and an A*, whilst Lucy Tucker achieved 7 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s and an A*.

Mr Woodman added: “We were thrilled to see so many students getting their target grades. These days are not just about those students getting the highest grades but about all students achieving the grades they need for their next step in education.

“The culture that we have developed here at The Weald means that students are prepared to work hard and be seen to work hard by their peers.

“It is fantastic to see the reaction from students when they see that all this hard work has paid off.

“We are particularly delighted at students’ performance on the new Progress 8 scale which measures progress from KS2 to KS4. Early indications suggest this will be very positive.”

Cranleigh School continues to maintain its record GCSE results as it marks another successful year.

Almost every pupil at the school (99 per cent) opened up their brown envelopes this morning to find out they had gained 5 GCSE between grades 9 to 4 (A*-C)

According to the school the overall pass rate was at 97 per cent with more than 50 per cent of students achieving a grade 8 or more (A*-A).

Overall more than 25 per cent of all grades were at grade 9 (A*+), 55 per cent were at grades between grade 9 and 8 and 68 per cent were between 9 and 7 (both A*-A).

English results were particularly high with 80 per cent of pupils achieving grades 9 to 7.

Deputy Head Academic, Mr David Boggitt, said: “We are delighted with these results, particularly given that staff and pupils have been working towards significant changes to the exams and the grading schema. We’d like to offer congratulations to all of our Year 11 pupils and to the Common Room who have worked so hard to help them achieve their goals.”

The school said Ollie Corbett, Ella Job and Jess McCormack achieved all top grades with a further 10 pupils picking up A*/9/8 in all their subjects. Those include Zoe Bickenson; Hebe Bodmer; Ross Kiely; Maya Magee; Peter Moor; Josh Moore; Archie O’Neil; Leila Slade; Katie St Johnston; and Aimee Williamson.

Headmaster, Mr Martin Reader, said: “Each year Cranleigh pupils prove it is possible to succeed without a narrow focus. Our Year 11s have already succeeded at the highest levels in sports, music and performance, and through clubs, activities, house life and charity work have developed into rounded and confident young people. We wish them all the best in their academic futures and are delighted that most have chosen to stay on to complete A Levels with us as well.”

Storrington manager James Everett admitted he was concerned after they conceded six second-half goals in a 7-1 defeat to Bexhill in Division 1 on Saturday – ahead of them picking of their first point on Tuesday night.

Against Bexhill, Swans’ first-half efforts were rewarded with the opener on seven minutes with a well-worked team goal that saw Kelvin Lucas round the keeper to put them ahead.

An equaliser came as a poor defensive clearance fell to Liam Foster, whose shot bobbled home via the post.

Bexhill stepped things up in the second half as Swans crumbled. Jack Shonk put them ahead and ran in hat-trick in between a Jack McLean strike and late goals from Sammy Bunn and Jamie Bunn.

Everett said: “If the game finished at half-time I’d be happy with our efforts. Once again, like our previous two games, our first 45 minutes was at the required level.

“Unfortunately at the
moment our game management and retention of shape is really going missing in second halves of games and it was no different this week.

“To lose to a better side is one thing, but to lose in the manner we did this week is of real concern.”

They put that result behind them on Tuesday night, however to collect their first point of the season in a 2-2 draw at Oakwood.

Efforts in either half from Luke Jearum and Jordan Suter sealed a 2-2 draw for Swans.

Jeraum got the opener a minute before the break, before Clive Piller got Oakwood back on terms six minutes after the restart.

Suter fired the visitors back ahead six minutes later, but they could not hold on, conceding ten minutes from time as they were forced to settle for a point.

n Alfold’s unbeaten start to the season was ended on Tuesday night as they suffered a 4-1 Division 1 humbling at Midhurst.

Okami stands the test of time.

It may have escaped the attention of many but what is considered one of the greatest video games ever made was released on Nintendo Switch this month.

Okami is known for being one of the last games released on the PlayStation 2 before the launch of the PS3.

Critically acclaimed worldwide and recognised as one of the most original and beautifully crafted action-adventure games in history, Okami has been remastered and released across multiple platforms by Capcom over the years.

It had notable success on the Nintendo Wii too although critics felt the controls were far from perfect.

So it was only a matter of time until it made it to the Nintendo Switch and was released earlier this month.

Okami is a franchise that somehow got lost in the sands of time despite being so well received sequels were in short supply. It’s been 12 years since the initial release. So I approached this review very much with the question, has Okami aged well and is it still a game worth playing?

The dialogue is a bit of a grind at times but from the off you can see why Okami won so many game of the year awards.

Okami has been compared to Zelda in the past and that is another worthy comparison.

This version uses the Switch’s touchscreen controls for some features including the Celestial Brush and it works really well.

It also supports the Joy-Con’s motion controls however, like on the Wii, using the controller for the Brush does feel a touch clunky and doesn’t really work as well as you would hope.

The fact Okami used cell shading on PS2 rather than realistic graphics means it ages well and the HD really makes the game pop.

Handheld mode looks amazing and the game speed and frame rate holds up so well. My biggest complaint would probably be the camera which can be annoying and can’t be adjusted.

Okami is not very challenging in terms of difficulty but it will still last you a good while and is worthy of its title as one of the best games ever.

A call for new sites for soft sand extraction in West Sussex has been launched.

A joint minerals local plan (JMLP) put together by West Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority was formally adopted in early August.

The only site previously allocated for soft sand extraction was land at Ham Farm, north of the A283 near Steyning, but this sparked widespread opposition in the town due to road safety and landscape concerns.

During the JLMP’s preparation the soft sand strategy was removed and is now due to be developed separately after the planning inspector raised concerns about the approach taken.

The county council has now started owrk on the single-issue soft stand review.

As part of this work it has launched a call for sites, which starts tomorrow (Friday August 24) and runs until Friday September 14.

According to the county council this will ‘enable landowners, mineral operators, and any other interested parties to promote potential soft sand extraction sites’.

The authority says potential soft sand sites that were previously considered during the production of the joint minerals local plan must be reconsidered.

At the end of the call for sites period, officers will undertake a robust assessment of each site and decide whether they should be ruled out or shortlisted, and if required to meet the identified need, go forward to the next stage of the plan-making process.

Information on the site assessment methodology and all sites under consideration will be published as part of the informal public engagement on the review that will take place from January to March 2019.

Brighton manager Chris Hughton held his pre-match press conference for Saturday’s Premier League match against Liverpool this afternoon.

Here are some of the key points:

The credit for performance v Man Utd

“I think when you’re playing against the top six, you’re generally the underdogs. We probably didn’t get the credit we deserved, but that’s normal.

“I think with how we are now and coverage that goes with the big teams it’s perhaps normal, and sometimes it’s not a bad thing to just go under radar a little bit but it was a very good performance and a performance that certainly deserved the win.”

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Player confidence heading into Liverpool

“I hope it’s done a lot because an away game at Liverpool, they almost don’t come any tougher than that. We’ll certainly need to show a lot of the qualities that we showed in last week’s performance.

“I think what it’s also done is it allows us to go to Liverpool with three points. I think perhaps it’s quite daunting if you’ve lost your first two games and then your next game is Liverpool. So hopefully it will allow us to go there with a little bit more confidence, a little bit less pressure.”

Away form

“I think with regards into fixing it and improving it, that’s the challenge we’ve set ourselves going into this season, but you never go into a game thinking about those things.

“Our approach going into every away game would be exactly the same. You know against the top six it’s generally going to be a different type of game. you know they’re going to have the bulk of possession and that’ll be no different at Anfield on Saturday.”

Liverpool style of play

“They’re a team that play at a very high tempo, they’ve got a lot of pace in the team. Of course, I don’t need to tell anybody the ability they have in the front three. The tempo I expect to be very fast, that’s what they’ve already proved this season.”

Steve Sidwell

“Well I won’t miss seeing him because he’s coming back! It’s the right time for him to retire and he made that decision. We will miss the quality and experience that he has but we’ll also miss him in the changing room.

“He was a big influence and was somebody that played at a very good level, and one of the players that before last season had Premier League experience. But we are delighted that he’s coming back.”

Injuries

“Lewis Dunk hasn’t trained this week. The good news is it’s not a bad one, he went over on his ankle so we don’t expect him to be out for any real period of time.

“He’s a tough individual, we haven’t ruled him out completely but at this moment it would be doubtful, but we’re delighted it’s not as bad as what it perhaps could have been.

“Andone, Bruno and Izquierdo will all miss Saturday.”

Liverpool weaknesses

“You know the quality of the players. You know what they’ve added. They’re top, top team at the moment. Everyone speaking about Man City, but these (Liverpool) were top team last season and they have improved.”

“Very strong side, we obviously know where their goals come from. But from one to eleven they are a top team.”