School success is measured by more than just exam results.

That is the message from Wadham School following last week's results, which saw the Crewkerne secondary school ranked below the national average for Progress 8 score.

Wadham pupils managed a -0.33 grade, while the national average was -0.03 and the average for Somerset was -0.12.

The school had a below average Attainment 8 score, and was below the national average for GCSEs with a grade 5 or above in English and maths, and achieving EBacc at grade 5/C or above.

Wadham is above the national and Somerset averages for pupils entering EBacc, and about average for students staying in education or entering employment.

A spokesman for the school said: "One year’s results do not tell the whole story.  What is important is results over time and ours have been good.

"This year saw the introduction of the first stage of a new system for exams at 16 and 18, which continues this year.

"The exam regulator in their press releases before and at the time of the release of results said that volatility in individual schools results ‘was to be expected’.

"Our results showed very good attainment by students in a number of subjects, e.g. our percentage achieving 9 to 4 in English and Maths was above the national average and we had 2 of only 2000 students across the whole of England who got a 9 in each of the new GCSEs in English Language, English Literature and Mathematics. Only two other schools in Somerset achieved this.

"Most importantly, what no-one sees in these league tables are those intangible things that are not easily measured such as real, deep learning (in addition to exams), positive relationships, team work, kindness and courtesy, which Wadham consistently fosters and develops."