Today (Thursday) 15 students will resume the school's journey into post-16 education.

Fiona Pountain, who is leading the sixth-form developments, said: "We have a mixture of A-level and BTEC course running including sports, which is one of the main areas, A-levels in English, psychology, sociology and we have got some students doing BTECs in critical thinking and human biology."

The school has been out of special measures for nearly two years and its students have continued to achieve beyond expectations.

This summer GCSE students made a 12 per cent increase on last year's results with 38 per cent achieving five or more A* to C grades.

The return of its sixth form comes as the public have put their support behind Bucks County Council proposals to transform the school into the county's first academy. The results of a public consultation survey released last week show 93 per cent of people who gave a written response supported the plans.

Hundreds of people turned up to public meetings to hear how the future of Quarrendon may affect them, and 40 out of 43 people who submitted questionnaires to the council supported it.

The most popular reason for supporting the proposal was that it would build on the school's recent improvements. In second place was that it would provide the best opportunity for students in the local area. One supporter commented: "This proposal gives me hope that (pupils who do not pass the 11+) will get a decent secondary education - both in facilities and standard of teaching."

The school has a high proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and among concerns raised by the three opponents, regarded the fact the Diocese of Oxford would be the lead sponsor. One response reads: "The word 'church academy' is used. Being a Muslim, I believe that the new Academy will instill Christian ideas."

Principal designate of the proposed academy, Jonathan Johnson, said: "I am thrilled the public have recognised the tremendous opportunity that this represents for the young people of Quarrendon and the community of Quarrendon. I am also thrilled at the opportunity this presents to the growing catchment which will include the development of Berryfields.

"On the back of the tremendous results we have had this summer I think we are really well placed to provide first-class education in a first-class building which is what the children of Quarrendon deserve."

Cabinet member for achievement and learning Marion Clayton said this is one step further to getting Government approval. "The Department for Children, Schools and Families will be looking at whether we have run a transparent consultation period and will want to assure themselves that we have included everybody and responded to questions.

"I don't think we could have done any more.

"We have put up posters in schools, community centres, held meetings, been covered in the media - and at the request of someone at one of the public meetings we went to Aylesbury Mosque." If approved, it will become an academy next September, essential works will be carried out while its new home is built at Berryfields, Bicester Rd.

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