One of England’s oldest schools has been recognised as one of the best in the country after scooping a top award for its sixth form curriculum.

Dartford Grammar School (DGS), a permanent fixture of the town since 1576, has been named International Baccalaureate (IB) School of the Year by the Sunday Times annual school guide, and ranked 17th among all schools nationwide.

Its IB programme, which replaced A-levels to become the only choice for its sixth formers in 2009, saw record results last summer and boasts almost 600 students.

Head teacher John Oakes said: “We’re obviously thrilled with the award. When the editor phoned up, he said it was based on our overall success at both GCSE and IB level.

“Our GCSE results and our IB results in the summer were the best we have ever achieved, but it’s not our results that give us the greatest satisfaction.”

Instead, Mr Oakes is most proud of the nature of the school’s curriculum, with the IB requiring students to study English, maths, and at least one science, language and humanity subject.

They must also write a 4,000 word extended essay, which is essentially a mini dissertation, and it all adds up to 45 points.

Last year’s DGS contingent averaged 35.9, the equivalent of four A grades at A-level, which put them in the top 10% of students who study the IB at 2,795 schools around the world. In the UK, 126 schools offer the IB.

The results also saw 70% of last summer’s Year 13s move on to Russell Group universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, London Imperial and Warwick.

Alastair McCall, the editor of the Sunday Times Schools Guide, said the results were testament to the quality of the education on offer.

He said: “Dartford Grammar has a far more diverse intake than many schools with a wholly academically selective intake.

“Many of the children who routinely go on to university from the school are the first in their families to do so and this year’s record-breaking examination results are testament to the quality of the education on offer here.”

“For the children from this area to be performing at the very top table is really quite significant" DGS Head John Oakes

Mr Oakes continued: “The reason I think this is important for Dartford and north Kent is that this is an area with many challenges — this is not Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks.

“For the children from this area to be performing at the very top table is really quite significant.”

Recently retired deputy head Robert Tibbott was instrumental in bringing the IB to DGS in 1996 and, despite other schools’ reluctance to adopt the diploma, is bullish about its benefits.

He said: “I would be delighted if we could open up another IB school here in Dartford. I believe in it that much. I think the whole Dartford community would benefit from that.”

Further talk of such plans are for another time, but the demand certainly seems to be there, with plenty of the school’s sixth formers joining after completing their GCSEs elsewhere.

Those at DGS from the age of 11, however, have the benefit of an international-centric curriculum straight away, with all Year 7 pupils required to study Chinese Mandarin or Japanese, and then pick up a European language in Year 8.

Founded at a time when locals likely did not even know that China and Japan existed, pupils studying at the school in its 440th year are now just as well prepared to work abroad as they are to work at home.

It may still be most famous for being Mick Jagger’s old school, and Adam Gemili is a more recent graduate, but no doubt current students are being given an even greater platform for their own success.