Update: GCSE pupils make the grade

Schools and colleges across the county saw students on their doorsteps from the early hours eager to tear open the envelopes containing their marks.

At Oxford's Cheney School in Cheney Lane, Headington, celebrations were under way as the school saw its best results ever with 56 per cent of students gaining five A* to C grades and 30 students achieving seven or more A* or A grades.

Top of the class were Hannah Sparrowhawk and Heather Wild, who both earned themselves nine A* grades and one A. Also achieving strings of A* and A grades were Johnnie Gray, Danielle Beechey, Alice Stott, Julia Peto and Kate Westbrook.

Headteacher Jolie Kirby said she was "absolutely delighted" with the results, saying: "These marks are a testimony to the hard work of the Year 11 students and an indication of the dedicated and committed teachers and parents."

At Matthew Arnold School, 71 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades which headteacher Katherine Ryan said she was delighted with. The overall pass rate was 99 per cent.

At Wheatley Park School, in Holton, near Wheatley, 57 per cent of pupils achieved five grades A* to C, which pleased headteacher Kate Curtis.

She said: "These are Wheatley Park's best results for six years and we are proud to see every young person achieving good results. We congratulate our staff and students on their achievements."

Student Anna Clements, 16, of Wheatley, said her results - eight A*s and one A - "had not sunk in yet".

She said: "I was terrified before picking up my results, I was actually shaking, but it's great to have done so well."

At Bicester Community College, Alexandra Smith took top honours, gaining 16 A* to C grades, thirteen of which were A* or A as well as an AS Level in maths and an A grade in AS sociology.

Miss Smith, of Meredith Close, Bicester, said: "I felt sick before getting my results. Despite being predicted these results I can't believe it."

She will now study A Levels in biology, chemistry, history and maths at the school's sixth form.

She was part of a record-breaking year with 52 per cent of pupils gaining five or more grades A* to C.

Headteacher Cynthia Bartlett said: "We are very pleased that so many students have achieved their potential and have gained grades which will enable them to take up a wide variety of A Level courses."

There were smiles all round at The Cooper School too. Candice Ashmore-Harris achieved eight A*s, two As and a B and said: "I am really pleased. I worked really hard to get these results. I was pretty confident I was going to do well."

Classmate Daniel Thomas gained two A*s, six As and three Bs which he hopes will eventually take him on to medical school after A Levels at Gosford Hill.

He said: "I am very happy and, to be honest, totally amazed that I have done so well.

English Literature was my worst subject and I got an A*. When I woke up this morning I wanted to go back to sleep as I didn't want to find out my results."

Emma Seward, from Gosford Hill School, Kidlington, is celebrating gaining nine A grades and one A star. She was one of 23 students who gained at least seven A grades.

Many other students have done well for example Adam Brightmore now leaves Gosford School and goes on to train to be an assistant sales executive with Jaguar at Cumnor.

Last week 96 per cent of the school's A-Level students gained a place at their first choice university.

After a record-breaking set of results last week at A Level, GCSE students at Bartholomew School in Eynsham, continued the trend with 77 per cent achieving five or more A* to C grades. Among the high achievers were Bethan Dalton, Elizabeth Hope and Isobel Pellow who all achieved 12 A* and A grades.

Headteacher Andrew Hamilton said the results were "truly a testament to the commitment and hard work of students and staff".

At Magdalen College School in Oxford, there was cause for celebration with ten boys achieving 10 or more A*s or As. Top of the class was Philip Davies, who achieved 11 A*s and a A grade in AS Level French.

French teacher Veronique Halls, wife of master Andrew Halls, was particularly delighted with her 20-strong class, 18 of whom all achieved top candidate awards, meaning they scored 95 per cent or higher in their papers.

At Abingdon School there was a record number of boys achieving A*s with Timothy Deeks taking the title of high flier. He earned 11 A*s plus an A at AS Level while Mark Heffernan gained 10 A*s as did Fergus McIntosh, who also achieved an A at AS Level.

Headteacher Mark Turner said: "We have seen an excellent set of record results matching our record A level results last week. Over three-quarters of the grades achieved are A* and As and the proportion of boys attaining 10 or more A grades stands at more than 30 per cent."

At Headington School, headteacher Anne Coutts said her pupils had "lived up to the high standards set by last week's A Level results". A total of 38 girls gained straight A*s or As.

She said: "The best thing about these results is they provide our girls with a strong springboard for the future."

At Oxford High School, deputy head Peter Secker was delighted to see 100 per cent of pupils achieve five A* to C grades and almost 93 per cent of results were at A* or A grade, which he said was a "tremendous accomplishment".

West Oxfordshire state schools are celebrating another good set of GCSE exam results to follow last week's A Levels.

Records are again being set - and in most cases they will result in record numbers of students going on into the sixth forms in September.

Witney's Wood Green School headteacher Cynthia Savage was celebrating a "best ever" with 12 students gaining straight A and A*s in all subjects, including star performer Wayne Goodall, with 11 A*s.

She said: "We are absolutely delighted. This year's students have worked really hard and thoroughly deserve their success."

Top results were also achieved by: Rowan Brackston, Caitlin Cooper, Jasmine Cousins, Kate Grant, Rosie Harrison, Gemma Jenkins, Joanna Leach, David Selby, Eleanor Shelley, Jessica Warner and Alice Williams.

At the town's Henry Box School 229 students sat the exams and 60 per cent of them gained top A* to C grades. Head Rod Walker said: "It was not a record year for us, but next year there will be a record number going into the sixth form on the back of these results."

At Chipping Norton the GCSE results followed hard on the heels of exceptional A levels when three students Emily Parker, Stefan Liberadzki and Louise Nixey all achieved their dreams of securing places at Cambridge University.

The head Simon Duffy said: "Our results will put the school very much in the limelight as far as league tables are concerned."

At GCSE total of 188 students chalked up 99.5 per cent pass rate, while in the top category A* to C grades the rate was 70 per cent, the best ever.

Mr Duffy added: "The figure, including English and Maths, is outstanding and is exactly what we want to see. These are vitally important core subjects."

At Bartholomew School, Eynsham, 16-year-old Bethan Dalton couldn't sleep the night before for worry, but she need not have worried, picking up seven A*s and five As. Lizzie Hope had similar results and said: "I put in a lot of hard work but didn't really expect to do so well."

Other top performers were: Isobel Pellow, Benjamin Norton, Samuel Pan, Sophie Lanning, William Lawn, Hannah Lovelock, Hayley Ainsley, Ross Purple, David Ray, Emma Whelan, Nadia Wood and Paul Young.

Head Andrew Hamilton said: "These record-breaking results continue to improve upon the excellent results of the last five years."

Twins Nadia and Freya Dale-Holcome took home a total of 20 A* and A grades between them, which must be some kind of record. The duo were star performers at Woodstock's Marlborough School.

Head Julie Fenn said: "The results are down on the exceptional results that we have enjoyed for the past two years, but it is inevitable they will vary slightly from year to year, even with a trend of overall improvement."

Another star student was Hermione Taylor with nine A* grades. Ms Fenn added it was "a significant achievement" for 98 per cent to achieve five or more passes.

Julie Tridgell, head at Carterton Community College, said she was "thrilled" by the results - 99 per cent of the148 students who took exams gained five A* to G grades.

She added: "They have worked indredibly hard and should be very proud of their achievements. I hope they celebrate their well deserved success tonight."

Schools in Banbury have all said how pleased they were with this years GCSE results.

Catherine Weaver, headmistress of Blessed George Napier, said: "It's been so nice being surrounding by cheering teenagers. I'm really, really pleased with them."

Tudor Hall School saw all 37 its students sitting the GCSEs obtaining five A* to C grades.

Headmistress, Wendy Griffths, said: "Everyone has worked so hard and it's great to see that it has all been worth it."

While at Bloxham School, 96.1 per cent of the 67 students who sat the exams got five grade A* to C.

Mark Allbrook, headmaster, said: "We are very pleased with the results. The one I'm most pleased with is our A* and A results, where 47.1 per cent of students received five or more."

At King Alfred's in Wantage, 67 per cent of students achieved grades A* to C to take a new record.

Principal Nick Young said: "These are record results for King Alfred's and show a five per cent improvement on last year.

"Congratulations to all our students and their teachers. We are very ambitious and our aim is to up this to 80 per cent in the coming years."

In Didcot, pupils at St Birinus School exceeded expectations with 51 per cent of pupils gaining five or more A* to C grades.

Headteacher Chris Bryan said: "This is a tremendous tribute to the hard work, determination and commitment demonstrated by our students together with the support they have had from their teachers and parents."

Star pupil James Reid was delighted to discover he had passed with an impressive 10 A*s and two A grades.

Fellow students Joe Turner and John Salmons also achieved ten A* or A grades. Mr Turner, who plans to do A-levels in music, English, French and history, said: "I'm pretty happy. I was a bit surprised about some of my marks because I thought I'd messed them up a bit."

There weren't so many smiles at neighbouring Didcot Girls' School where some pupils were disappointed, despite ten girls achieving 12 A* and A grades.

Headteacher Paula Taylor-Moore said: "The results are not as good as they should be. We achieved 58 per cent A* to C when we should have got 70 per cent.

"But there are some lovely individual successes. Our maths results were brilliant but we were disappointed with science.

"The girls who we thought would do well weren't as successful, but the weaker girls got the grades they wanted."

At Wallingford School, 62 per cent of pupils achieved grades A* to C. Headteacher Wyll Willis said: "These results are very pleasing for us. They show that the improved discipline in the school aimed at letting teachers teach and youngsters learn without disruption has proved positive.

"All the students and staff deserve praise for the way they have worked and achieved this year. Click here for our GCSE table