A college is celebrating a record-breaking year for the number of students who have gained a place at the country’s most prestigious universities.

The students from Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) in Hove have gained their places at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

This year’s cohort eclipsed the previous record set in 2011 when 25 students were accepted to study at Oxbridge.

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Dillan Saunders, one of BHASVIC’s 34 students who have made the grade, said: "Receiving my offer from Cambridge University was an incredible moment which I will never forget.

“I am the first person in my family to go to university, so we are all delighted.

“I feel really spurred on to study harder and look forward to a future career in science."

Success rates coincide with the introduction of a new tutor group system this year, specifically to support Oxbridge candidates and for students applying for medical and veterinary university courses.

Ellen Birch, who has a place to study languages at King’s College, Cambridge University, said: “The support I have received at BHASVIC has been fantastic as without that encouragement I would not have been confident enough to apply.

“I find it amazing to think I've been given the opportunity to study at King's College.”

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Meanwhile, former Blatchington Mill student Isabel Lowe-Zinola has secured a place to study modern and medieval languages at Newnham College in Cambridge.

She said: “Applying to Cambridge was an exciting but undoubtedly daunting experience.

“Of course, being given an offer to study my favourite subject at a beautiful and renowned university made it all worth it.

“The support provided by BHASVIC, including meetings, visits from admissions tutors and interview practice, made the whole process much simpler and easier than it may otherwise have been and I am very grateful for it.”

The other students offered places are Lara Busby, Jane Grant, Oliver Pickard, Jack Hoyle, Harry Roberts, Henry Nurick, Joe Powell, George Siddens, George Moore, Ellie Love, Tom Hughes, Edmund MacKeith, Michael Palmer, Adela Grant-Ryle, Ellie Bishop, Tula Geliot, Natasha Michael, Rob Day, Joe Issacs, Cleodie Rickard, Tim Henshall, Edward Conway, Richard Johnson, Ana Groom, Prashan Vicneswaran, Frances Livesey, Joseph O’Neill, Bethan Davies, Dan Gunn, Robert Hyder-Wilson and Richard Johnson.

Headteacher Chris Thomson said: “Our Oxbridge students have done outstandingly well this year.

“I am immensely proud of them, the teachers who have directly supported and encouraged them and all our students, teachers and support staff who work hard to create a community of learning of which we are all proud.”