After two years of hard work and weeks of nervous waiting, thousands of A-level students across Sussex finally found out how they had got on yesterday when this year's results were published. It was a day of celebration and joy for many of them as they found out they were part of the most successful year group ever.

Andy Chiles reports.

Yesterday's weather seemed to match the mood.

After days of heavy rain there was bright sunshine to greet the thousands of sixthformers collecting their A-level results.

After waiting nervously for weeks - that for some felt like years - many of the teenagers spent the day celebrating as they found out their results were as good as they had hoped for - and better for many.

They can now enjoy looking forward to taking places at the universities of their choice or heading off travelling on gap years.

There were tears of joy, screams of delight and hugs for families and friends at schools and colleges across Sussex as the sixth-formers found out their grades.

Many reached straight for mobile phones to call their loved ones and share the news.

For some, though, there were tears of disappointment and consolatory hugs as their results fell short of what they hoped for or needed.

For them there was the prospect of days of uncertainty reassessing their options or entering the university clearing process.

Headteachers throughout Sussex were delighted with the overall results, the best ever for most of them.

The national pass rate rose for the 25th year in a row, with 96.9 per cent of subjects passed with grades A to E, compared with 96.6 per cent last year.

More than a quarter - 25.3 per cent - of all entries were passed with A grades, up from 24.1 per cent in 2006.

Many students were also collecting results from AS-levels and extension exams designed to test the highest achievers.

At Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College in Dyke Road, Hove, students rushed into the main hall at 9am to collect their results envelopes.

There were loud cheers as some were happily surprised with their grades.

Emily Tilden-Smith, 18, from Ovingdean, Brighton, discovered she had earned five A grades in law, politics, history, geography and sociology.

Emily, who will now study law at Warwick University, said: "I'm speechless. I thought I'd do well but I never expected this.

It's fantastic."

Her friend Katie Dwyer, 18, from Hove, learnt that her score in business studies was among the top five in the country.

Katie, who got three As and a B grade, said: "I'm a bit shocked.

I got full marks in the AS-level exam last year but this is great."

She will now take a degree in business studies at Bath University.

Joseph Jenner, 18, of Albion Hill, Brighton, said he could hardly sleep the night before collecting his results, which turned out to be four straight As.

He said: "I had a nightmare where I collected my results and they were all Ds. I couldn't sleep after that. This is just fantastic."

There was an impressive result for 17-year-old Ka Sing. He took A-level maths a year early and found he had been awarded an A grade.

He said: "I'm delighted. I'm from China, so I think that helps.

You learn more maths earlier in China."

The college said its pupils had passed 98.1 per cent of all the exams they sat, compared with 97.4 per cent last year.

Varndean College, in Surrenden Road, Brighton, had the same pass rate, matching its score in 2006.

Twelve of its pupils won places at Oxford or Cambridge.

It had a 100 per cent pass rate in 28 subjects and 39 pupils achieved straight As in three or more subjects.

Brighton College registered the best results of the independent schools in Sussex. More than 87 per cent of all grades awarded to its pupils were As or Bs, an increase from 77 per cent last year.

One student, Alex Sobolev, 18, from Withdean, Brighton, had one of the best sets of results in the country with seven A grades.

He followed in the footsteps of his sister, Anna Sobolev, who had done the same nine years earlier.

Alex said: "I am thrilled."

Twins Jenny and Lisa Pickett, 18, from Haywards Heath, had mixed emotions. Jenny was overjoyed at getting into Exeter University to read maths and Spanish, with As in maths and Spanish and a B in history.

But there were tears for Lisa who was rejected by Nottingham University after she dropped a grade in English, which she had hoped to study. She still managed an A in biology and Bs in history and English. Nottingham later offered her a place to study American studies instead.

Girls at Roedean School in Brighton achieved a pass rate of 78.6 per cent graded A or B, while at Brighton and Hove High School for Girls, in Denmark Terrace, Brighton, the rate was 81 per cent.

Brighton and Hove High headteacher Ann Greatorex said: "We are bucking the national trend.

A significant proportion of our students are going on to read mathematics and science and engineering at university."Lancing College also had record results, with 85.6 per cent of its students' grades at A or B.

The rate at St Mary's Hall girls' school in Eastern Road, Brighton, was 52 per cent.

Headmistress Sue Meek said "These very pleasing results reflect a great deal of hard work both from our students and our dedicated teachers."

Sixth-formers flocked to Central Sussex College in Haywards Heath to collect their results at 10.30am, although many had already checked whether they had got into university on the UCAS website.

Alex Van Slageren, 18, from Lindfield, was delighted to discover she had three As in biology, chemistry and physics. She will now be heading to Bath University to study pharmacy.

She said: "I'm absolutely over the moon. I have worked so hard for this."

Colette Brown, 18, from Cuckfield, got four As in English literature, politics, law and history and a letter telling her that her English score was one of the five best nationally. She will be going to Bristol University to study English. She said: "I just can't believe it. Everyone said I would do well but I didn't think it would be this good."

Despite their success, the sixth-formers have had to endure the regular accusations that A-levels have become easier. Critics say the exams no longer show which students are the most intelligent.

In response to the criticism a new A* grade will be introduced to A-levels from next year for pupils who score at least 90 per cent of the marks in their exams.

Selected results from around Sussex (percentage of passes at grades A and B)
Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, Hove 56
Central Sussex College,
Haywards Heath 51.4
Varndean College,
Brighton 50
The Weald, Billingshurst 50
Worthing College 45.4
Angmering School, Littlehampton 35
Cardinal Newman Catholic School, Hove 75 (A to C)
Independent schools (percentage of passes at grades A and B)
Brighton College 87.5
Lancing College 85.6
Burgess Hill High School for girls 82
Brighton and Hove High School for girls 82
Eastbourne College 80
Roedean, Brighton 79
St. Leonards-Mayfield 79
Christ's Hospital, Horsham 78
Worth School, East Grinstead 78
Hurstpierpoint College, Hassocks 69
Ardingly College, Haywards Heath 66
Our Lady of Sion, Worthing 65
St Mary's Hall, Brighton 52
Newlands, Seaford 50
Steyning Grammar 50