Joy over GCSE results

The sound of delighted cheers rang around schools throughout Sussex yesterday.

After waiting for weeks to find out how they had performed in their final GCSE exams, many 16-year-olds across the county were pleasantly surprised when the results were finally published.

They were among more than 600,000 teenagers across Britain finding out their grades yesterday and part of a group which broke last year's record achievements.

Nationally, the proportion of subject entries which were graded A* to C rose from 62.4 per cent to 63.3 per cent.

Schools across Sussex said their results had improved from last year, with more pupils reaching the standard pass rates and more earning higher grades as well.

Most of the pupils will now progress to Sussex's sixth forms and colleges to take both academic and vocational courses.

At schools in Brighton and Hove and across Sussex teenagers could be seen giving each other congratulatory hugs. For others the relief and sense of achievement was too much and they burst into tears of happiness when they saw their results.

Many made excited phone calls to friends and relatives to share their news.

Thousands more stayed away from schools taking advantage of the fact that several exam boards had made results available online for the first time.

Hamish Auld, a pupil from Eastbourne College in Old Wish Road, Eastbourne, discovered he had earned 14 straight A*s, believed to be the best ever results in the county.

His classmate Iona Maxwell followed closely after him with 13 A*s, the same amount her sister had scored a year earlier. Four others at the independent school registered more than 10 A*s.

In Brighton a real-life Billy Elliot, who juggled his studies with ballet, emerged as his school's top performing pupil. Brighton College student Daniel Chard gained 11 A*s. The 16-year-old, from Findon, near Worthing, spends three hours a week practising ballet and hopes to become a professional dancer.

He said: "For me ballet is a natural passion which I feel happy doing.

"It has been difficult juggling dance with my studies but fortunately it has all paid off.

I'm still trying to take it all in."

He scored top grades in biology, chemistry, dance, English language, English literature, French, German, maths, music, physics and Spanish and will now study A-levels in music, dance, English, French and German at the college.

State schools presented their results in a new format for the first time. This year they gave pass rates as the percentage of their pupils gaining passes in five or more subjects, which must include English and maths, at grades A* to C.

Dorothy Stringer School in Loder Road had the best results of Brighton and Hove's nine state secondary schools. It improved its rate from 59 per cent last year to 62 per cent this year. Star pupils Grace Gerlinger, Megan Farrar-Daniel, Holly Maguire and Chloe Tomlinson all made significant contributions, each earning more than eight A* grades.

Students at Hove Park School in Nevill Road, Hove, collected their results from the school at 11am yesterday and were celebrating outside the buildings.

Ben Garden, 16, from Hangleton, earned four A*s and five As and will now move on to Brighton, Hove and Sussex VI Form College (BHASVIC) to study A-levels in politics, history and human biology.

He said: "I'm really surprised. I wasn't expecting to get this at all. I've put in two years of hard work for this and it feels really good now."

His classmates Calum Bridson, Jin Rui and Zachary Kenton all got more than six A*s.

Lewis Batchelor, 16, from Portslade, was also celebrating after gaining one A*.

He said: "I got an A* in RE. Maybe I'll become a priest now."

Hove Park's rate was 35 per cent, the same as last year.

At Patcham High School in Ladies Mile Road, the rate had improved from 22 per cent to 24 per cent.

Headteacher Paula Sargent said the school had some concerns about the way one set of English language exams had been marked and would be contesting them.

She said if the challenge was successful Patcham's results were likely to improve further.

Dan Riley, 16, from Hollingbury, was ecstatic after getting nine passes, enough for a place on a mechanics course at City College Brighton and Hove.

He said: "It was hard work. I did a lot of revision and I think it has paid off. My exam results were better than I was expecting."

Classmate Kasia Symons, 16, from Patcham, was in tears after discovering she had also earned nine passes.

She said: "That is really amazing. I've been really nervous, counting down the days and it feels great now."

She will be moving to Varndean College next month to start A-levels in English language, English literature, politics and history.

The most improved rate in the city was at Falmer High School, where 24 per cent of pupils gained five passes at A* to C, including English and maths, up from 17 per cent last year.

Headteacher Stuart McLaughlin said his staff were really pleased with the results.

There were also increases at Varndean in Balfour Road, from 45 per cent to 50 per cent, Portslade Community College in Chalky Road, Portslade, from 30 per cent to 33 per cent and at Cardinal Newman Catholic School in the Upper Drive, Hove, from 58 per cent to 59 per cent.

Cardinal Newman also had the city's best overall pass rate, with 76 per cent of pupils gaining five A* to C grades in all subjects. Headteacher Peter Evans said he was delighted with the results and was pleased that 220 of the 340 pupils would be staying on at the school's sixth form.

At Longhill High School in Falmer Road, Rottingdean, the rate including English and maths remained at 37 per cent, the same as last year, and at Blatchington Mill School in Nevill Avenue, Hove, it fell from 57 per cent to 54 per cent.

Pupils at Worthing High School in South Down Road, Worthing, were celebrating after registering its best ever grades. Two students, Daniel Parker and Mark Austin, earned nine A*s each.

West Sussex County Council said a significant number of schools in the area had achieved a good improvement in their results.

East Sussex County Council said it was still collati n g statistics last night but early indications showed schools in the county had improved their pass rates by the biggest margin ever.

Willingdon Community School, near Eastbourne, was singled out for praise after improving its rate of passes at A* to C by almost 15 per cent.

Independent schools across the county broke more records.

At Burgess Hill School for Girls in Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, 16-year-old Holly Miller, from Haywards Heath, was celebrating after receiving letters to tell her she had registered one of the top five marks in the country for both French and Spanish. She earned eight A* grades and two As.

She said: "I'm delighted and quite relieved as well. I've been waiting all summer for this."

Her schoolmate Sophie Brammer, 16, from Haywards Heath, was the school's top performer with 11 A* grades.

She said: "I feel amazing. I can't actually believe it. I was hoping for As and A*s but this is great."

GCSE results have been the subject of a national debate about whether they have become easier in recent years. Last week Alevels came under the same scrutiny after they improved for the 25th year running.

How your school fared
STATE SCHOOLS
Percentage of pupils passing five subjects, including English and maths, with grades A* to C, with figures from last year in brackets.

Brighton and Hove
Blatchington Mill School 54 (57)
Cardinal Newman Catholic School 59 (58)
Dorothy Stringer School 62 (59)
Falmer High School 24 (17)
Hove Park School 35 (35)
Longhill High School 37 (37)
Patcham High School 24 (22)
Portslade Community College 33 (30)
Varndean School 50 (45)
Selected results from Sussex (percentage of students earning five or more passes at grades A* to C)
Durrington High, Worthing 53
Ringmer Community College, near Lewes 62
Steyning Grammar 73
St Paul's Catholic College, Burgess Hill 83
Weald School, Billingshurst 73
Worthing High 65
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Percentage of entries passed with A or A* grades
Ardingly College, Haywards Heath 51
Burgess Hill High School for Girls 76
Christ's Hospital, Horsham 69
Eastbourne College 61
Hurstpierpoint, near Hassocks 56
Newlands, Seaford 78*
Our Lady Of Sion, Worthing 33
Roedean, Brighton 71
St Bede's, Hailsham 32
St Mary's Hall, Brighton 44
St Leonard's-Mayfield 65
Worth School, East Grinstead 48
*per cent of candidates earning five or more A* to C grades

• In a poll at www.theargus.co.uk, 64 per cent of readers said they thought A-levels had become easier and 25 per cent thought they had not. Eleven per cent said they did not know.