We're celebrating some of our best ever results

STUDENTS from across North Somerset are celebrating some of the best A-level results the district has seen.

At Gordano School, Portishead, students produced yet another outstanding set of results, with a record 18 students achieving at least three A grades.

More than three quarters of all the grades achieved this year were A*-C with a pass rate of 77 per cent and for the eighth consecutive year the pass rate at A-E grades was over 99 per cent.

This year the school saw its biggest sixth form ever with 405 students studying for exams.

Top performers at the school included Daniel Wilson, James Douglas and Alex Mildon, all who gained a clutch of A* and A grades.

Daniel, 18, from Portishead, was the school's top performing student, getting A* grades in biology, chemistry, physics and maths and an A in further maths. He is off to Oxford University to study physics.

Alex Mildon achieved A* grades in maths, further maths and chemistry, and an A in physics, and is off to read chemistry at Bath University.

Alex, 18, of Portishead, said: "I did better than I thought I was going to do and the exams were challenging."

His mum Sam, 45, said: "He originally wanted to study architecture, but his little sister Bella, who is four, suffers with autism and he said he wants to work in pharmaceuticals or research to develop drugs to help children like Bella. He has combined his studies with helping care for Bella and working every weekend – I think he is amazing."

Fellow Gordano School student James Douglas achieved A* grades in Spanish, chemistry and biology, and an A in maths. He will study medicine at Bristol University.

At St Katherine's School, Pill it was a bittersweet day for twins Charlie and Harriette Moore, both 18, from Sea Mills. The girls, who spend most of their time together, were among the school's top performers but will now be attending different universities to continue their studies.

Charlie gained two distinction stars in sport and a merit in performing arts. Harriette got two distinction stars in sport and a distinction star in performing arts and is off to Aberystwyth University to study drama and education while Charlie heads to Brighton to study podiatry.

Harriette said: "We are very close and spend a lot of our time together, but being apart will give us a chance to create our own identities."

Overall the school posted a 97.3 per cent pass rate for grades A-E and all but three students got their preferred university place. The pass rate for A*-C grades was 63.4 per cent and the sixth form has 62 students on roll.

Head teacher, Stephanie Quayle, who is leaving at the end of August, said: "I am so delighted with these results."

Backwell School with its 370-strong sixth form saw more than 150 young people queue early on Thursday morning outside the sixth form block to collect their results.

The school's pass rate was 76.1 per cent for A* to C and 97.5 per cent for A-E grades, with quarter of students getting an A* or A grade and 20 students gaining at least three A* or A grades. The 1,700-pupil school which gained an 'outstanding' rating in its last Ofsted saw many worthy performances.

Head boy Matt John got four A* grades plus a distinction in the advanced extension award and is going to read maths at Cambridge. Matt will be joined by fellow students Sarah Hill who got four A*s and Adam Mason with three A*s and one A. Adam, who is studying engineering, got an A* in maths, further maths and physics and an A in chemistry.

The 18-year-old said: "I'm pretty chuffed – my results were a surprise especially maths as I didn't think I had done that well but I had."

Head Julian Baldwin said: "We are proud not just of those who have achieved the highest grades, but of the very large number of students who, after much hard work, have achieved their very best."

At Nailsea School 75 per cent of students achieved A*-C grades with eight per cent of the 240 strong sixth form achieving three or more A or A* grades, while the overall pass rate for grades A-E was 98.4 per cent.

A top performers was Sammy Ford who gained five A* grades in maths, further maths, biology, chemistry and physics and is going to read maths at Balliol College, Oxford.

She said: "I can't believe it, I am really grateful to my teachers and everyone who helped me."

Head of sixth form Jon Reddiford said: "These are outstanding results from a lovely group of young people. "

At Clevedon Community School there were cheers of celebration as students went to collect results.

The school posted an overall pass rate for grades A-E of 96 per cent with more than 40 per cent of students securing grades between A* and B.

Top results were gained by 18-year-old students Laura Jones, Georgia Longstaff, Anna Coleman and Josie Vickers who achieved results that were all A or A* grades.

Head teacher, John Wells, said: "This is a superb set of results with students exceeding predictions at all grade boundaries."

Churchill Academy sixth form saw its overall pass rate for A-E at 99.4 per cent – up on last year. The academy posted a pass rate of A*-C grades of 82 per cent and 54 per cent of students got A* to B grades.

Top performer was James Rudge, 18, with four A* grades in economics, French, history and maths who plans to study economics at Warwick University.

Weston College saw some of its most outstanding results in years with a 99.8 per cent pass rate for A-E grades and 80 per cent of students achieving A*-C and 50 per cent gaining A*-B grades.

High fliers included Tom Stephen, 18, of Grove Road, Weston, who gained A* grades in maths and biology and an A in chemistry and is now off to Loughborough to study chemical engineering.

He said: "I worked very hard and I'm delighted. Weston College has been a terrific place to study."

At Sidcot School, sixth formers achieved outstanding results in A level and International Baccalaureate examinations. At a level 50 per cent of grades awarded were A* and A with 26 per cent of students achieving A* and A grades while 89 per cent gained grades A*-C and the overall pass rate for A-E was 100 per cent.