STUDENTS from across Mid Cheshire have been celebrating receiving their A-level results at Sir John Deane's College.

Around 590 Upper Sixth students received their A-level results and were left celebrating a crop of exceptional pass rates.

Principal Andrew Jones said: 'This has been an excellent group of students - they achieved good AS results last year and have gone on to convert these into an outstanding set of A-level results.

'Our students' successes reflect their own commitment and ability, but they also result from the care and guidance of teachers and parents, who will all be sharing in the jubilation of the day.'

Cheshire's only dedicated sixth form college has delivered outstanding results for many years - and this year is no exception. Early indications show it has achieved its highest ever point score per candidate.

'We anticipate that, when the national league tables are published, we will comfortably maintain the college's unbroken record of being placed in the top 10 sixth form colleges,' added Mr Jones.

College staff have good cause to be celebrating. More than 30 subjects obtained a 100% pass rate, with several more subjects achieving 98 or 99% passes.

Mark Allen, Claire Bagnall, Nigel Ellams, Frith Ellingham and Claire Mathews secured five Grade As, while Philip Atkinson, Jonathan Bedford, Felicity Davies and Naomi Hall got four apiece.

And a group of students achieved the top five marks in the country in specific subjects - Carly Grant (D&T: Product Design), Timothy Buckley (Business Studies), Felicity Davies (Art and Design - Fine Art), and Rebecca Woods (English Language).

The vast majority of this summer's leavers will go on to universities across the country, with others going straight into employment or taking a year out before going into higher education.

Paul Morris, 18, from Hartford, scored As in Chemistry, Biology, Maths and AS Physics and is off to Cambridge University to study Chemical Engineering. He said: 'I didn't think I would make it, thought I was going to get two As and a B, so I'm really chuffed.'

Clare Jackson, 18, of Davenham, got four As and said: 'I'm going to take a year out and then go to university.'

Praise for the teenagers who made the grade > > >

Praise for the teenagers who made the grade

SIXTH formers in Cheshire maintained the county's high standards of A and AS-level success this week.

The majority of schools achieved an average pass rate percentage in the upper 90s.

Provisional figures show that Cheshire students recorded an average points score of 733.14 - a rise on last year's 719.8.

And almost one fifth of entries - 19.7% - achieved an A grade, compared to 18.3% in 2005.

Cheshire County Council education spokesman David Rowlands said: 'Cheshire students consistently compared very well with national standards, and this year is no exception.

'A-levels are a testing experience and I applaud the outstanding achievement of students and the hard work of teaching staff.

'These results will set them in good standing for their future chosen university or career path.

'We do recognise that this may not be a day of celebration for everyone. We are here to offer support and guidance for those students whose results are not all they had hoped for.'

Pupils are record breakers

MORE new records were established at The Grange School where 61% of all A-level results came in at grade A.

The ground-breaking results saw an average points score awarded to each candidate equivalent to more than three A grades. Overall, more than 84% of all results awarded were at grades A or B.

Although no fewer than 43% of students gained at least three A grades, particularly impressive individual performances came from David Race, Rebecca Shaw, Stephen Mitchell, Deepika Reddy and Jessica Taylor, who each achieved five A-grade passes.

Headmaster Christopher Jeffery put the success down to exceptionally hard work by the students, the dedication and skill of their teachers, and the support and encouragement of their parents.

He added: 'Our students have once again achieved the results to complement their outstanding extra-curricular achievements, which together give them access to some of Britain's top university courses.

'It is exciting to see so many students of different abilities fulfilling - or even surpassing - their academic and personal potential.'

* Mid Cheshire sixth formers helped The Queen's School, Chester, celebrate a further improvement on the high standards achieved last year.

In academic subjects 78.9% of all results were an A or B grade and more than one third of all students scored at least three grade As - A 2% improvement on 2005.

Hitting the mark of success > > >

Hitting the mark of success

STAFF and students at St Nicholas RC High School are celebrating another year of outstanding examination results.

Gerard Boyle, headteacher, said: 'The students, supported by their parents and staff, have made us very proud by achieving excellent examination results.

'It has been particularly pleasing to see the significant achievements of many students who have made excellent progress since joining the Sixth Form who might not necessarily have achieved the highest grades.'

High flyers included top student Sara McCraight who is off to Cambridge to study after pocketing four A grades. Sara also scored one of the top five marks in the AQA Geography examination, which had 5,577 candidates entered.

Valentine Kozin achieved four A grades to fulfil his dream of studying at Oxford. Others with four passes at the top grade included Stephen Lawton and Lucy McGough followed by Sarah Boyle, Michael Bradley, Tom Campbell, Katie Droogan, Joseph Duffy, Megan McCourt, Kester Reid, Megan Renshaw and Helen Wood all of whom achieved a minimum of three A grades.