STUDENTS across Dorset and Hampshire are celebrating spectacular achievements following the release of A level and vocational study results.

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There were tears of joy as thousands of young people reaped the rewards of their hard work.

They were up early to collect results from schools and colleges and few were disappointed.

Many had been concerned that grades would be lower than usual due to changes in the A level exams.

This year saw an overhaul of the qualifications, with the first grades awarded in 13 subjects that have been reformed, with a move away from coursework and modular exams throughout the course, making them more challenging for students.

But students’ fears were unfounded as the proportion of exams awarded the top grade of A* rose for the first time in six years and 26.3 per cent of all A level entries scored A* or A.

Locally hundreds of students earned places at top universities with Bournemouth School seeing eight of its boys gain Oxbridge places and six leaving to study medicine.

High-flying students at grammar schools in the area chose not to go to university but won prestigious scholarships with some of the UK’s top companies.

A staggering 71 per cent of all A levels taken at Bournemouth School for Girls received A*-B grades.

At BOURNEMOUTH SCHOOL, 80 per cent of all entries were graded A*-C, with almost a quarter of the cohort attaining at least three A levels at grade A* or A. A third of entries were awarded the top A*/A grades.

BOURNEMOUTH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS: Headteacher Alistair Brien said: “The results achieved are amongst our very best ever with 71 per cent of exams passed at A*-B. A total of 71 students got two or more A grades and 42 girls got three or more As and A*s.”

ST EDWARD’S SCHOOL had a record number of students achieving three level 3 qualifications.

PARKSTONE GRAMMAR, saw 75 per cent of all grades at A* - B and 92 per cent at A*-C. Over 15 per cent of all grades were at the highest A* grade. The A* - E pass rate was an exceptional 99.8 per cent.

At TWYNHAM SCHOOL in Christchurch 40 students gained at least three A grades at A-level.

At BOURNEMOUTH COLLEGIATE SCHOOL just over three-quarters of students achieved grades A*-C. More than 90 percent will go to their university of choice.

Head of THE BOURNE ACADEMY, Mark Avoth, said: “We are all thrilled with our results. They build on the successes of the last two years and we are immensely proud of our students.”

POOLE Grammar School saw 59.39 per cent of grades at A*/A/B. The pass rate this year was 97.82 per cent.

POOLE HIGH SCHOOL achieved an incredible 50 per cent A*-B grades. They also saw an increase of 13.5 per cent of students achieving grades A*-A.

QUEEN ELIZABETH’S SCHOOL Sixth Form has seen a record year with 53 per cent of students gaining the top grades and an overall pass rate of 99 per cent. Almost a third of the results obtained by students were at A*-A.

MAGNA ACADEMY said 36 per cent of entries were A*-A or equivalent and 42 per cent at A*-B or equivalent. All BTEC Level 3 qualifications were at the highest possible grade of Distinction*.

CORFE HILLS students are celebrating a record set of A-level results. While the overall pass rate remains at 98 per cent, a record number of students (40 per cent) have achieved the benchmark of 3 A level qualifications at A* to C grade.

At BROCKENHURST COLLEGE, more than 600 students received their results with an overall pass rate of 97.5 per cent. 45 per cent of students gained A*-B grades, with almost three quarters achieving A*-C grades across all their subjects.

RINGWOOD School saw 49 per cent of students achieve grades A*/A/B and 81 per cent achieve A*-C grades at A-Level.

OAK ACADEMY has seen increases across the board in this year’s A-level results, with every student who applied securing a university place. The A-level and vocational combined average grade is a C, up from a low D last year.

The ARNEWOOD SCHOOL in New Milton is celebrating another successful year of A-level results – with every one of its students passing. More than one in five students (21 per cent) achieved A* to As across the board and more than half (52 per cent) got A* to B.

At LeAF STUDIO, the average grade achieved by all LeAF students at C+ and 100 per cent of all grades were A* to E.

At HIGHCLIFFE SCHOOL, almost a third of the individual grades achieved by the students were A*/A/Distinction*/Distinction grades, while over half of all grades were between A* and B or equivalent. Nearly 80 per cent of all grades were strong passes.

At TALBOT HEATH School in Bournemouth 75 per cent of all exams taken received grades of A*-B.

LYTCHETT MINSTER SCHOOL is celebrating an overall A level pass rate this year was 97%, with 71% of exams graded A*-C and 41% A*-B.

THE PURBECK SCHOOL students have posted impressive results with 48 per cent of the A level grades awarded being an A*/A or B.

For more detail about each school’s results, click here and see a special 12-page supplement in Saturday’s Daily Echo.