STUDENTS celebrated the end of school this morning as the class of 2023 received their much-anticipated A-Level results.
Pupils across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole dragged themselves out of bed early as they went to their colleges and sixth forms to collect their results.
At Bournemouth School for Girls, successful Paige Palmer was celebrating her results with an amazing two A*s and an A and will be off to Southampton University to study medicine.
Smiling, she said: “I’m really, really happy with my results, me and my mum were very worried this morning but when we got the results I think she was screaming more than I was. 
“It has been a long journey to get here, it was a long application process with UCAS and writing personal statements but I’m glad to have got in – although I’m a little nervous to move away.”
Charlotte Heisley celebrated achieving two Bs and a C and will be staying in her hometown to attend Bournemouth University in September to studying marketing business.
Meanwhile, her friend Abigail Heasman will be off to Durham University to study geography after her A*BC. She said she would love to be a weather presenter in the future.
Meanwhile, at Talbot Heath School, Luc Fawcett, who bagged an A* in GCSE maths aged 10, will be studying classics at the University of Warwick, which includes subjects such as Latin and ancient Greek.
He said: “I’ve been studying Latin since I was in year 8, but the course is so much more than that and I’m so excited.”
Over at Bourne Academy in East Howe, Sophie Robson excelled in her music exams and will be going to Goldsmiths University of London to study music.
She said: “This school has really worked with me on my passion and it has a fantastic music department all the way from year 7 until now.
“I’ve been doing music and got a distinction*, A and B which was really great. I also do history and English and got an A and a B which I am really happy about, too.
“It’s really great that I’ve got into Goldsmiths, I’m really happy.”
Ryan Cowan will be off to the Royal Veterinary College in London in September – a first for Bourne Academy.
He said: “I’ve always wanted to be a vet and when I went round to all the unis, the one in London was perfect and looked amazing and they said it’s one of the best unis in the world.
Oliwier Staszewski, of Avonbourne Girls’ Academy, will be studying Geography at the University of Southampton and said: “I'm delighted with how results day has turned out.
“The last seven years have seen lots of positive changes at Avonbourne, and without the help of the dedicated staff at the school I wouldn't have achieved my place at the University of Southampton.”
Bournemouth School said, overall, the grades achieved were comparable to those before the Covid pandemic.
Amir Shamsuddin was the highest achieving student, with 3A*s and one A at A level and an A grade in AS Further Mathematics.
Among the other high achievers were Daniel Haywood and Angus Manning who both attained three A*s and one A.
Oliver Hancock’s efforts were rewarded with three A*s, and Ramis Bhatty, Georgios Mitsios, and Connor Stevens all attained two A*s and two As.
Nationally, the proportion of pupils receiving top grades has fallen from last year but remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 27.2 per cent of entries were awarded either an A or A*, down from 36.4 per cent in 2022 but up from 25.4 per cent in 2019.
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