Gallery: Delighted Essex students collect A-level grades

Many are finding out this morning whether they have got the grades they need for their top choice courses or if they will have tom make some last minute decisions about the next stage of their education.

At Clacton County High School, 159 pupils sat A-levels with a pass rate of 82% for A*-C.

There was a pass rate of 99.7% from A*-E.

Headteacher Jeff Brindle said: “Once again the results in the sixth form have surpassed all expectations.

“For the third year running we have seen exceptional achievement across the board and these are the best ever results for the school.”

At Clacton Coastal Academy 99% of students achieved grades A*-E with 31% gaining A*-B.

A total of 102 pupils sat A-levels with 49% achieving grades A*-C.

Executive principal Stephen Chamberlain said: “These results are a reflection on the hard work and effort invested by students, staff and parents alike and really highlights the significant impact the Academy is having on the quality of education for young people within Clacton.

“We are very proud of the rise in standards at CCA in a year where A-level results nationally have remained static.”

Pupils and staff at Colchester Royal Grammar School are jumping for joy after scoring 99% at grades A*-C.

A total of 167 students sat their A-levels achieving a 100% pass rate from A*-E and 523 A* and A grades.

Headmaster Ken Jenkinson said: “This year’s students have done phenomenally well and are to be congratulated on their achievements.

“Not only have they met their high academic targets but have also contributed significantly to the wider life of the school.

“Music, sport, drama and other extracurricular activities have flourished under their leadership.

“I wish all the students well in their university courses which they can now embark upon with confidence and enthusiasm.”

Colchester Sixth Form College has achieved above national average A-level results with a 98.5% A*-E pass rate with 77% earning A*-C grades.

All students passed in 27 of the college’s A-level subjects including art, English literature, French, geography and Spanish.

Principal Ian MacNaughton described the results as “really fantastic”.

He added: “The students’ achievements are quite outstanding and they must be very warmly congratulated.”

Star pupils included James Cowgill, who achieved four A*s and one A grade, and will be studing computing at the University of York in September, while Lily Staff, who was awarded six grades at A* and A, will be studying for a degree in theology at Cambridge.

Tendring Technology College, which had 127 pupils sitting A -levels, also hit above the national average for their results with 99% achieving A*-E grades and 80% of pupils earning A*-C grades today.

Principal Caroline Haynes said: “These are brilliant results across the board. I’m delighted for all our students who have made exceptional progress at TTC. In many cases our students have done even better than we expected. It’s great to see young people creating a really bright future for themselves, whether at university or in employment.”

Hedingham School is celebrating its best ever set of A-level results with 74% gaining A*-C grades and a 100% A*-E pass rate.

Headteacher John Panayi said: “We are very pleased to achieve a 100% pass rate at A-level.

“This is the first time the school has achieved this which clearly reflects the hard work that the students have undertaken with their teachers, and the support given to them by their parents. “We wish the students leaving the sixth form every success in the future.”

The school’s art department was credited for gaining six A* and four A grades.

Philip Morant College is delighted with this year’s A-level results which saw 64.5% of pupils achieve A*-C grades and 97% achieve A*-E grades.

Headteacher Roger Abo Henriksen said; “We work very closely with our students and build excellent relationships over the two years they spend in the College, so to see the culmination of all of that effort is very gratifying. It’s great that this year’s students have done so well. We’ll miss them, but I know they are going off to do all manner of exciting things, in which they will undoubtedly be very successful.”

In Brightlingsea, pupils at Colne Community School and College are celebrating an “outstanding” set of results.

A-level students achieved an A*-E pass rate of 97% with exceptional results in PE.

Executive principal Nardeep Sharma said: “I am delighted all the Colne College students’ and teachers’ hard work has culminated in a successful group of results.

“The College is growing and the results reflect its vibrant nature.”

Maltings and New Rickstones Academies’ joint sixth form in Witham had reason to celebrate today with an overal A-level pass rate of 98%.

Thirty-four students scored 19% A* and A grades, 35% A*-Bs and enjoyed 70% A*-C.

Daren White, director of the joint sixth form for the two academies, said: “We believe in setting challenging target grades for our students to ensure that they are stretched to achieve of their best.

“The Level 3 qualifications gained reflect the effort put in by both the staff and students during the academic year.”

While Trenica King, headteacher at New Rickstones Academy, and John Szynal, principal at Maltings Academy, added: “We would like to congratulate all the students who have done so well. We are sure that their parents, like us, are very proud of their achievements.”

Colchester County High School for Girls achieved an outstanding set of results with 100% of all 112 pupils sitting the exams achieving A*-E grades and 99% achieving A*-C grades.

Eleanor Archer attained the best set of results at the school with six A*s.

Headteacher, Gillian Marshall, said: “We are extremely proud of the students.”

At Felsted School pupils were celebrating another set of top results. Out of 90 students, 82% achieved A*-C grades and 99% achieved A*-E grades.

Their top performer was Rina Ahn, from Korea, who gained an incredible four A* grades in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths.

Felsted’s Headmaster, Dr Mike Walker, said: “These are excellent results and we are extremely proud of all of our students who have done so well. Such achievements are a credit to their inspirational teachers, their families and most importantly the pupils themselves.”

At Harwich and Dovercourt High School 97% of the 60 pupils attained A*-E grades, with 56% achieving A*-C grades.

Headteacher Nigel Mountford said: “I am very pleased with these results. We have gone through a big change in the last year with a new head of department who is rebuilding the sixth form.”

At Thurstable School in Tiptree 97% of the 56 pupils achieved A*-E grades, with 45% gaining A*-Cs.

Headteacher Miles Bacon said: “Achievement was up this year, with more of our students making more progress than in 2011 in almost all subjects. “There are a large number of excellent individual performances, and the great majority of students got the grades they needed.

“Because the average academic ability of this particular Year 13 was lower than average, and because the marking at A level was tougher this year nationally, the percentage attaining A*-C grades is lower, although it was good to see that the most able of our students still did very well, with close to 20% of all entries scoring A* or A grades.”