A LEVEL students across the county have been awarded the highest proportion of As and A*s since 2012, despite changes toughening the exams.

Students across Colchester waited in anticipation to collect their results from their schools and colleges this morning.

Even with coursework being dropped and the exams being made harder, the pass rates for many schools were the best yet.

Students at Colchester County High School for Girls achieved the best set of results in the history of the school, with 26 per cent of all grades being A*.

Also, 62 per cent of all grades were in the A* to A range, and 88 per cent of all grades were either A* or B.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: 6th Form College, A level results day.Abi Doyle 2A* A.

Smart cookie - Abi Doyle picked up 2 A* grades and an A

A total of 18 students gained four or more A and A* grades and four students gained five A and A* grades.

Gillian Marshall, executive principal, said: “We are extremely proud of the students and these outstanding results will form a stepping stone to future success.

“We thank them for their tremendous contribution to the school and wish them every happiness in the future.”

Philip Morant College students improved even further on last year’s grades. The students’ hard work has translated into a 100 per cent pass rate and a further increase in the percentage of students achieving the top grades.

John Lovett, head of Sixth Form, said: “I am delighted and overjoyed at this year’s impressive results, but most of all I am immensely proud of our amazing students and their dedicated teachers for their hard work, resilience and ‘can do’ attitude, which has culminated in one of our best sets of results ever.

“A Level reform has placed increasing demands on students, their parents and their teachers which makes this set of results all the more impressive.”

A total of 18 students at Colchester Royal Grammar School achieved four A*s.

Kisal Munasinghe, 18, from Colchester, was one of them. He studied biology, chemistry, physics and maths and is now off to university in Birmingham to study medicine.

He said: “Studying has been pretty difficult but I was motivated by the fact I wanted to beat my brother and I was motivated by friends, we took each other through.”

With 72 per cent of grades at A* or A, they had 100 students achieve three A grades or better, 32 students who achieved three A* or better and five students who achieved at least five A levels graded A*.

Students at Colchester Sixth Form College, saw grades significantly improve.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: 6th Form College, A level results day.

All smiles - students at Colchester Sixth Form College were happy this morning

Out of about 1,300 students, 98 per cent achieved a pass. About half the students scored an A* - B grade.

About 70 per cent of A level courses were reformed by Government for 2017 or 2018 A level exams.

Ian MacNaughton, principal, said it was a fantastic achievement.

He said: “Our students’ achievements are really excellent and they must be very warmly congratulated. We are really pleased with how well our students and staff have responded to the demands of the reformed courses.”