INTERNATIONAL success has been celebrated close to home as pupils at a Witley school received their International Baccalaureate (IB) Diplomas.

The diploma programme - considered to be the global ‘gold standard’ for school leavers, is followed by the majority of the 180 sixth-form pupils at King Edward’s School.

Of the 94 per cent of pupils who achieved a pass, the average points score of 30 out of a possible 45 was once again well ahead of the worldwide average for IB students.

Top scorer, and equaling the school’s record high score, was Thomas Keary, from Guildford, who achieved a world-class 44 points.

Thomas, who has a sister at King Edward’s and younger brother at its partner school Barrow Hills, will take up a place at Durham University to study politics philosophy and economics in the autumn.

Another successful pupil, Amber Standish, from Witley, scored 42 points which will take her to Cambridge to read economics in October.

Four other candidates scored above 40 and the vast majority of the cohort of 66 move on to their preferred universities in the UK, US and elsewhere.

A key advantage of the IB is that, with results published in early July, the successful candidates can now relax during the summer, safe in the knowledge that they have achieved entry to their chosen university.

Commenting on the school’s IB results, headmaster John Attwater told The Herald: “This represents another very good set of results reflecting the hard work and incredible dedication of our students and teachers.

“We should not underestimate the organisation and commitment of these young men and women in studying six subjects to a high level alongside the other aspects of the diploma.”