BOHUNT’S head girl Jessica Williams was the star of the show when teenagers across East Hampshire received their new-style GCSE results last week – she scored a perfect 10.

That academic achievement puts Jessica among the top 0.2 per cent of the 600,000 pupils who took their exams in the UK, and which were marked under the new Whitehall system aimed at making tests for the qualifications more challenging.

Under the old regime, an A* was awarded to just under seven per cent of exam papers last year, and Ofqal – which oversees all school exams – described the new standard of performance required for the award of a grade nine as ‘really exceptional.’

Jess, who lives in Haslemere, is one of only a small number of students – 732 to be precise – who achieved the new grade in seven or more exams, with more girls than boys managing the feat.

The star pupil was interviewd by TV reporters after she opened her envelope, last Thursday morning.

Top achiever Jess Williams told The Herald: “I felt sick the night before the results came through and could barely sleep.

“I am really quite overwhelmed and still can’t believe my results.

“I had a good cry when I opened the envelope, but they were tears of joy and relief, and now it’s gradually sinking in.

“It helps to have my best friend Alicia by my side, giving me a hug and congratulating me.”

Jess enjoyed taking part in Bohunt’s Chinese Exchange Trip in 2016 and the Greenland Expedition in 2015, where pupils were completing scientific research in conjunction with the Langton Star Centre for CERN on background radiation levels.

She is still undecided about which college she wants to go to, favouring Godalming.

Jess wants to take maths, chemistry and biology and plans to study natural Science at Cambridge after completing her A-Levels.

Best friend Alicia Sears, from Liphook, was thrilled with her own results. She said: “I did not expect to get such good grades, and am looking forward to going to Godalming College to study history, government, politics and economics.”

Headteacher Neil Strowger, who is also chief executive of the Bohunt Education Trust which runs the school, told The Herald: “Across all of our schools we have seen record performances in many areas due to the hard work of students, dedication of our staff and first-class support from parents and governors.

“From a Liphook perspective, special mention must go to head girl Jessica Williams, who achieved the perfect 10.

“To gain the top grade in every subject is phenomenal and has been realised by only 0.2 per cent of students nationally.”

Despite facing the most challenging exams for a generation, Bohunt students achieved outstanding GCSE results. Overall, 80 per cent of students at the Liphook school managed to get a grade four or better in English and maths – which is the new grade set by the Government as a pass, in its revised, ‘more challenging exams’.

With success across the board, results in English and maths were particularly impressive, with almost 85 per cent of students achieving at least a grade four in the former – and more than two-thirds of students getting a grade five or higher – defined by the Government as a ‘strong pass,’ or better.

There was also real success in maths, with 86 per cent of the students achieving a grade four or higher, and almost 70 per cent of students receiving a grade five or above. An astonishing eight per cent of students achieved a grade nine in maths, which is the highest grade attainable under the new grading system.

Students were awarded more than 150 of the brand new GCSE top grade nines (equivalent to an A**) across their GCSE subjects.

The proportion of grade nines per students at Bohunt School was also particularly high with 10 per cent of students achieving a grade nine in English language or literature.

Other subject areas showing great success, with almost all students achieving at least a grade four or above, werer statistics; Mandarin; dance and philosophy and ethics – which all scored a 100 per cent pass rate while biology (99 per cent), media (97 per cent), physics (96 per cent), chemistry (93 per cent), plus drama, art and economics (90 per cent) were all in the 90s.

Neil Pittaway, Bohunt’s head of school, said: “We are incredibly proud of the excellent results that have been achieved this year, which are a testament to the dedication, effort and hard work of our students and staff.

“We are committed to ensuring the achievement of every student, and are delighted our year 11 students have achieved the brilliant results they deserve.”

Bohunt is also celebrating the first set of sixth form results, with students in year 12 sitting the Extended Professional Qualification (EPQ), with 100 per cent achieving an A* grade from the first cohort of students.

Year nine and 10 students joined in the succes, with the French immersion class achieving 100 per cent pass rate. Seventy-two per cent achieved top grades 7-9, and year 10 statistics students got 100 per cent passes with grades of A*-B.