A RECORD number A* grades were achieved by Royal School students with several awarded straight A* and A grades.

Highest achievers were:–

Charlotte Browning, Kym Clark, Annabel Kingston, Holly Morris and Ruby Pritchard, who all gained either A* or A grades in 11 or 12 subjects.

Star student Lucy Orchard achieved nine A* and two A grades and will study maths, chemistry, biology and Spanish A-levels at the Royal next term.

Lucy also gained an A grade, the top grade available, in additional maths – a free-standing maths qualification that is worth 20 UCAS points.

As well as an increase in the number of A* grades achieved, making 15.5 per cent compared with 6.5 per cent nationally, more than three-quarters of the students were awarded A* to B grades, which was also an increase on the school’s 2015 results.

The school had a 100 per cent pass rate overall, in sharp contrast to the national results for 2016, which showed the biggest ever year-on-year decline.

Students who took single sciences (biology, chemistry and physics), Spanish, Mandarin, drama, textiles and ICT all received A* to B grades. Those taking English literature, French and music all achieved A* to C grades.

Other subjects passed with a high number of A* to C grades were art at 89 per cent, English language at 96 per cent, geography and history at 90 per cent, Mathematics at 83 per cent, photography at 86 per cent, combined sciences (including additional science) at 85 per cent and religious studies at 96 per cent.

School principal Anne Lynch said: “We are very proud of these excellent results and congratulate all our GCSE students on their success. It is very pleasing to see our students achieving so highly in such a wide range of subjects.

“We look forward to welcoming them and many more into our Sixth Form in September.”