IT WAS all smiles at Francis Holland School this morning as pupils collected their A-Level results. 98% of this year s A-Level students achieved A*-C passes in all their exams - a 4% increase on last year s results. 100% of students achieved A-E passes t

IT WAS all smiles at Francis Holland School this morning as pupils collected their A-Level results.

98% of this year's A-Level students achieved A*-C passes in all their exams - a 4% increase on last year's results. 100% of students achieved A-E passes this year.

Almost half of the school's sixth form were awarded at least one of the new A* grades.

Meanwhile all of the students who had received offers of places at Oxford or Cambridge got their required grades.

Despite worries that those who missed their grades not getting a place at university Deputy Headteacher Jeannine Addinall reported that there had been little use of the clearing system this year.

She said: "We haven't had too much trouble with clearing at all despite the worries, we are really, really pleased. It really has been a fantastic year and we are so pleased with the results.

"We'd like to congratulate all of the upper sixth on wonderful A-levels and express our thanks to all the Francis Holland teachers whose talent and expertise is reflected in these results."

Kitty Winslet, 18, was celebrating outside the school after getting the newly introduced A* grade in both psychology and philosophy and a B in English.

She said: "I thought I was going to be sick this morning. We could check our results online really early but I wanted to be at school in case I had missed my grades and I needed help with the clearing process.

"When I got here I was so nervous I couldn't open the envelope but I got better grades than I was expecting and I'm really, really happy."

"I was already planning on taking a year out and now I can apply to universities like Edinburgh that I want to go to not just the ones my results dictate I can apply to."

Hanmo Zhang, 19, was also delighted with the results she received this morning.

She arrived at the school straight from Beijing at the start of sixth form.

Just two years later she has achieved some of the highest results in the school and will be taking up an offer to study Biomedical science at University College London in the Autumn.