WHARFEDALE students at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) are celebrating a raft of GCSEs at top grades.

Toby Fawkes from Farnley is among 22 students from the district who picked up their results on August 23. He scooped five 9s, an 8 and four A*s. Nicolas Pattinson from Ilkley and Ailsa Gorman from Bramhope both notched up three 9s, with Nicolas also achieving three 8s and four A*s and Ailsa four 8s, two A*s and an A.

Others celebrating are: Emily Barker from Horsforth with two 9s, five 8s, two A*s and a A; Dara Madden from Bramhope with two 9s, an 8, two 6s, four A*s and an A; Hudson Morgan from Horsforth with two 9s, two 8s, a 7, a 6, and four A*s; Toluwanise Olusoga from Menston with two 9s, four 8s, three A*s and an A; Megan Teal from Guiseley with two nines, four 8s, three A*s and an A; Patrick Tonge from Bramhope with two 9s, three 8s, four A*s and an A; and Charlie Wu from Horsforth with two 9s, four 8s, three A*s and an A.

Half of all GCSE grades achieved at The Grammar School at Leeds were the highest possible at A*/8 or above, a seven per cent increase on last year’s results.

Nineteen students scooped 10 A*/8/9 in every subject, including four who secured the highest possible grades in every subject, with one student sweeping the board with 11 top grades.

More than a third of the cohort - 64 students - achieved 10 grades at A/7 or above.

As well as an increase in top grades from 43 per cent to 50 per cent, the school maintained 71 per cent passes at grades A/7 and 98 per cent of passes at C/4 or above.

Principal Sue Woodroofe said: “This is an outstanding set of results in a year when there has been much speculation about fewer pupils being able to achieve as highly as in previous years.

“I am delighted for our students who richly deserve this tremendous success. Some 26 per cent of the new GCSEs achieved are grade 9 – a stunning achievement against about 4 per cent nationally.

“This is the second year of the phasing in of reformed GCSEs with numerical values and this has, undoubtedly, created feelings of uncertainty and anxiety among young people. All we can ask of our children is what we should always be asking of them: simply, that they do their best.

“I could not be more proud of this year’s GCSE students and I am grateful to staff and parents whose support for, and encouragement of, the children has been first class.”