STUDENTS at Priestley College have defied the national trend with an increasing pass rate and a greater number of high grades than in 2017.

Nationally the overall pass rate decreased to 97.6 per cent whereas at Priestley the figure rose to 98.1 per cent.

In 35 subjects 100 per cent of students passed with A* to C .

AS IT HAPPENED: A-level results day in Warrington 2018

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Principal Matthew Grant said that, in part, the improved pass rate was due to Priestley continuing to offer students the chance to take AS exams at the end of their first year at Priestley.

He said: “Obviously the results are mainly down to the hard work and dedication of both students and staff, but by allowing students to take AS exams we give them the chance to be more selective about the subjects they study in year two.

“This year at A-level we have recorded some of our best ever results with many students achieving three or more A* or A grades.

"More than 100 have secured a triple distinction star or distinction in extended diplomas, which is exceptional.”

More than 600 students collected their A-level results at Priestley today, Thursday, more than everywhere else in Warrington combined.

Charlotte Davies achieved A*AA to secure her place at Durham University to study geography.

Her proud mum Amanda said: "We are thrilled to bits for her but I'm sad in a way because she'll be leaving home. She has worked so hard and she kept saying 'I won't get my grades!'

"It has been awful these last few months waiting for the results.

"We never saw Charlotte before exams she was revising so hard in her room.

"I didn't want Charlotte to go to university but when we went to see Durham I actually loved it and felt it was such a lovely place."

Student Emily Dimeloe will be the first person in her family to go to university when she heads to Surrey in September.

Together they raised the A* to B pass rate at Priestley from 35.6 per cent in 2017 to 38.2 per cent.

Priestley’s STEM and Language students impressed as did those in other traditional subjects such as classics, English, history and economics.

Among those celebrating was triple A* student Will Twist who is planning to study medicine after a year of work experience in hospitals, surgeries and care homes.

Will said: “I have a passion for chemistry and biology and how they work together.

“People are always going to need doctors and I like the idea of being able to help people.”

Another former Bridgewater pupil, Josh Thompson, is heading to the University of Manchester to study architecture while Eleanor Ward is heading to Lancaster to focus on creative writing and film studies.

Also hitting the high notes was Yi Chen Hock who combined A-levels in music, electronics, further maths and physics and the result was three A*s and one A.