The culmination of years of hard work left many Dunstable students dancing in the streets as they received their AS and A-level results.
Despite the first nationwide drop in top marks for two decades, results in Dunstable have improved this year.
Manshead School’s results are the highest they have ever had. No fewer than five students have been accepted into Oxbridge, including 18-year-old Oxford University invitees Matthew Johnson, Courtney Spoerer and Robert Hornby.
Matthew, who will study maths, told the Gazette: “It’s what I was hoping for overall. I’m very pleased that I did manage to achieve it. My career path is very open at the moment.”
Courtney looks forward to reading psychology. He said: “I wasn’t quite expecting to get those kind of grades, I’m over the moon.”
Robert has already had a taste of life at Oxford, where he will study physics. He said: “I’ve already met a lot of the people I’ll be studying with – it should be interesting.”
Another Manshead student happy with her results was Zoe Moyler, whose two A*s and one A cement her place at Durham to read history. She said: “I’m more relieved than anything else. I didn’t think I was going to get it. I’m dumbfounded at the moment!”
Manshead headteacher Jim Parker said: “The students deserve great credit for the effort and determination they showed in achieving the impressive results this year.”
Queensbury School were no different, with similarly excellent results from their top performers.
Zoe Chin will study psychology at Loughborough after achieving an A* and two As. She said: “I got much better than I thought I would, I’m very happy about it. I’m really looking forward to university.”
Fellow future psychology student Megan Ellis will use her identical set of results to study at Nottingham University.
She said: “When I went to visit Nottingham I knew that was where I wanted to go. I can’t wait.”
Vimala Menna will use her four A grades to read law. She said: “Definitely better than I expected. I know I’m going to university so whatever happens I’m really pleased with my results.”
The school can count three Oxbridge hopefuls for next year among their AS-level students.
Michael Pei said: “I was very confident on my As in maths, physics and chemistry. I’m looking into physics at Oxford then post-grad research, then possibly working in Europe. A long shot, but I’m going to work hard for it.
Ben Atkinson said: “My brother goes to Cambridge so I’ve been around there quite a lot. I’m looking forward to what the future has in store, it will be very interesting.
Marco Vassallo-Todaro said: “I’m very happy with my results. I’m definitely looking into universities, probably the high ones as well. University life should be good – new experiences.”
A Queensbury spokesman said: “We are delighted with these results which are testament to the hard work of the students and support of their parents and teachers.
“We are particularly pleased with the high number of top grades which appears to be bucking the national trend.”
All Saints Academy announced a 90 per cent pass rate, including 10 core subjects with 100 per cent pass success. Principal Tom Waterworth said: “We are really proud of the achievements of every one of our students. I wish them every success and blessing in the fuuture.”
Kira Gorman, an aspiring theatre journalist, took it upon herself to revolutionise revision and achieve the B she needed to study media at Greenwich University.
Kira said: “Last year I didn’t do as good, but this year I’ve done a different way of revising. I memorised all of my essays. I learned them off by heart.”
As well as leaving her extensive collection of revision notes behind for future generations to benefit from, Kira has already taken a significant step towards her future career.
She said: “I made a website in February to put reviews of shows on because that’s what I want to do when I grow up. Two pieces have been put on a professional theatre review site and one actress from a West End musical did an interview for me.”
Kira’s website can be viewed at www.allthingstheatre.wordpress.com.
Central Beds Councillor Mark Versallion, member for children’s services, said: “The results are a testament not only to the students themselves but also to their families and teachers. I wish our school leavers every success in the future.”