Students in Shropshire were today celebrating outstanding A-levels as colleges and sixth forms across the country recorded their best ever results.

Teenagers scored another record-breaking year of A-level results, with one in 12 exams nationally achieving an A* grade.

The proportion of top grades rose for the 29th year in a row. However, the percentage scoring at least an A stalled for the first time in 15 years.

Today’s figures also show that boys have closed the gap with girls on A* grades.

Some 8.2 per cent of boys’ entries achieved an A* this year, up from 7.9 per cent in 2010. Girls’ performance dipped slightly, with 8.2 per cent of girls’ entries awarded the top grade, down from 8.3 per cent.

In Shropshire, a number of colleges today hailed record-breaking successes.

Concord College at Acton Burnell, near Shrewsbury, announced its best-ever results, described by principal Neil Hawkins as a “stunning success”.

Adams Grammar in Newport also achieved its best ever results, along with Newport Girls High School which set a new record for the number of A* to B grades. Oswestry’s Moreton Hall also saw historic pass rates with 90 per cent of students getting A*-B grades.

Scramble

Shrewsbury High School said more than a quarter of its results were A* grades and over half the girls gained straight A*/As.

Nationally, 8.2 per cent of entries were awarded an A* this year, up 0.1 per cent from 8.1 per cent last year, the first year the grade was introduced. Overall the pass rate rose for the 29th year, with 97.8 per cent of A-level entries receiving at least an E – up from 97.6 per cent.

More than 250,000 teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their results today.

But while many will already be celebrating, others still face a scramble to secure a university place.

More than 384,000 students are believed to have already had university applications accepted, according to the latest UCAS figures, while about 185,000 people are eligible for clearing.

It comes as UCAS announced the official website which tells students whether they grades have earned them a university place had to be taken down this morning because it was inundated with inquiries.

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