SUFFOLK GCSE students joined their A-level colleagues in gaining great grades today.Schools from around the county celebrated record-breaking results, in contrast to national figures which showed a slight drop.

SUFFOLK GCSE students joined their A-level colleagues in gaining great grades today.

Schools from around the county celebrated record-breaking results, in contrast to national figures which showed a slight drop.

Farlingaye followed its brilliant A-level results with a fantastic performance in GCSEs.

A whopping 72 per cent of all students achieved five passes at A*-C and 30 pupils got 10 As or better.

Headteacher Sue Hargadon said: "We are absolutely delighted with another outstanding year of results, the best we have ever achieved.

"Yet again, this is a real tribute to the very hard work of students who are so well supported by their staff."

Stowmarket High saw passes rise 5pc and A-C grades shoot up by 8pc.

The average student results also rocketed along with the number of A* grades. And every pupil achieved at least one pass.

Headteacher David Oliver said: "Such a big improvement is a cause for great celebration and we are delighted not only with our top students, but also with the huge number of individual successes, be they at the highest level or at the grade D-G level."

Boys outshone girls at Stowupland High School. More than half of students got A-C grades.

Deputy head Chris Whyatt said: "We thought the results were very much par for the course this year and it was very much in line for what we expected for the year group."

At Felixstowe's Orwell High School teachers and students were celebrating an overall improvement in results for the third year running.

Headteacher David Forrest said: "We are very pleased. The results are better than last year and we had not been certain that they would be – but staff and students have put in an enormous amount of hard work and been rewarded.

"We now want to see if we can improve again next year. Our aspirations and hopes are high and we need to try to keep the impetus going and again work hard."

Subjects which saw particularly good results were textiles, German, geography and history, while there was continued improvement in English and science.

Mr Forrest said: "We have had some very notable individual successes at both ends of the spectrum with some students getting a string of A's and A*'s, and others working incredibly hard to achieve passes which are very deserved and reflect the effort put in."

In Ipswich, schools were celebrating a fantastic achievement – bucking the national trend of falling grades.

Headteachers across the town had nothing but praise for hard working students and staff.

While a few schools were slightly disappointed with the outcome, most were trumpeting record-breaking results.

St Alban's Catholic High School followed a fantastic A-level performance last week with an equally impressive set of GCSE results.

Headteacher Dennis McGarry was delighted with a six per cent rise in students gaining good grades and was celebrating a "solid" performance in maths and "excellent" history results.

Among individual success stories were 30 year 10 students who picked up their statistics GCSE a year early.

Mr McGarry said: "These results are extremely encouraging."

Near neighbours Northgate followed the trend. Headteacher Neil Watts was thrilled after a quarter of all results came back A or A*.

Almost a quarter of the year group achieved nine or more A*, A or B grades and 15 students got 10 straight As or A*s.

Mr Watts said: "It has been a fantastic summer for exam results at Northgate and today we reap the rewards for a lot of hard work from pupils and staff.

"We should be really proud of all these youngsters who continue to reach new heights in terms of achievements."

Westbourne High broke new ground for the second year running. Results have risen by 20pc over the last two years.

And, remarkably, boys outperformed girls – one of very few schools across the country where that was the case.

Headteacher Chris Edwards said: "When I was appointed three years ago I could see the potential of the staff and pupils here.

"To go up from 23pc in 2001 to 43pc in 2003 is a fantastic improvement, but I am convinced that results next year will be even better.

"I feel very proud of my pupils and staff who have worked to achieve this."

Copleston's students were also record breakers. Fine figures across the board included more than 50 pupils getting the equivalent of nine As.

Headteacher Laurie Robinson said: "This is another year where the results have moved forward and I am particularly pleased that the results are good across the ability range."

At Stoke, pupils pushed back the boundaries for fifth time in six years. Assistant headteacher Mike Hudson said staff and students were delighted with the reward for lots of hard work.

Claydon's headteacher Beth Soule was also delighted with her school's showing.

More than half the students gained five A-C grades, but it was results lower down the spectrum which most pleased Mrs Soule.

She said: "We've got youngsters who arrived in school with identified special needs who are getting four grade Cs, which is excellent."

Thurlestone High celebrated its award of specialist science college status by picking up fantastic science results.

Headteacher Mike Everett was pleased with figures overall and delighted with the 60pc success rate shown in science.

He said: "This shows we can deliver the goods. The department for education and skills has got faith in us and we backed that up."

Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham picked up excellent results, well up to standards of previous years.

Headteacher David Floyd said he was delighted the hard work of students and staff had been so well rewarded.

Bu all was not sweetness and light at Holbrook, where headteacher Jenny Lee criticised lazy students.

She said: "The majority of our students performed as expected and there were some outstanding individual results.

"Unfortunately, however, this year group had a significant minority of fairly able students who, despite our best endeavours, have made minimal effort with their school work over the last year and have consequently achieved very poor grades."

At Chantry High School there were many more smiles than tears as nervous students ripped open their envelopes.

Carly Schumann, 16, of Lavenham Road, said: "I thought that I would do a lot worse then I did. I found the exams really hard so was surprised with my to get all As Bs and Cs. I have got a job at Anglia railways."

Jade Brundle, 16, of Kestrel Road, was also very happy and relieved. She said: "I did quite well, I got an A's in RE, English Literature, and B's in Maths, Art, English Language, German, Science, Geography." She is going on to the sixth form then hopes to do a degree.

Kirsty Hubbard, 16, of Radcliffe Drive, almost swept the board with A*s. She said: "I got an A in English Language and a B in English Literature but didn't expect to do so well in this subject. I am very pleased and hope to go on to sixth from and then study medicine at University."

Joanna Bennett, 17, Hawthorne Drive got one of the top five marks for German in the country. She is actually from Germany but has been living in England for two years. She said: "I am quite surprised a doing that well but I though I would get more Bs than Cs in the other subjects. I am going on to sixth form and then to study law at University."

Jamie Scoulding, of Irlam Road, Said "I got 4 Cs, 2 Bs and a D and now am able to go into sixth form. This is what I wanted so I am over the moon."

Headteacher Anne Rickwood said: "I am extremely pleased with the results this year we had some extremely good individual performances."

Suffolk County Council congratulated students on their success.

Councillor Tony Lewis said: "I know that young people have put in a considerable amount of hard work to achieve these qualifications and they are to be applauded."