SIXTH formers at Orwell High at Felixstowe were celebrating today after the school achieved excellent examination results for the second year running.

SIXTH formers in Felixstowe were celebrating today after achieving excellent examination results for the second year running - with many looking forward to the prospect of university.

Thirty-four students at Orwell High sat a range of A Levels as part of the Felixstowe Sixth Form - 38 per cent were grades A and B and students achieved a 99.1pc pass rate overall.

The average point score per A Level entry was 212 (82.4) and the average points score per student was 844 (327), improving slightly on last year's results.

Headteacher Peter Tomkins said: “These are fantastic results and demonstrate just what the hard work and dedication of both students and teachers can achieve.

“I am sure all our students will join me in thanking their teachers for all their hard work and inspiration.

“It is great to be able to celebrate the success of the A Level students today, but we also need to celebrate the success of students who are leaving the sixth form this summer with qualifications in vocational subjects such as engineering and childcare.”

Among those who achieved particular success were Adam Mulholland who achieved three A grades and one C grade, and Nicole Baldry and Shane Hussey, who both achieved two A grades, one B grade and one C grade.

Nicole, 18, was thrilled to achieve exactly what she needed to get into Bristol University to study a degree to become a vet.

“I am really happy - I cannot stop smiling,” she said.

“I did better in biology than I was expecting and not so good in maths, but the grades overall were just what I needed.”

Shane, 18, said: “I am still a bit nervous and I am waiting to hear if I have got into the university I want.

“I am really pleased with the grades - it's going to be a day of celebration.”

He wants to do a degree in molecular and cellular biology and go on to study medicine and become a surgeon.

Head girl Rachael Miller, 18, was delighted with her results and is now off to University Campus Suffolk to do a degree in history with her aim to become a secondary school teacher.

“I am really looking forward to doing the degree at Ipswich - there is more time with the lectures and also I will be staying at home with my family,” she said.

Eleven gifted students at Orwell High who were not part of the sixth form were also collecting A Level results - two years early.

The group of Year 11 students took critical thinking along with their year 13 classmates.

The students were given the opportunity to complete an AS Level in critical thinking alongside their GCSEs. However, they did so well in the first year that they completed the AS Level and went on to take the full A Level at the same time as their GCSEs.

All eleven students were successful and passed the A Level.

Dawn Cox, subject leader for RE who taught the class, said: “These students have achieved exceptionally well. To complete such a challenging course two years early is a phenomenal achievement.”

Mr Tomkins added: “We are committed to ensuring all our students achieve as highly as they are capable of achieving and so when we realised these students could achieve at A Level we made sure we gave them the chance.

“We are really pleased that every one of them has been successful.”

Fourteen year ten students have also achieved their first units of an AS in critical thinking this year.

At Deben High sixth formers achieved a 98 per cent overall pass rate with 49pc obtaining As and Bs, a 12pc rise on last year.

Three students - Vicky Scarlett, Andrew Zeelte and Daniel Cozens - achieved straight A grades in all subjects.

Vicky, 18, who is going on to study medicine at Nottingham University, gained A levels in chemistry, biology, maths and psychology.

“I am thrilled - it's been worth all the hard work and now I can do what I really want. I will be at Nottingham five years and then do two foundation years in medicine,” she said.

Headteacher Terry Ring said: “A fantastic effort by all students and staff at Deben has led to an incredibly impressive 98pc pass rate.

“Many congratulations to all our students on their achievements and we particularly wish our departing year 13 students well in their future studies. What a wonderful set of results for my last year at Deben.”

New head Rob Cawley, who takes over this September, said: “These results show that we are continuing to push our students to achieve at their highest levels in the gold standard of examinations.

“We all have a great deal to celebrate this summer. I am looking forward to continuing to build on these excellent results next year.”

In the AS levels, students achieved an 86.2pc pass rate, a 16pc rise on last year, with 31pc As and Bs.

Three students - Nicola Butcher, Helen Finegan and Rosie Pearce - achieved five A grades, and two others, Laurence Hookway and Hannah Rowe, four A grades.