SUCCESS was celebrated at Suffolk's schools today - with at least one winning student getting one of the country's top A-Level results.Suffolk County Council today joined in congratulating A-Level students on their results, following the 20th consecutive rise in A-Level pass rates across the country.

By Nick Richards

SUCCESS was celebrated at Suffolk's schools today - with at least one winning student getting one of the country's top A-Level results.

Suffolk County Council today joined in congratulating A-Level students on their results, following the 20th consecutive rise in A-Level pass rates across the country.

Tony Lewis, member of Suffolk County Council's executive committee, said: "I would like to congratulate all the students, teachers, parents and schools in Suffolk who have put in so much hard work to achieve these excellent results. They are a credit to our community and to our young people.

"We are committed to working with schools to improve standards and students' attainment to make sure that our young people have the best start in life, and these results demonstrate the kind of excellent work that is taking place."

This year's students are the first to have gone through the new sixth form curriculum.

The new system means that students study more subjects - typically five - in the first year of sixth form, and then sit AS-Level exams. After these exams they can choose which subjects to continue on to full A-Level (the A2 exam).

At Northgate, Suffolk's largest Sixth Form, results reached new levels this year with the 299 Upper Sixth students achieving an average points score of 23.8 – the previous record score being 19.

This new record level is the equivalent of each Sixth Form student gaining three grade B's at A level.

The pass rate at A level was 98 per cent, with almost 50 per cent of the grades at A or B.

One student, Jennifer Hewett, was awarded one of the top five marks in Computing in the whole country.

Headteacher Neil Watts said: "These results smashed all the previous records for the Sixth Form. I am absolutely delighted and would like to pay tribute to the hard work of both staff and students.

"There were a lot of happy smiling faces this morning when the results are collected."

Senior staff at Ipswich School were up early with more excitement than usual in this, the first year of the new-style A level exams.

Ipswich School headmaster Ian Galbraith said: "In all, 33 per cent of the A level grades our students achieved were A grades and we are delighted with the results.

"All of the students in one of our two History sets achieved A grades in the A level exam. The successful students were John Fenning, Daniel Flewitt, Victoria Howells, Richard Parry and Tom Sharland.

"Five girls and boys achieved A grades in their AS and A2 subjects and a further 13 achieved A grades in 3 or more subjects."

Stephen Cole, headteacher at Woodbridge School said he was also delighted with the results. He said: "A and B grades are up by 60 per cent with the pass rate remaining very high at 99 per cent.

"We are maintaining the success in subjects which are proving less popular nationally. In subjects such as Maths and Physics we have achieved very high grades despite the fact that pupils across the country often drop Maths after GCSE level. All our physics students got at least a B grade."

Success in Maths was also cited by Valerie MacCuish, headteacher at Ipswich High School For Girls as one of her school's major achievements.

She said: "Ten girls got straight A's in all subjects, but in A level maths of the 18 girls who took it, 11 got an A or B grade which is very pleasing. Of these 18 girls, five actually got an A in AS Further Maths.

"We are very pleased with the results of the new exams – everybody has passed with 68 per cent of pupils gaining A and B grades. This is up on last year but is significant as the students sat the new exam.

"The exams are now spread over six modules which makes them demanding in a different way, but they have managed to balance their studies and still taken part in extra curricular activities which are very important."

Farlingaye High School was also delighted with their A level results. The school had achieved the top county state school results for the last two years, yet has surpassed these results with its best ever pass rate.

Headteacher Sue Hargadon said: "It is fantastic to yet again see the very hard work of our students and staff paying off. I didn't think we could continue to improve each year, but we've managed it again. The results are outstanding with our highest ever pass rate and average point score for each student.

"We have a pass rate of 99.5 per cent and are particularly delighted that as a newly appointed Maths and Computing specialist school, 77 per cent of our Maths grades were at grade A. It is also terrific to see a stunning set of results for the new vocational A levels.

A spokesperson for Kesgrave High School said the school declined to comment.