CELEBRATIONS were to be had at St Mary's Catholic High School after pupils bagged a flurry of A* to C grades.

Pupils arrived nervously at the school on Thursday morning to pick up their GCSE results, united in the hope that their grades would be enough to take them onto further education.

Top achiever Durri Ali, aged 16, achieved 11 A* to A's and is hoping to follow in her family's footsteps and become a doctor.

The ambitious teenager, who was head girl at St Mary's said: "I am going to be studying Chemistry, Biology, Maths and English Literature at St Mary's Sixth Form.

"I want to become a doctor because I like the idea of being able to help people and still be working within the science field and I like it that you have a lot of responsibility in the profession."

Alike his head girl, head boy Jake Taylor achieved 10 A* grades and one A and he too would like to be a doctor.

The talented footballer said: "I will be doing Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths at St Mary's.

"It's been a really good school and they have taught me well."

Other high achievers scooping the top A* grades were Danielle Pollitt Walmsley who achieved 11 A*, Michael Turnbull who achieved eight A* and Hannah Charnock who also achieved 8 A*.