STUDENTS and staff at St Mary’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form College, Astley are celebrating their best ever ‘A’ level results with 48% being grade A*-B.

Fourteen of the highest achieving students at St. Mary’s each recorded a minimum of 3 ‘A’ grades including a significant number at A*.

Megan Oldbury achieved A* grades in biology and general studies and A grades in chemistry, maths and French and is off to Leeds University where she will study medicine.

Alexandra Nolan (Sheffield University) gained A* grades in sociology and general studies and A grades in English and religious studies.

Cindy Wan gained A* in maths and further maths, A grades in chemistry and French and a B in Chinese. She will read mathematics at Bath University.

Other A* pupils were Sophie Little, Rebecca Doran, Thomas Firth, Christopher Benjamin, Danielle Causby, Laura Smethurst, Sean McLoughlin, Anna Bond, Gemma Crook, Michael Pearce and Rosanna Sutcliffe.

Headteacher, David Burnett, who retires at the end of August, was delighted with this year’s results which are the best to date, and offered his congratulations to students and staff.

He said: “They really are an outstanding group of young people and it has been a privilege to work with them. It is wonderful to end my time as Headteacher of St Mary’s with students achieving so much and being able to look to the future with enthusiasm.

"Many of these students have spent seven years in St. Mary’s having joined us at the age of 11. Others we are delighted joined us from a variety of local high schools where they completed their GCSE courses. As a year group they deserve these excellent results and I wish them every happiness and continued success as they progress onto universities across the country.

Chairman of Governors, Jack Farrimond added his congratulations to the students and commended the staff of the school for their continued hard work and commitment to the students in their care.

St. Mary’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form College is a co-educated institution of 1650 students, including over 300 in the Sixth Form.

The school is judged by OFSTED to be ‘Outstanding’ and has been awarded ‘National Support School Status’ by the National College for School Leadership being recognised as a centre of excellence and commissioned to support and develop excellence in other schools.