LIVE: A-level results and reaction as it happens
Keep following our live blog throughout the day here
THOUSANDS of pupils across West Berkshire are picking up their A-level results this morning.
NewburyToday's team of reporters and photographers are out and about at schools across the district speaking with pupils, parents and school staff to get all the reaction as those all-important envelopes are opened.
You can see how they fared in our live blog below.
We'd love to hear how you got on - please email your results and photos to newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk.
14.00pm: Thanks for reading. We hope you enjoyed following all the action as it unfolded. We'll have eight pages of pictures and reaction in next Thursday's paper. Don't forget to pick up a copy!
13:05pm: We've now got some statistics from Theale Green School - and boy, are they impressive.
Over 40% of grades were A* and A in mathematics, chemistry, physics, business studies, sport and art.
Overall across all subjects, nearly 60% achieved A*-B and just under 80% achieved A*-C.
Head of Sixth Form, Dr. Anne Richards, said: “I am thrilled that our students’ hard work has paid off.
"Our Sixth Form is very successful; we have committed and dedicated specialist staff that go the extra mile to support our students. I'm so proud of our amazing students. They deserve their fantastic results.”
12:40pm: Pangbourne College are also celebrating a fine set of results today. This year’s upper sixth have finished with the best A*-B ratio since 2011, at 54%.
Senior Scholar of the College, Hannah Atkins, received A grades across the board having studied History, English and Mathematics.
Head of History at Pangbourne, Mr James Frost, said: “I have taught Hannah every year that she has been at the school and she is an outstanding student - she thoroughly deserves these results. I don’t think I’ve ever had a pupil work harder.
11:55am: There were lots of happy faces at the Downs School as they opened their A' Level results.
Rhianna Eeley was pleased with her A,BB results even though she was expecting AAB. She has already been accepted into Bristol University to study Mental Health Nursing.
She said: “It’s always something that I was interested in and I didn’t realise there was a degree course in it. When I found it I decided it was what I wanted to do.”
11:50am: It's all smiles for Paul Davis from Theale Green School, who is off study Chemistry at Oxford. Paul will be staying at St Peter's College and like most pupils today, checked online beforehand to see if he had earned his university place before collecting his results.
The youngster aced it - achieving A*'s in chemistry and biology and an A in maths.
“This morning I was feeling nervous but excited but I’m really happy at my results - this was the minimum to get a place at Oxford," he said.
“I’m excited about meeting new people and trying out new societies and clubs.
“I’m not sure what career I want to do yet, I’m just going to go with the flow.”
11.30am: Apologies to Park House School, it appears there was an error in our earlier post. To clear things up, 69 per cent of passes were at A* to C and 41 per cent were at A* to B. 100 per cent of students achieved one or more A-levels.
Sorry for any confusion.
11.20am: Kennet School witnessed another 100 per cent pass rate, something headteacher Gemma Piper said was “non-negotiable.”
Among the Thatcham school’s high flyers was Thomas Fleming, who opened four A*s in mathematics, further mathematics, physics and chemistry. He’s off to study chemical engineering at Birmingham.
He said: “I put in a lot of work. Pretty much non-stop since the start of the year but it’s paid off.”
Kennet saw 35 per cent of pupils achieved A*-A grades, 83 per cent achieved A*-C, with 44 individual grades at A*.
Mrs Piper said: “The vast majority of our kids have got into their first choice of university. We have just been enjoying celebrating with them today.”
10.54am: Theale Green student Serafina Barbieri is all smiles - and rightfully so. She got three As (dance, drama and English) and as a result is waltzing her way to the London Studio Centre to study dance and musical theatre. Well done Serafina.
10.44am: Trinity School achieved an impressive set of results, with 76 per cent of pupils achieving A*-C grades.
More than 25 per cent of all grades were at A*-A.
Headteacher Charlotte Wilson said “It is very pleasing that all of our students have plans for the future, either moving straight into employment or onto further study at university.”
Twins Pierce and Mia Jones are both going off to study history at separate universities.
Pierce is heading to Oxford, while Mia will be studying at Leeds.
10.40am: The national picture looks pretty encouraging too. A-level students have been awarded the highest proportion of As and A*s since 2012.
10.30am: Results are in from The Downs School in Compton. More than 140 students took their A-level exams and eight per cent achieved A* grades, 65 per cent got A* to B and 85 per cent achieved A* to C. Great effort everyone.
10.25am: Peter Fry, headteacher at The Willink, is chuffed. It's the school's best ever set of results.
10.20am: Look at those little faces, all happy. I reminds me of when I was young and before I got grey hair. Congrats to everyone at The Willink. That's twice Louis has managed to get into one of our pictures this morning, the cheeky fella.
10.15am: Right, who's going to get in touch with us to let us know how they got on? You can email us on the address provided above. Go on, we don't bite.
10.10am: Well it's a pretty miserable morning out there. Spare a thought for our reporters and photographers who are dashing about in the pouring rain to bring you all the results and reaction. I'm sat in a warm office with a coffee.
Not that I'm rubbing it in, of course.
10.05am: We've got results from Park House School, where 69 per cent of students achieved A* to C grades and 41 per cent got A* to B grades.
Headteacher Derek Peaple said he was "absolutely delighted".
9.50am: We're staying at The Willink for a minute - where 15 per cent of students got an A*, 57 per cent achieved A* to B grades and the overall pass rate was 97 per cent. Well done everyone.
9.35am: Willink student Louis Allen is going to York to study linguistics after doing a sterling job in his A-levels.
“I didn’t feel like I did very well in the exams so it’s a massive relief,” he told our reporter Fiona Tomas. He got an A in French, an A in Mathematics and a B in History. I think that's pretty good going. Nice job Louis.
9.25am: Staying with St Bart's for a minute, this is 18-year-old Emily Beck. She looks pretty chuffed - and so she should be! Emily is off to Cambridge to study classics.
"I feel happy and relieved," she tells our reporter Charlotte Booth. Well, you can relax for the summer now Emily.
9.20am: It's a record-breaking year at Newbury's St Bartholomew's School - where the pass rate was 99.8 per cent.
One third of all grades achieved were A* or A, almost 60 per cent were A* to B.
Aren't you all a clever bunch?
9.15am: The dismal weather isn't stopping these two St Gabriel's students from smiling - they are both off to their first choice universities. Well done girls!
9.10am: Our Thatcham reporter John Herring is at Kennet School this morning, where 35 per cent of pupils achieved A*-A grades, 83 per cent achieved A*-C, with 44 individual grades at A*.
9am: The results are in at St Gabriel's School in Newbury and - as principal Ricki Smith just told our reporter - the girls have "smashed it" this year.
A total of 41 per cent of students achieved A* to A grades, 81 per cent got A* to B, a massive 91 per cent achieved A* to C and there was a 100 per cent pass rate.
Not a bad way to kick off the day.
