CELEBRATIONS which started in Stratford on A-level results day are continuing after school pupils recorded record GCSE passes.

Stratford High School and Stratford Grammar School for Girls were delighted by best-ever passes, while King Edward VI Grammar and Stratford College students also enjoyed massive success.

Students across Warwickshire bettered last year's pass rate of 51% at grades A to C by 1%, making it one of the most successful years ever enjoyed by the county's 16-year-olds.

After enjoying a best ever 100% pass rate at A-level, girls at Stratford Grammar achieved another record with 98.8% passing their GCSEs at grades A to C, while no less than 21 girls out of the 65 who took the exams achieved straight A*/A passes.

At Stratford High, optimism surrounded the school after a bumper crop of top grades, with 57% gaining five or more GCSEs at A to C - a highest ever score for the Alcester Road school.

KES suffered a slight drop on last year's results, however, 17 students achieved at least 10 straight A/A* and all boys taking the exam achieved five or more A to C grades.

Top of the class at KES was Jeremy Jacox, who went home to America with 10 GCSEs at grade A*, one grade A and no less than four AS levels he took a year early.

Students at Stratford College also did well. Most were retaking English and maths and 50% and 27% respectively achieved A to C grades.

"It is thrilling to be able to announce yet another significant advance for GCSE results in Warwickshire," said county council member for education Richard Grant.

"Credit for their (the students) achievement, of course, is due to the extremely hard work of our secondary school teaching and non teaching staff and indeed to staff in primary and nursing schools and the students' parents."