EIGHT weeks of fingernail biting anticipation were up yesterday as hundreds of GCSE students found out their results.

Following outstanding A'Level results at the Chase last week, their GCSE results were just as successful with nearly a quarter of them at A or A* level.

Bucking the national trend, the Chase boys beat the girls in the GCSE stakes with 63 per cent of them achieving five A*-C grades, compared with 60 per cent of the girls.

Overall, out of 2,364 entries, 67 per cent achieved A*-C grades and 31 students were awarded eight or more A grades.

Head, David Fawbert, said these were a "cracking" set of results.

"The average score of 45 points for each student was an immense credit to everyone's hard work" he said.

Four students achieved eight A* grades: Laura Marriott, Jocelyn Walbridge, Victoria West and James Williams.

At Dyson Perrins the results were in line with the national trend of girls stealing the edge on the boys.

But the best results were achieved by 16-year-old James Buchanan who scored seven A*s, three A's and an A* in a short course.

A delighted head and father, Peter Buchanan, said staff and pupils would be delighted with the results.

"They represent enormously hard work and pupils at all levels of ability have achieved their full potential," he said.

Hanley Castle head, Alan Johnston, said his pupils did a little better than they anticipated.

"The difference between the boys and girls was not as marked as in some years but the girls still did better," he said.

"We're very pleased for them all and there were no disappointments," he said.

At Malvern College 97 per cent of the GCSE papers resulted in grades A*-C compared with 94 per cent last year. Star pupil was 16-year-old James Bath with 12 grade A* and two grade A.

At St James's, in West Malvern, head Stephanie Kershaw said they were "over the moon" with their results.

"We got 100 per cent pass rate and 25 per cent of those passes were at A* so our girls have done really well," she said.

And at Malvern Girls' College there was delight and euphoria as teachers and pupils celebrated a 99 per cent pass rate with 75 per cent of the girls achieving A* and A grades.

Head Philippa Leggate, said the results demonstrated the academic benefits of a single sex school.

"We are tremendously proud of our girls who have achieved such wonderful results," she said.