STUDENTS and staff from Okehampton College were celebrating again last week, as they smashed previous GCSE results records.

The college achieved a 72% pass rate of students gaining the 'gold standard' of five A*-C grades, including English and maths. The result definitively trumps last year's performance of 62%.

When the 'gold standard' benchmark was measured five years ago, the college's performance was 36%. With that figure having doubled in five years, Okehampton College is among the most successful schools in the country for levels of improvement.

Principal Darryl Chapman was understandably elated with the record-setting figures: 'I am struggling to think of adjectives other than "superb" to describe the results and achievements of students this year.

'The college motto that we introduced last year is "Nothing but the best is good enough", and we've certainly lived up to that. We've not just beaten previous bests, we've smashed them.

'The performance beats last year's performance of 62%, which in itself was a record year. So we've literally smashed it to pieces.

'Last year we were fortieth in the country for improvement, and that was when we got to 62%.

'We've come in this morning, and we're so happy. It's a staggering rate of progress, it's superb. I've got staff in tears in there at the moment, just so pleased with the way the whole process has come together for these kids. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits.

'To get the A-level results we've got, and to get the result we've got, it's superb.

'I'm incredibly pleased for the students. Through all the mentoring and the assemblies, and the talks we give them and the encouragement, they've responded very very well which has been reflected.

'I'm really pleased for the staff, seeing the emotion on their faces shows how much it means to them and it's a very exciting day for the college.'

Rachel Hurdle, 16, from Okehampton was one of the many students to do well: 'I'm really happy with how I've done. I got seven As, one A*, a C and a distinction in IT.

'Now I can concentrate on my A levels, in Biology, Chemistry, English Literature and Maths.'

Madeleine Weaver, also 16 from Okehampton, achieved nine A*s and three As. She said: 'It's just such a relief! I feel great about it now it's over.'

Becky Boyland, who achieved 12 A*s and an A, Agnes Williams, achieved eleven A*s and two As, and Rachel Piddington, achieved eleven A*s and one A.