KELLY College pupils this year achieved the highest A-level pass rate in the college's 125-year history, with the percentage of A and B grades also being up on last year.
The total pass rate was 98%, an increase of 5% on 2001, with the average number of passes being three per pupil. There were 39% at grades A and B compared with 37% last year.
In GCSEs the pass rate was also up 2% from last year to 90%, with the average number of passes being 8.1%. The percentage of A* and A grades was 32% compared with 29% in 2001 and 55% of the candidates achieved more than nine passes. More than five passes were achieved by 90% of candidates.
Headmaster Mark Steed said the college had chosen not to participate in the independent school league tables for three reasons. Firstly, they had 'a much wider view of what makes a good education than the narrow indicators of examination success'.
'Qualifications give us choices in life: they are the passports to a career and to a good job. Our aim must be to enable our pupils to gain the qualifications that will allow them to pursue their chosen careers.
'But there is much more to success in life than academic qualifications. The most important factors are personal skills and values: the ability to communicate, to socialise and to be an interesting and thoughtful person,' Mr Steed said.
Although Kelly College has a selective admissions procedure, Mr Steed said they had chosen not to be selective solely on academic grounds. It was therefore unreasonable to place their results alongside those of Westminster, St Paul's or other day schools which were selective solely on academic grounds.
Mr Steed, it was 'too early for the league tables to be accurate'. 'Like many schools we have experienced a number of problems with this year's examinations and a number of appeals and remarks are pending which may have a significant impact on the overall results,' he said.
The college was contributing to the national debate about the purpose of education and the Financial Times had used some of their arguments in the discussion of league tables last weekend, he added.
l There was a 100% GCSE pass rate at St Joseph's School in Launceston and Year 11 pupils were overjoyed.
Of the passes, 92% were at A* to C grades, an increase on last year. The number of pupils gaining five or more passes at those grades was 92% compared with the national average of 59.7%. The percentage of A* and A grades also rose to 50%.
Pupils leave St Joseph's at 16 to take up places at other independent schools, maintained schools and colleges of Further Education.
Of those who have just left, Samantha Hooper from Tavistock has won a music scolarship to St Margaret's School in Exeter.