SIGHS of relief could be heard throughout Tavistock last Thursday when teenagers received their A and AS level examination results.

At Tavistock College students and staff were celebrating record successes.

The overall pass rate was 97% and almost half of the entries were A and B grades, a 10% improvement on the previous best performance. The proportion of top A grade passed increased to 20%.

The quality of the passes was high, with 25 of the 30 subjects recording a 100% pass rate for their candidates. Particularly strong results were recorded in photography, business Studies, chemistry, English literature, performance studies, film studies, French, Italian, history, mathematics, physics, electronics and Spanish where more than a quarter of exam entries resulted in the top A grades.

Of particular note, Alice Hobbs, Daniel Hooton and James Tailyour gained merits in the advanced extension award in History and Jourdan Spriddle was among the top five students from across the country in the AQA A-level Leisure and Recreation course.

Eleven students achieved the benchmark of at least three A grades — Katie Bennatto, Ella Evans, Alice Fruer-Denham, Jimmy Hubbard, Lili Johnson, Becky Jones, Jack Kenyon, Alan Kirby, Clea Marshall, James Tailyour and Philip Webb. In addition Emma Kingwell gained a distinction in her Advanced BTEC National Diploma.

Geoff Orton, director of sixth form studies at the college, congratulated the students for their hard work and well-deserved top quality results.

College principal Colin Eves said: 'I am delighted for these students who have worked extremely hard and have set a much higher benchmark for future students to aspire to.

'These outstanding results, with the further significant increase in top grades, reflect the strong partnership between staff, students and parents. I should like to wish all the students the very best for the future and thank them for the contribution they have made to the college.'

The school has dealt with more than 100 university applicants this year.

Students are now moving onto a wide range of university courses in disciplines as diverse as hospitality business management with culinary arts, speech and language therapy, agriculture, molecular biology, early childhood studies, business with Japanese, archaeology and broadcasting to name a few.

All three applicants for Oxford (Ella Evans, Rebecca Jones and James Tailyour) and one for Cambridge (Joban Thomas) gained their places and two students are moving on to degree course in medicine this year, Jimmy Hubbard at Bristol and Phil Webb at Sheffield.

Family and friends of Becky Jones, 18, from Latchley were delighted with her results of four A grades in French, business studies, English and Spanish, which have secured her a place at Oxford University studying modern languages.

Julie, Becky's mother, said: 'She has worked really hard and she has always put herself down thinking that she can't do it so I am delighted!'

Lizzy Bentley, 18, said she was 'really pleased' when she found out she had got A, B and C for her A-level results. Although Lizzy plans to go travelling for a year to New Zealand, Thailand and South America, when she returns she hopes to apply for performing arts universities — aspiring to one day to become a character on TV soap Eastenders.

Alice Raeburn, 18, said she was 'over the moon' with her results of two As and a B which have landed her a place at Edinburgh University on the geography course.

John Woodgate, 18, who received an A in history, B in English language and a C in literature is off to Winchester University to complete a medieval history degree.

Students and staff at Kelly College were also celebrating as the school achieved a perfect 100% pass rate for the sixth year in succession.

Head of school, Harry Wyatt, gained five grade As including one of the top five marks in AQA biology — securing his place to read medicine at Emmanuel College Cambridge.

Bethe Crews has gained two As and a B and will be studying fine arts at Lancaster University.

Dr Graham Hawley, Kelly's new headmaster, said: 'I am absolutely delighted for all our students — they have worked tremendously hard and they have earned these results.

'Our outstanding team of teachers will be pleased that all their hard work and commitment to the students have been rewarded.

'This year's leavers have gained places on a wide variety of courses which include drama, law, mechanical engineering, history, fine art, economics, medicine, and sports science, to name but a few.

'I know that they are well prepared to achieve great things in their chosen field and I wish them well as they move on to the next stage of their career.'