OKEHAMPTON College has produced another good set of GCSE results and more students are expected to stay on for further education.

The pass rate was 97.7 per cent with 60.6 per cent of the grades being A* to C, the latter being four per cent above the national average.

Deputy head Wendy Eames said although she had not had a chance to analyse the results, in the first instance they looked 'very good'.

'It looks like a good year,' she said. 'I think one of the reasons is that we have got better at tracking students' progress and therefore at any one point we can quickly intervene if things are not going as well as they should.'

A high percentage of students were wanting to return to the college next year for A-levels and Mrs Eames said great efforts had been made to accommodate them in their choice of subjects.

'We spent hours trying different combinations on the timetable until we got the best we could for as many students as possible,' she said.

'There are also a greater range of subjects on offer and this is what the Government is aiming for so students do not specialise quite so early and widen their qualifications.'

One of the top students was Connie Smith who achieved five A* grades and five As and is returning to Okehampton College in September to study A-levels in history, art, drama, French and English literature.

'I was hoping for good grades but it was still a shock,' she said. 'I cried when I got my results, I was so pleased.'

Connie said she had put a lot of work in to do well and received good support from her teachers and parents.

Panic struck Jenny Dunn before she opened her envelope but when she finally did it revealed two As, two Bs and the only disappointment a D in RE.

'I just messed up my RE big time,' she said. 'I did not really answer the question and it is disappointing because I was predicted an A.

'I can do what I want to do now though which is English, drama and three sciences at Exeter College.'

Despite a B in maths and three C grades, Ian Perrott has not chosen the A-level route but a career in farming.

'My dad has a farm and I would like to carry on the tradition,' he said. 'I have been brought up on the farm and it is part of my life.'

Ian said although farmers had been through a tough time things would have to change for the better sometime soon.

Having moved himself into a lower group for maths because he felt he could not keep up with the pace, Ian said he was 'really chuffed' to get a B grade.