OUTSTANDING students at Colchester’s leading schools and colleges were today celebrating more impressive results.

Colchester Royal Grammar School students matched last year’s impressive results with more than 90 per cent of the grades achieved being A*, A or B. Of those more than 70 per cent at A* or A.

More than 30 students achieved three or more grades at A* and the students have gained places at the top universities across the world, including Hong Kong University and MIT in America.

Colchester Royal Grammar School student Callum Webster, 18, from Marks Tey, achieved 4A*s and an A, and is going on to study medicine at Oxford University.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted. Since about Year 9 I have wanted to do this.

“It is definitely an intense process. It’s not a decision to make lightly as you have to be dedicated.”

At Colchester’s other selective school Colchester County High School for Girls half the students achieved A or A*s at A-level.

Head teacher Gillian Marshall said: “We are extremely proud of the students and delighted by the outstanding set of results.

“We wish them well as they move to the next exciting phase.”

The challenging examinations were changed this year so AS results, from exams taken after the first year, were not included in the final results in 13 subjects including English, the sciences and psychology.

However, the proportion of top A-level grades nationally rose this year.

A* and A grades were awarded to 26.3 per cent of entries - up by 0.5 percentage point compared with last year.

The number of university places allocated fell, however, with tens of thousands of places still available.

The university admissions body UCAS said 416,000 places had been confirmed yesterday - down two per cent on last year.

At Colchester Sixth Form College in North Hill, grades were up again on the previous year with 98 per cent of the exams reaching the pass rate of A* to E.

In addition, half the 1,300 students achieved grades of A* to B.

Thurstable School and Sixth Form College said 99 per cent of exams were passed with 51 per cent being A or A*.

Kate Cowling, head of the school’s sixth form, said: “We are really pleased with these results which reflect the dedication of our students and the excellent support they received.”

And 99 per cent of A-level exams were passed at Philip Morant School and College with a “significant increase” in the percentage of students achieving A* to B grades.