SIXTEEN-year-olds throughout the Vale and the Cotswolds have secured themselves a bright future after schools posted some of their best ever GCSE results.

There was particular celebration at Prince Henry's High School, in Evesham, where top performer Sophie Metcalfe opened her envelope to reveal 13 A*s, while school chums Isaac Pillar and Laura Snape each achieved 12 A*s and 1 A grades.

The school said their results this year were 'exceptional' with 27 per cent of students gaining five or more A* to A grades and 10 per cent of the cohort achieving an outstanding stunning 10 A* to A grades. Also, 28 per cent of all the grades were at A* to A and 53 per cent were at A* to B.

Headteacher Dr Tony Evans said: "Our motto at Prince Henry’s is “Great things grow from something small”, and the GCSE achievements this week, coupled with our impressive A-Level results last week, are a testament to this. These exceptional results are a tribute to the incredible hard work and dedication of the students, staff, parents and the governing body. I am extremely proud of all of our students and I offer my warmest congratulations to everyone concerned.”

Pershore High School were celebrating receiving their best ever results with more than 79 per cent of the 240 students securing five or more A* to C passes and 81.8 per cent of all entries were at grade C or higher. Overall, A* and A performance is up to 24 per cent.

Head teacher Clive Corbett said he was delighted: "At a time of increasing national demand and rigour they have excelled by achieving the school’s best ever GCSE results. This is a tribute to their efforts and to the support and guidance offered by our magnificent staff. I offer my best wishes to all of our youngsters, whatever future direction they now take.”

Students in the Cotswolds were also rejoicing exceptional results. At Winchcombe School, which has less than 500 pupils on roll, 73 per cent of those sitting their GCSEs secured five or more A* to C grades with 64 per cent achieving these grades including maths and English and continuing to place results at the school above the national average. One student achieved 13 A* to C grades and one five A* and five As.

Neil Hall, headteacher, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this year’s examination results which are testament to all the hard work, preparation and studying put in by our pupils supported by our dedicated team of teaching staff and their families back home.

“I hope our students are proud of all they have achieved and we wish them every success as they continue their journey onto the next stages of their education.”

Chipping Norton School also saw an improvement in marks. At the very top end over a quarter of students achieved five or more A* and A grades and the figure for students achieving five or more A* to C grades was 72 per cent. Mathematics results fell nationally but at Chipping Norton School an impressive 82 per cent received A*-C grades. The result of 64 per cent achieving A* to C grades including English and mathematics was 64 per cent and a significant increase on the previous year.

Notable high achievers, all of whom achieved eight or more A* and A grades, include Emily Heppell, Tazu Walden, Sunny Bhamrah, Jim Caldwell, James Matthews, Hannah Mitchell, Rachelle Newman, Alice Orpin, Tom Pearce, Lorenzo Ronconi, Will Scantlebury, Connor Vellinga and Agnieszka Henry.

Headteacher Simon Duffy said: "These really excellent GCSE results come hot on the heels of some outstanding A level results last week. I am delighted for the students as they have worked very hard in order to achieve so well. I am also delighted for the teachers who have shown determination and dedication working alongside their students to ensure they succeed. After a few years of examination volatility it is good to see results which are in line with what we had anticipated."

Also hitting record highs was The Cotswold School, in Bourton, which witnessed almost 90 per cent of students achieving five or more grades at A* to C, with 75 per cent achieving this including English and maths.

Principal, Will Morgan said: "After a year during which we achieved so many accolades, culminating in the ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ranking in March, it is wonderful to start the new academic year on such a high, with both our GCSE and A-Level attainment levels even higher than last year.

"There are fantastic stories of individual achievement and we are celebrating them all. There are those pupils who have produced the most outstanding marks, and those who have succeeded in the face of real adversity. We applaud them all today."

Among the high achievers was Kyle Bentinck-Hinton who achieved 10 A*s, 1A and a carat in further maths.

Equestrian triple gold medalist and triple world record holder Phoebe Peters, from Chipping Campden School, added to her achievements this year with six A* and five A grades. Fellow high achievers included Thomas Chapman who was overjoyed with his 10 A* and three A grades, Henry Oughton who gained seven A* and four A grades, and Daisy Blyth and Lydia Dean who both achieved five A* and six A grades. A further 31 students were thrilled with results that included at least 5A* and A grades which saw the school's results rise again this year. Grades A* to C in both English and maths exceeded 80 per cent - almost 20 per cent above the national average.

John Sanderson, the school’s principal, said:“I’m delighted to see so many students achieving such magnificent GCSE results, particularly given the importance of maths and English. Staff and students have worked extremely hard and have every reason to feel proud of the fact that this has translated into some of the best results the school has ever had. With such encouraging results we are really looking forward to welcoming so many of our students, along with almost 50 from surrounding schools, back into our outstanding sixth form in September.”