IN a year of uncertainty surrounding A-Levels, district school across Oxfordshire celebrated good or better-than-average grades, with some achieving their best results ever.

Wood Green School in Witney achieved a 100 per cent pass rate for all 72 students sitting exams.

A total of 22 per cent achieved A* and A grades, with 47 per cent securing grades between A* and B.

More than 30 per cent of the sixth form students will now be able to attend Russell Group universities.

The Henry Box School in Witney boasted 'outstanding' results in maths and further maths, with all of its students securing grades between A* and C.

A total of 25 per cent of pupils at the school achieved A* and A grades and 53 per cent secured A* to B grades.

Wood Green headteacher Rob Shadbolt said he was 'delighted' for students in a 'year of great uncertainty'.

He added: "More students than ever before have achieved their first choice university.

"This cohort has been a fantastic year group who have contributed so much to the school as well as achieving so highly. They have been brilliant role models for our younger students and I know they will go on to great things."

One student who excelled in her exams, Megan Wilks, achieved two A*s in maths and physics and two As in further maths and chemistry.

The 18-year-old from Witney plans to study engineering at Durham University.

She said: "I really like physics and maths and I like that you can apply them to help people.

"I'm really happy and pretty relieved."

At The Henry Box School, acting headteacher Steve Pritchard said the results were testament to the hard work and effort by the staff and students.

He added: "I am immensely proud of the students."

King Alfred's Academy in Wantage and Wallingford School both celebrated their best A-Level results ever.

KAs saw 63.5 per cent A* to B grades, up from 57 per cent last year, and 40 per cent of pupils got A* or As.

Wallingford was close behind with 62 per cent A* to B grades and 33 per cent A* and As.

King Alfred's pupil Rhys Douglas said he ‘couldn’t believe it’ when he opened his envelope to find three As in economics, business and computing.

The 18-year-old, who will now be able to study computer science at Cardiff, said: “It’s unbelievable – I was expecting three Bs at most so this is incredible. I can’t describe the feeling.”

Regarding the new-style exam system he said: "It was much more stressful because there was so much pressure, but I know different people have different takes on it."

Wallingford School pupil Helena Harpham's four A*s have won her a place to study biochemistry at Oxford University.

The 18-year-old, who lives in Wallingford, said she was ‘ecstatic’.

But despite their record-breaking results, both schools said they would go back to the old-style A-Level and As-Level system if they could, saying the new system narrowed the curriculum for sixth formers even further, forcing them to focus their energies on passing three exams at the end of two years.

Wallingford head teacher Wyll Willis said: "This system suited us, but I don’t want to crow about our results because that will undermine the struggle other schools have had."

One place which did not fare as well this year was Didcot Sixth Form, where the percentage of both A*–A grades and A*–B grades dropped slightly from last year.

Despite that, Rachel Warwick, head at Didcot School for Girls which is a partner in Didcot Sixth Form, said she was feeling ‘optimistic’.

Mrs Warwick said: "I’m delighted to see lots of successes. Students have opened up so many doors to their future which is what it is all about.

"The subjects which have already changed to the new system have all gone well. We’re seeing the results hold their own compared to last year. So we are optimistic and we’ve learnt a lot which we can use to plan for the future."

Jess Bingham, a student at John Mason School in Abingdon said that she had felt like a 'guinea pig' in all the changes.

The 18-year-old, who is off to Birmingham to study History and English, said: "A lot was unknown, both for us students and our teachers. It was weird to be the trial year.

"It has paid off for me because I’m going to my first choice, but I found you are examined on so little of what you have learnt. You study for two years but you are only tested on a tiny part."

John Mason is part of the Abingdon Consortium for Education with Fitzharrys and Larkmead, which this year achieved 28 per cent A and A* grades, up from 25 per cent last year.

John Mason headteacher Sarah Brinkley said: "This year we’ve seen a real rise to the top. We’ve got a lot of students going to really high level universities. It’s a credit to the grit and determination shown from day one. I’m delighted to see results going in the right direction in my second year as head."

Jonathan Dennett, head teacher of Fitzharrys School, said he was delighted about the success of Abingdon students, adding: "It is wonderful to see the students who achieved such great GCSE results go on to do so well in their A-Levels.

"These results are richly deserved after all the hard work from students and teachers. Everyone involved can be really proud."

Chris Harris, head teacher at Larkmead School, agreed that the results achieved by the students from the Abingdon schools were testimony to their hard work and the skill and commitment of their teachers, adding: "We wish all of our students well as they move forward in their careers."

In north Oxfordshire, Bicester's Cooper School also celebrated its best results ever.

This summer also marked the highest ever number of students taking their exams at the school with 94 students taking A-Levels across 25 different subjects.

One student celebrating a combination of straight As and A*s was head girl Fran Goss, who said: "I was not expecting these results whatsoever but I am delighted and just speechless after opening my envelope – I nearly cried.

"I have already got a place doing work experience with Marks and Spencer already, so will be doing that next and hope to go into designing food – that would be the pinnacle."

Overall the school saw 24 per cent of students sitting A-Levels get A* or A grades and 80 per cent achieving A* to C.

Mark Doorley, director of post-16 studies, added: "The many changes to A-Levels and GCSEs over the last couple of years have posed big challenges to staff and students alike but we have risen to those challenges and with these excellent results many of our students will now get into their first choice university places or leave us to begin jobs, apprenticeships and gap years with great qualifications to support them in their future careers.

"We would like to wish all of our students the very best for their bright futures."