A RECORD number of students at Henry Box School gained A*s and As across the board in their A-Levels.

Sixteen students at the school in Church Green, Witney, found out last Thursday they had got top honours.

They included 18-year-old David England, who achieved three A* grades, despite spending a large part of his autumn term off sick from school, due to a diaphragmatic hernia.

Henry Box was one of five schools which saw an improvements in results compared with last year.

Deputy headteacher David Bell said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the students and the school and we’re once again very pleased with an excellent set of results.”

The Marlborough School in Woodstock, Burford School, Chipping Norton School and Bartholomew School in Eynsham all saw more students gaining the top grades this year.

At Bartholomew, top student Jacob Topp-Mugglestone got four A*s, at The Marlborough School Jack Macintyre and Lauren Woodley both got three A*s and Bert Rowett at Chipping Norton School also came away with three A*s.

Bartholomew School headteacher Andrew Hamilton said: “We’re very pleased with the excellent A-Level results our students have achieved this year.

“They’re a reflection of the fantastic commitment of our students, and the high quality teaching provided for them by all our teaching staff.”

Chipping Norton School headteacher Simon Duffy said: “I’m delighted with the fantastic results that our students have achieved.

“More students than in previous years have achieved the top grades.”

Julie Fenn, headteacher at The Marlborough School, said: “Our year 13 students have worked exceptionally hard this year and many have really excelled themselves.

“We’re delighted that our A-Level results show continued improvement.”

Burford School headteacher Kathy Haig said: “We were particularly pleased that so many of our students will be able to take up a place at their first-choice university.”

Boarding pupil Hubert Lo achieved four A*-A grades and will go to Bristol University to study civil engineering.

On the BTec engineering level three course, 72 per cent of the candidates from Burford received a distinction star, equivalent to an A-Level at grade A* to A and 100 per cent of BTec candidates studying engineering, ICT, music and textiles, passed their courses.

But two schools saw a decline in the percentage of students getting A* to A and A* to B grades, Cokethorpe School in Ducklington and Wood Green School in Witney.

There was a drop of 10 percentage points in A*, A and B grades at Cokethorpe, from 36 per cent last year to 26 per cent this year, while at Wood Green the figure fell from 29 per cent to 21 per cent.

Wood Green headteacher Rob Shadbolt said: “Every year group is different and although the overall figures for this year are not as high as in recent years, they were in line with expectations and reflect great commitment by our students.”

Cokethorpe School headmaster Damian Ettinger said: “I’m delighted that the upper-sixth students have not only achieved our target of sustaining two-thirds at A*-B grades, continuing the upward trend set from the 2007 to 2011 results, but recorded a 100 per cent pass rate.”