WEEKS of waiting came to an end when thousands of students across the county received their A-level results. 

In west Dorset, nervous teenagers queued up outside the Woodroffe School, Beaminster School, the Sir John Colfox Academy and Colyton Grammar School on Thursday to see whether they had made the grade for university. 

Beaminster and Sir John Colfox joint sixth form students celebrated excellent A-level results. 

A quarter of the grades achieved were A* or A, with almost half of the grades (48 per cent) at A* to B and the pass rate was a 99 per cent overall. 

Keith Hales, headteacher at Beaminster School, said: “These are a wonderful bunch of students who have met, and exceeded, the challenge of the new A levels and can now go confidently forwards in their lives with a fine set of grades.” 

David Herbert, headteacher at the Sir John Colfox Academy, added: “This is a tremendous set of results from a group of students who should be as proud of themselves as we are of them.”

Their hard work and the excellent support of their teachers has been richly rewarded.”

At the Beaminster School, friends Joan Ferris and Jessie Wybrew were delighted with their results. 

Joan, who achieved two A* in French and English literature and a B in psychology, said: "I did not expect this but it was definitely hard work."

She will head to the University of Liverpool in September to study French and Chinese.

Jessie gained an A* in art and a B in photography and will go to study art foundation at the University of Exeter. 

She said: "I've done better than I expected and I'm very pleased with my results."

At the Sir John Colfox Academy, Will Ackerman achieved an A in chemistry and Bs in mathematics and physics. 

He said: “I was nervous about my results but I’m very happy with them.”

Will is going to study chemistry at the University of Liverpool. 

This year's results mark a key step in major reforms to A-levels introduced by government in recent years, including a move away from coursework and modular exams, as well as a significant decision to separate AS-levels to form standalone qualifications.

At the Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis, headteacher Richard Steward said it has been ‘a very turbulent year for exam results.’

He said: “There has been a great deal of media coverage of the issues including changes to examination syllabuses, new rules governing marking and assessment, and the decision by the boards to alter the way re-marks are dealt with. 

“Despite all that, students have once again achieved an excellent set of A level results.”

confirming the school’s position as one of the most successful fully comprehensive sixth forms in the county.

“59 per cent of entries were graded A*, A or B, with 24 per cent at A*/A.”

See next week's Bridport News for coverage and pictures of GCSE results