As thousands of students across the country received their A Level results yesterday (Thursday), students at local secondary schools were celebrating successful grades.

GREENHILL SCHOOL

At Tenby's Greenhill School, headmaster, Mr. Chris Noble was pleased to report an overall pass rate of 99.7 per cent. "The grades are almost identical to last year's, which we are very pleased about, because they were outstanding," he told the Observer. "Almost every Year 13 student has got want they wanted and will be going to their first choice university and for the small number who have not, I am pretty confident they will be sorted by the end of tomorrow. "The grades were very well deserved," he continued. "All through school, the year group have been conscientious and hard-working, but of course it would not be possible without the support from their teachers and parents, which is always much appreciated," added Mr. Noble.

NETHERWOOD SCHOOL

At Netherwood School, Saundersfoot, principal, Mr. Huw Morris was delighted that three foreign national students who had sat their A and AS Levels at the school had achieved a 100 per cent pass rate. Hoi Mei and Tsz-Yan, both from Hong Kong, gained two As, two Bs and a A in an AS Level and a B, C, D, E respectively, while Shing Lei, who is from Taiwan, picked up a C and two Ds and an A at AS Level. "They are good solid results and they bode well for the future," said Mr. Morris. "All three students have done superbly well especially as English is not their first language," he added.

DYFFRYN TAF

Across the border at Dyffryn Taf, Whitland, students were celebrating results which have been noted as amongst the best ever achieved by the school. "The school wishes to congratulate students on the success achieved at A Level during the current academic year," said headmaster, Mr. Robert Newsome. "These students have shown both dedication and perseverance in their studies throughout their time at Dyffryn Taf and deserve the accolade associated with such success," he continued. "The performance reflects the efforts and effective partnership that exists between individual students, their parents and the teachers at Dyffryn Taf. "The school endeavours to produce well-rounded individuals who have a diversity of skills to meet the various demands of higher education and employment. "It is hoped that the school's community programme, the Post 16 work experience, and cultural and competitive opportunities will further enhance the potential of these students and complement the excellent results achieved. "On behalf of the students and governors of the school, I wish to thank all the staff for their dedication and providing the quality and diversity of educational experiences for all at the school. We wish all the A Level students every success in the future," he added. This year, the school entered a total of 75 students for A Levels, with 99 per cent gaining A-E grades and 64.4 achieving A-C grades. The school also notes with some pride the individual achievements of some pupils, namely, Katie James and Stephanie Merriman who each achieved three A grades and Kathryn Jones and Alex Paine who gained two A grades and a B grade.

COUNTY SUCCESSES

Returning to Pembrokeshire, as a whole, A and AS Level results in the county's secondary schools maintained the high levels of last year and remain significantly above the national average. The overall Pembrokeshire pass rate at A Level (grades A-E) has been maintained at an admirable 99 per cent compared with the Wales national average of 96.5 per cent. This figure puts Pembrokeshire students amongst the highest achievers in Wales. The percentage of pupils gaining an A grade in Pembrokeshire was 27 per cent compared to a Welsh average of 23.5 per cent. The overall Pembrokeshire pass rate (grades A-E) at AS Level this year was 94 per cent, compared to the national average of 87.5 per cent. The percentage of students gaining A grades was 23 per cent - over five per cent higher than the Welsh average of 17.9 per cent. Pembrokeshire County Council's head of school improvement and inclusion, Graham Longster, welcomed the results. He said: "Pembrokeshire's students can be proud of the fact that their results are amongst the best across Wales. It gives a clear indication of our continuing high standards at both A and AS Levels in the county." County councillor Islwyn Howells, cabinet member for children, young people and Welsh Language, commented: "I would like to congratulate this year's students who have worked extremely hard over the last two years to achieve these excellent results. "Their success is due to the commitment of both students and staff. I would like to thank them all and especially wish these youngsters every success in the future. "We are delighted that so many of our talented young people have performed so well and that they have a firm educational foundation for successful lives. "Education is - and always has been - one of Pembrokeshire County Council's top priorities. The continuous improvement in results over recent years is certainly evidence that this commitment is paying dividends."

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTRE

Excellent is the only way to describe the results obtained by students attending A-level courses at Tenby Community Learning Centre, with two students achieving maximum marks in their subject modules. Joel Taylor had 100 per cent for both Statistics 1 and 3 and Bryony Coates-Rees had 100 per cent for English Literature papers and only missed maximum marks by two in ELIT 6. Having done equally well in other modules, both students will now cash in their credits and claim their A-level in Mathematics and English, respectively. Other students at the centre have also done exceptionally well. Thelma Hart and Beverley Morgan are to be congratulated on their achievements in the AS(1) modules - Thelma obtained an A in ELIT 2. Beverley's achievements are remarkable in the fact that she is sitting both her GCSE and AS(1) at the same time. She is hoping her GCSE results next week will emulate her A(S) ones. Private candidate Caroline Davies is exceptional in that she successfully completed an A-level Latin course. She has studied at home by distance learning - not easy in any subject, particularly Latin, so well done Caroline. Staff at Tenby Community Learning Centre extend their congratulations to all students and wish them well for the future. Anyone wishing to emulate these students' success should contact the centre on (01834) 843297 for further details on courses - or pick up a brochure from your local library, centre or Post Office.