Pembrokeshire schoolchildren were celebrating another excellent year of GCSE results yesterday (Thursday).

"Overall this is another particularly pleasing year for students. The GCSE results show continued improvement, particularly in the core subject areas of English, maths and science, said Mr. Graham Longster, Pembrokeshire County Council's head of professional education.

Figures released showed that the county's A* to C pass rate for English was 57. 2 per cent and maths 49.4 per cent, which were both above the national average.

Success in the double science exam was 6.8 per cent above the Welsh average, although the A* to C rate for first language Welsh in the county was slightly below the national mean.

Over 17 per cent of students in the county achieved the highest A* and A grades and while the overall A* to C pass rate was below the national average at 59.3 per cent, it was still nearly two per cent upon last year's figures.

Chairman of the county council's education committee, Clr. John Thomas, commented: "I am delighted with this year's GCSE results and am pleased that all the hard work of students and staff, with the support of parents, has paid off.

"The results reaffirm that this authority is committed to continually improving its standards of education."

Although slightly below the county average, at the Greenhill School, Tenby, headmaster Mr. Chris Noble was "very pleased" with the overall results obtained by pupils.

"We haven't beaten our previous best results at the school, but this year's students have done very, very well and should be congratulated," he said.

Although not 'record breaking' the school's pass rate for pupils with five or more A* to C grades was 54 per cent, some two percentage points up on last year, while those gaining five or more A* to G grades was four per cent higher than last year's 92 per cent total.

"The acid test for me is whether or not students have achieved the grades they require to follow their chosen courses in the Sixth Form, and I'm very pleased to say that there have been queues of students signing up for next term all morning!

Mr. Noble felt that the students should be congratulated for all their achievements.

"They have shown a very positive attitude throughout the year, they have obviously worked very hard and they deserve their results," he said.

"I also think that thanks are due to the parents who supported their children throughout the year and to the staff who taught them."

Over in Saundersfoot, principal of Netherwood School, Mr. Huw Morris, "very happy."

"It has been a difficult year for staff on the whole, yet, despite this, the school has achieved an 89 per cent A* to C pass rate," he said.

"Better still, 63 per cent of students doubled this and achieved 10 or more A* to C grades.

"Netherwood gained 100 per cent A* to C grades in biology, chemistry, physics, business studies, German, history, Latin and music, while we also achieved an additional 100 per cent pass rate in religious studies, which counts for half a GCSE."

Mr. Morris felt particular congratulations should go to teacher Mrs. Moya Phillips whose history students gained a 58 per cent A* pass rate in the subject.

"Everything certainly augurs well for our forthcoming Sixth Form development," said Mr. Morris.

Across the border in Carmarthenshire, pupils at Ysgol Gyfun Dyffryn Taf were also celebrating some excellent results.

"We were very pleased with our A level results last week and we are equally pleased with our GCSEs," said deputy headteacher, Mr. Barry Childs.

Mr. Childs said that, while there had been some outstanding performances, including Fiona Harrison, who achieved 10 A*s and one A, Angharad Davies, who gained six A*s and four As, Catherine Scourfield, who picked up five A*s and five As, and William Giles, who netted five A*s and three As, the school's results were "very good" overall.

Mr. Childs revealed that students with five or more A* to C grades was "nearly 60 per cent," while 95 per cent had achieved five or more A* to G.

"We are particularly proud of this as we continually strive to show pupils that achievement does not stop at C grade," he continued."

"All the children have done exceptionally well and should be congratulated."