Nervous and excited students were able to pick up their results envelopes at Oakbank School from 8am last Thursday.

Staff were on hand to offer congratulations, reassurance and guidance.

Reema Haque, from Exley Head, said she was happy and relieved to have been awarded an A in maths, a B for biology and a C for chemistry. She intends to go to Bradford University to train as a pharmacist.

“I’m especially happy to have got an A in maths – I wasn’t expecting that,” she added. “A-levels were really hard, and I’m glad I’ve been able to do well in science subjects.”

Helena Booth, of Long Lee, gained an A star in ICT, as well as As in English and geography.

She said. “I thought I’d struggle just to get three Bs to be honest. There was loads of work for ICT, though I still managed to have a social life.

“I’m going to Leeds University, possibly to do geography, though I might switch to English.”

Sports enthusiast Nathan Connelly was not willing to share his results, conceding he was “not academic”, but added he had already received an unconditional offer from Bucks New University to do a course in football, business and marketing.

Nathan has been a West Yorkshire Ambassador for sport. Earlier this year he received the Youth Sport Trust’s Young Person Award, in recognition of his contribution to PE and sport within his school and wider community.

Oakbank year 12 AS students also arrived on the same day to learn of their success.

Jenny Harris achieved three Bs and a C at AS level. “It’s gone amazingly – I’m quite shocked,” she said. “Technically, I haven’t done well because my target was As, but because it was such a heavy workload, I was thinking I’d get Ds.”

Jessica Sargeant achieved four As at AS level. “It’s been hard work, which has taken up a lot of time outside of school, but it’s been worth it,” she said. “I want to study philosophy and English literature at either Warwick or Sheffield University.”

Rebecca Illingworth said she was proud and happy to have picked up three As and a B at AS level, while Jessica Whitehead gained two As and two Bs at AS.

Jessica said: “I’m really glad – the exams were so hard I thought I’d failed! I hope to go to Loughborough University to do civil engineering.”