Top results

Liverpool’s A-level students were celebrating after hundreds more teenagers succeeded in landing top results.
The number of students whose grades were between A* and C rose by 242 this year compared to 2014, according to Liverpool council.
The city matched the national average pass rate (grade E or above), which rose slightly to 98.1%.
But the number of students across the country receiving top grades of A or A* fell for the fourth year in a row – down 0.1% from 26% in 2014.
Sister Brigid Halligan, headteacher of Bellerive FCJ Catholic College in Sefton Park, whose students won places at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities, added: “This clearly reflects all the hard work of the students and staff, although this could not have been achieved without the tremendous support from parents.”
Wirral schools also celebrated a successful year for A-level results. Kathryn Podmore, principal of Birkenhead Sixth Form College, said that 530 of her second-year students successfully completed their A-levels and BTECs this year, with 412 of these A-level results at grades A* to B.
In Knowsley, every student entered for an A-level at both Knowsley Community College and Halewood Academy passed their exams. And All Saints Catholic High School in Kirkby celebrated a 100% pass rate in its BTEC qualifications.
Provisional figures show the grade A* to C pass rate for Knowsley was 55.5% this year.
St Helens schools and colleges saw 53.3% of A-level entries graded between A* and B this year, compared to 48% last year – a rise of more than 5%.
And in Sefton, Crosby’s Chesterfield High School also reported an impressive 100% A-level pass rate.
Headteacher Simon Penney said: “All the students who applied to university have been offered places at the universities of their choice or, indeed, the chance to upgrade their choice of university because they have exceeded their expectations.”
Education chiefs across Halton have hailed the latest set of A-level and vocational course results.
Results showed that sixth form and college students across Runcorn and Widnes achieved success in a range academic subjects with 99% of A-level entries being awarded A*-E grades, 1% above the reported national pass rate.
For those completing BTEC and vocational equivalent subjects, a 100% pass rate was achieved, with more than 60% of entries awarded distinction grades, which is equivalent to three A grades at A-level.