Students were on tenterhooks when they opened their GCSE grades this morning - but it was all worth it.

Pupils from the Royal Masonic School for Girls, in Rickmansworth, saw the highest proportion of top grades the school has ever attained.

Courses are now graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade instead of A*, although some subjects are still graded using the old A-G format.

At RMS, one in five of all grades awarded were 9 (A*) and almost two in five grades were A*, 9 or 8, and 60 per cent of all grades were A*, or 9-7.

A quarter of the pupils in the year group recorded the equivalent of 9 or more A* and A grades.

Performance was strong across all subjects, with exceptional percentages at grade 9 in the reformed subjects for biology (45 per cent grade 9), chemistry (38 per cent), drama (40 per cent), and religious studies (39 per cent). Meanwhile, 47 per cent of students awarded an A* in IGCSE history.

More than two thirds of all candidates received grades of A*-A or equivalent in biology, chemistry, Chinese, design and technology, geography, history, Latin, mathematics, music, physical education, physics, and religious studies.

Headmaster Kevin Carson said “I could not be more proud of this group of students and their teachers. They have largely been following new specifications with fewer past papers and resources, yet the pupils have achieved incredible results.

"For almost 40 per cent of grades to be awarded A* or 8-9 across 27 different subjects is a fantastic achievement in itself, and this is from a year group who participate in and achieve so much outside the classroom too.

"They really are a very special set of pupils. All of this hard-working year group can now look ahead with confidence to a fulfilling and happy couple of years."