THESE talented teens are among thousands from schools across our region celebrating success in their A-level results today.

Some schools in York reported they had received their best-ever results, mirroring a predicted national pattern of success, which was expected to show another rise in the proportion of A-Level passes at grade E or better to almost 97 per cent.

There was expected to be another increase in the number of candidates achieving A grades.

This has led to fresh claims that the exams are becoming easier.

But at Huntington School, one of the schools celebrating a best-ever batch of A-level results, head teacher Chris Bridge refuted claims the exams were getting easier.

Schools Minister Lord Adonis has insisted that A-levels were "here to stay" and that standards had not been "dumbed down".

Mr Bridge said the school had achieved its best-ever A-level points score, with pupils getting an average of 350 points (A grade equals 120 points).

In the past, their best score of 348 points put the school in the top 20 of comprehensive schools in the national league tables.

This year, five youngsters, Julia Ruston, Samuel Ritchie, Jacqueline Eves, and Megan Macdiamid, all got five grade As.

Mr Bridge said: "I am delighted with the results which are testament to the hard work of students, teachers and parents as well. I think A-level and GCSE results have been going up because teaching has got better and schools have got better, and no one seems to have accepted that that can be possible."

Pupils at St Peter's School in York achieved the best A-level results recorded in the history of the school, with 50 per cent of all A-level pupils achieving three As or more, and a dazzling 62.3 per cent of pupils achieved grade A - an increase of 4.8 per cent on last year's record breaking results.

At York College, the pass rate was 98 per cent, which is above the national average for the 11th consecutive year, and 43 per cent of the grades awarded were at A or B.

One student, Faezeh Godazgar, whose twin brothers, Hadi and Madhi, notched up 11 A grades between them last year, got five Grade A passes.

At Bootham School the results beat the school's own predictions, as this year's A-levels produced another set of stunning successes.

They included top scholar Peter Ellery, who notched up seven A grades for his A-levels, A/S levels and Advanced Extension Awards papers; leading musician James Freeman, last year's Young Composer Of The Year, who got a handful of As to secure his place at Cambridge; and Faye Woodhead, one of York's leading female footballers, who got As in all her academic subjects; and Eleanor Walter, who notched up five A grades.

The director of education at City of York Council, Patrick Scott, said early indications were that schools in the city had done well in the results out today.

Mr Scott said: "We had our best set of GCSE results two years ago, and it could be that that same group of young people are living up to their promise.

Don't miss the eight-page results pull-out free with tomorrow's Evening Press

Updated: 10:28 Thursday, August 18, 2005