Ten exceptional students from Brentwood School are celebrating receiving ten or more A* Grades in their GCSE examinations in another magnificent year of results for the School.

They include 16 year-olds Nicole Guo, who took 14 GCSEs and achieved 12 A*s, and Grace Duke, Mary Hirst, Joseph Defries, Rodi Donhue-Hibberd and Antonia Stratford, each with 11 A*s.

A jet-lagged Nicole is looking forward to a career in finance after doing "better than expected.

She said: "The revision sessions gave me so much confidence."

She will read Latin, History, Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A-level.

Grace is one step closer to her dream of becoming a lawyer.

Clutching her results letter, she said: “I was worried about a few of my results and was really nervous and shaking.

“There is always someone you can go to.”

Mary is hoping to study Veterinary Science at university and has been spending the summer at a Veterinary Clinic in Blackmore to get some experience.

She will be studying Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Greek at A Level.

Joseph is looking to pursue a career in investment banking and will be studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the Sixth Form.

Boarding student Rodi said: “The teaching and support at Brentwood has been brilliant and I have built a good relationship with the teachers.” He will now take Classical Civilisation, Greek, Latin and Further Mathematics A levels with a view to studying Classics at university.

Antonia will be following in her sister’s footsteps into the Sixth form to study Biology, History, Psychology and Spanish.

In total 23 students received all A*s or As in their examinations, resulting in a three year average of A*-As for the School of 60 per cent.

Headmaster Ian Davies said: “My sincere congratulations to all of our students achieving these exceptional results.

"I’d like to pay tribute to the hard work that they and their teachers have put in over the past year.

"We are delighted that they, and many others from outside, will be studying A Levels and the IB Diploma in our superb Sixth Form, which has today become significantly stronger.”

In total 25 per cent of all GCSE grades were A*, 59 per cent were A*-A, 84 per cent were A*-B and 95 per cent A*-C.