YOUNG people have been celebrating success across North Yorkshire - from top grade students to those overcoming adversity.

Students at St Francis Xavier School in Richmond were praised by teachers for their hard work and supportive attitude towards each other.

A third of results achieved were at A* and A grades, and overall students achieved 83 per cent five A* to C including English and maths.

Headteacher Sharon Keelan-Beardsley praised the work ethic of students.

She said: “They have been a lovely year group who have not only achieved superb exam results, but who have taken part and excelled in so many aspects of school life.

“I am totally delighted for the individual students, a number of whom have achieved all As and A*s, but also for those who have overcome adversity to do so well.”

Among the top performers were twins Laura and Richard Kirkham, who got seven A*s each, as well as two As and a B for Laura, and an A and a B for Richard.

At Wensleydale School, 77 per cent of students achieved five or more good GCSE passes, which represents the school's strongest performance in three years. The percentage of students achieving both GCSE maths and English has also improved with a ten per cent increase from last year.

Headteacher Julia Polley said: "This is an exceptionally good set of results for our students and I congratulate each and everyone of them for their dedication and hard work."

A boy who broke his wrist as his GCSEs began and another whose old school closed mid-way through his exams were supported towards top grades at Barnard Castle School.

Tom Harris broke his right elbow just after his exams started and had to rely on senior school managers to scribe for him.

Tom, from Thirn, near Bedale, achieved six A*s, two As and two Bs.

He said: “I broke my elbow playing rugby after I’d taken just three exams. I took the rest of my exams in a separate room on my own and dictated my answers. It was a bit different but I got used to have a few exams.”

Matthew Shepherd, who moved to Barnard Castle half-way through GCSEs after his previous school, St Bees in Cumbria, closed last summer, achieved four A*s, five As and one B.

The boys’ results were among Barnard Castle School’s best GCSEs since 2013. Within the 99.4 per cent pass rate, nearly half of all grades were A* or A.

At Stokesley School, 83 per cent of all grades were at A* to C, with 76 per cent of students achieving at least five A* to C grades including English and maths, and 34 of them with eight or more A-A* grades, and 11 achieving eight or more A*s.

Head teacher, Catherine Brooker said: “Once again our EBacc results are outstanding. Almost half of the year group gained grade C or above across English, maths, two sciences, geography or history, and a language. This matched last year’s result which placed us in the top 100 state non-selective school nationally.”

At Richmond School, friends since primary school Fran Sale, Eleanor Seddon and Rebekah Jones were all celebrating after securing almost 30 A*s and As between them.

All former pupils at nearby Middleton Tyas Primary School, the 16-year-olds have maintained their friendships throughout their time at Richmond School.

Another student from a neighbouring village was also celebrating success. Isabel Jury, of Melsonby, achieved 11 A*s.

At Cundall Manor School, between Thirsk and Ripon, pupils, parents and staff were celebrating following a strong set of GCSE results including a 100 per cent overall pass rate with 95 per cent of students gaining five or more A*to C grades.

Three sets of twins with 58 A* and A grades between them were among the outstanding GCSE performances of pupils at Ripon Grammar School.

Louisa Chatterton and her sister Katharine achieved 22 A* and A grades, closely followed by brother and sister Lorcan and Molly Gallagher with 21 top grades and boarding twin brothers Harry and George Stratford with 15.

Maddie Charvill with 13 A*s and Ben Pimley with 12 A*s led the field in a year that produced 60 per cent A*/A grades for the fifth year in a row.

More than 86 per cent of the grades were A*-B and 97 per cent were C or better.

Thirsk School and Sixth Form College’s GCSE reflected an outstanding year for the maths department, as 82 per cent of students got at least a C grade, with 67 per cent of students gaining at least a C grade in both English and maths.