TWO Durham schools followed up high ranking A-level results last week with notable achievements at GCSE level this week.

Durham High School for Girls learned that two of its chemistry students - Rachael Ibbott and Jane Hornsby - were rated among the top five results in the country out of 19,000 candidates who sat the AQA board examination.

The performances earned the 16-year-olds excellence awards from AQA.

The announcement followed record-breaking A and AS-level results in which Durham High's Lauren Curtis and Claire Hill gained similar accolades in Latin and art (textiles) respectively.

Meanwhile, Durham Johnston School students Alex Fairlamb and Claire Riches, both also 16, achieved excellence awards after they finished in the top five candidates in the country in English literature.

The school, which achieved a 99.4 per cent pass rate at A-level, saw 65.1 per cent of its 2,160 entries achieve A* to C grades in the GCSEs, with 65.1 per cent also achieving five A to Cs.