STUDENTS at Newcastle Royal Grammar School achieved a record-breaking set of GCSE results this summer, with 62.8 per cent achieving the top grade of A* or 8/9.

Despite all the concerns surrounding the new and more rigorous GCSE exams and the 9-1 grading system, this year’s results for RGS students has seen the highest level of A* or 8/9 passes achieved in the school’s history.

This is the first year that students have taken some of the 9-1 style exams and they have truly excelled. An incredible 54.2 per cent of all new grades were at the top level 9 and in maths, an astounding 63 per cent scored grade 9.

Overall all 145 students achieved outstanding results: 62.8 per cent of grades were at the top A* or 8/9; 85.2 per cent were either A*/ A or 9-7; 98 per cent were at A*-C or 9-4; 90 students achieved all A*/A and 9-7 grades; 23 students achieved all A* and 8/9 grades; 21 achieved all A* and 9 grades

Headmaster John Fern was delighted with the results, saying: “These really are fabulous results and the students and staff thoroughly deserve credit for all of their hard work.

“To achieve such excellent results at the very top of the new grading system shows just how well they have done, especially when there has been such concern about how the new system will work.

“This should give them real confidence going into their A-Level courses knowing that they are continuing to achieve results that rank well with the best in the country.”