STUDENTS at Shebbear College have achieved a record number of A* grades in their A Levels this year.

The school had something to celebrate when the vast majority of the class of 2017 succeeded in gaining places at their first choice universities.

Destinations include Imperial College, Birmingham, Leeds, Exeter, Reading, Loughborough, Plymouth, Bath and Southampton.

Amongst the successes were the two Williams’ – Cox and Lam — who are both off to study Engineering at Imperal College, one of the leading technology universities in the world, having achieved five A* and three A grades between them.

Twins, Matt and Olivia Hall, will study Pharmacology at Bath.

Anne Bennett’s A* in Spanish ensures she can study the language at Exeter University and Tamsin Alderson gained an A* and two As to secure her place to study Geography at Birmingham.

Students have opted to study a wide range of courses from the sciences to the expressive and creative arts.

The college’s art department had another extraordinary set of results with five A*s, one A and one B.

Headteacher of Shebbear College Simon Weale said: “This has been a very stressful experience for the students who have been guinea pigs testing the new exam system.

“The results they have achieved are testament to their ability and resilience and I know that each one of our students will go and make a success of the opportunities they have been given.”