Ref.10592TEENAGER Jamie Aitcheson is jumping for joy after becoming one of the country's top performing A-level students, notching up an amazing six A grades.

The 17-year-old pupil of St John's School, Marlborough, has done so well that he has earned himself a guaranteed place at one of the UK's leading colleges, Emmanuel College at Cambridge, to read history.

St John's headteacher Patrick Hazlewood said: "He is among the top handful in the country. I don't suppose there will more than 20 at a maximum who achieve six A grades."

Jamie, who lives in Mildenhall, sat an unusual combination of A-levels, including sciences and languages.

His passes were in chemistry, general studies, history, Latin, mathematics and physics.

Jamie, who has a younger brother Alistair at St John's, said he had worked hard and expected to do well but was still overawed by his grades.

He said: "I was kind of expecting to do well but I was a bit anxious waiting for the results.

"History was the one I really needed and that was the subject I was most worried about."

Jamie, whose father Gordon is a sculptor, said he would like a literary career for himself.

"I would quite like to be an author," he said.

No Government office or examination board could say how many students in the UK had equalled Jamie's feat.

But the Joint Council for General Qualifications said it had learned of a Birmingham girl with nine A-level passes, including seven at A grade.