Ref. 13982_1SUCCESSFUL west Wiltshire students were in celebratory mood as the anxious wait for GCSE results came to an end yesterday. Despite the national pass rate falling students in west Wiltshire celebrated the fall of GCSE records at schools across the district.

St Augustine's in Trowbridge scored their second highest GCSE results ever and for the fifth year running over 80 per cent of students achieved five A* to C grades or more.

But the star performer was Julia Denham who learnt she could be suffering from cancer just days before her exams but succeeded in getting five A* and four As.

Brendan Wall, headteacher, said: "She got through all the stress of the exams which was amazing and the school is very proud of her."

Top performer was Catherine Jones who passed ten GCSEs at grade A*.

John Of Gaunt School in Trowbridge celebrated the fourth successive year of hitting GCSE targets.

Students achieved a pass rate close to 99 per cent with 56 per cent of passes at A to C grades and a total of 254 A* and A grades.

Top performer Katherine Shipton gained ten A*s and Lucy Havarneck ended the year with six A*s and five As.

Pupils at Clarendon School exceeded all expectations and are celebrating a 50 per cent pass rate at A* to C grades.

Headteacher Colin Kay said: "The students broke the target we set them and we are very proud, they exceeded all our expectations."

Students at Matravers School, Westbury achieved a 46 per cent pass rate of pupils scoring A to C grades.

Record-breaking pass rates at Warminster School were heralded by headteacher David Dowdles as 'phenomenal'.

He said: "We had an overall pass rate of 87 per cent and a third of the grades were A or A*, this is another record breaking year."

In Melksham teachers at George Ward School praised students as results were up again this year with a 45 per cent pass rate at A* to C grades.

Dr Pam Stoate, headteacher, said: "We are all really pleased."

At St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon nearly two-thirds of students achieved A* to C grades and 99 per cent achieved a GCSE.

Happy students at Kingdown in Warminster got their best ever set of results with 60 per cent achieving A to C grades.

Sheelagh Brown, headteacher, said: More importantly the kids are delighted, you should see the smiles on their faces."

Andrew White from Hilperton was the joint top performer in his year at King Edward's School Bath, recording 11 GCSE passes at A* and A.