TEENAGERS across the North-East are celebrating after the region saw the biggest year-on-year rise in the number of candidates receiving grade C or above in their GCSEs.

The number of students achieving A* to C grades has increased 7.5 times more than at the national level, while the number of candidates achieving grade C or above has also risen 0.2 per cent to 69 per cent.

However, the region has the lowest rate of students achieving A* to A grades, alongside Yorkshire and the Humber.

Nationally there was very little change in this year’s results, but the number of top grades being awarded has fallen for the fourth year in a row, official figures show.

In total, almost 69 per cent of entries were awarded A* to C, up 0.2 per cent from last year.

In Darlington, students at Carmel College bucked the national average as 80 per cent of students gained the five benchmark A* to C grades, including maths and English.

Top performers included Toby Gay who gained eight A*s and two As and Anna Troy who achieved five A*s and six As, who wants to become a vet.

Principal Maura Regan said: “Students and staff should be very pleased with an excellent set of results which not only vindicate a lot of hard work but also provide a wonderful foundation on which they can build their future lives.”

Hummerksnott Academy students were also celebrating with 71 per cent achieving five A* to C grades in English and maths, with a third of all grades being A* or A.

Principal Pat Howarth said: “Given the hard work and commitment that has gone in these results are well deserved and I wish our students all the best as they take the next steps in their careers.”

At Longfield Academy, 176 students achieved A* to A grades with the academy enjoying an overall pass rate of 60 per cent in A* to C grades.

They secured a 100 per cent pass rate in Btec science, German and Polish, while the pass rates for English, maths and science were 85 per cent, 72 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

Headteacher Susan Johnson said: “I’m thrilled with the results that have continued to exceed the national average in the main subjects, which has been the focus of the school.

“Achieving so many A* and A grades is testament to the hard work and dedication of the students and staff and they can feel very proud of their efforts.”

Nail biting nerves also turned to shrieks of delight for pupils across south Durham.

Headteacher at St John’s School, Bishop Auckland, Lisa Byron praised staff and students for their hard work and dedication.

Top of the class were Chloe Nattrass with four A*s and five As, William Calderbank who got four A*s and eight As and a place in the Royal Navy’s officer training course, Jake Long with six A*s and four As and Jack Race achieved two A*s and seven As.

Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College had record A* to C grades in many areas including English with 75 per cent, maths with 68 per cent, 82 per cent in French and 60 per cent overall getting five top grades including English and maths.

Assistant headteacher Elliott Freeman said: “So much emotion and hard work goes in from pupils and staff we’re delighted with the results, not just for the highest achievers but those who have really done so much better than predicted.”

Wolsingham School’s highlights included 62 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A* to Cs including English and maths, improved English results for a fourth year and a string of youngsters with A and A* grades across the board.

Almost a quarter of students achieved three A* and A grades at Whitworth Park School, in Spennymoor. Caitlin Berry, Leah Greenman and Amber Skoropinski all achieved 12 A*to A grades.

In North Yorkshire, pupils continued to perform well above national averages at GCSE, with an increasing proportion of pupils achieving five passes at A* to C.

Ripon Grammar School, traditionally one of the top performing schools in the North, saw 61.4 per cent of all grades being A* or A, with 62 per cent of chemistry grades being A*.

In further maths, four pupils gained a rare A hat, a grade higher than A*, while 15 stargazers at the school which has its own observatory, gained a rare GCSE in astronomy, seven achieving A*s.

Thirsk School and Sixth Form College was celebrating outstanding results in maths, with 85 per cent of students achieving C grades or above, while 67 per centre of students gaining five A* to C grades.

Laura Bosomworth said achieving 11 A*s had come as a surprise and now planned to study maths, biology, chemistry and PE, while Krystian Bober, who achieved 8A*s and two As, said he had been shocked by his success after finding the exams stressful.

Their headteacher, Stuart Mason, said the results reflected progress made by students of all abilities.

Northallerton School and Sixth Form College pupil Josh Form, of Brompton, gained a rare A hat grade in further maths along with eight A*s and four As, while top female cricketers Georgi Sutton-Walker, Mairi Teesdale, and Rosie Brannigan, of Richmond School, notched up 22 A*s between them.

Ross Sullivan, a pupil at Cundall Manor, near Thirsk, earned a rare A* with distinction for further maths, to add to his 11A*s and two As.

Pupils at Queen Mary’s School, in Topcliffe, saw 84 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades – nearly 20 per cent higher than the national average.

Lucy Walker was the top performer at Durham High School for Girls, gaining 13 A*s, while Anusha Ashok, Lois Conway, Victoria Milbanke and Emily Morris each achieved 11 A*s.

Overall, 43.6 per cent of entries were graded A*.

Evelyn Greeves gained 13 A*s at Durham Johnston School, where 66 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades and five students achieved ten or more A*s.

New College Durham achieved a pass rate above the national average and at Shotton Hall Academy, in Peterlee 75 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades.

Conyers School, in Yarm, achieved a 100 per cent pass rate, with 77 per cent of students gaining five A* to C grades in a range of subjects, including English and maths.

More than 40 students also achieved five or more A* to A grades.

Teesside High School students were also celebrating with a 100 per cent pass rate, with more than 40 per cent achieving A* or A grades.

Yarm School enjoyed an outstanding year of GCSE results, with 20 per cent of pupils achieving nine or more A* grades, and more than 92 per cent of all exams sat resulting in A* to B grades.

Nine pupils also achieved a full house of A* grades, including Disha Anand and Emma Neson with 12, Aran Banerjee, Arunima Batra, Nusha Fazeli, Freya Gittens and Yasmin Soeldner with 11, and Brandon Lockey and Aidan Rigby with ten.