Pupils throughout Hyndburn have been celebrating outstanding GCSE results once again. Headteachers at the borough’s six secondary schools have praised the hard work of pupils and members of staff.

Click here for results from Hyndburn's schools

Accrington Academy saw improvements with 47 per cent of students achieving five or more A* to C grades at GCSE including English and maths. These figures are up 33 per cent on last year.

Andrew Bateman, principal of the school on Queens Road West, said: "Since becoming an academy, the standards at Accrington have continued to rise and the improvement in our GCSE results shows that we are on the right track to secure an even stronger set of grades next year.

"Accrington feels strongly about pastoral support and focusing on the individual, and over the past year we have developed a personalised programme for each student to ensure they receive the support in order to achieve the best grades they can.

"This has really paid off, with a much improved overall picture plus some outstanding individual performances. I am very proud of both our students and our staff."

Pupils at Norden High School and Sports College in Rishton also saw excellent results with 75 per cent of students achieving five A* to C grades, and 50 per cent achieving A* to C grades in English and Maths.

Headteacher Bob Flood said: "Overall I am pleased with the performance and the progress students have made over the last five years.

"It’s significant to know our students have achieved five A* to C including English and maths as that is something we have always emphasised."

Mark Jackson, headteacher of the Hollins Business and Enterprise School in Accrington said: "Pupils have done absolutely fantastically well. They are best we have ever had which is down the hard work of pupils and staff."

St Christopher’s CE High School in Accrington achieved record GCSE results with 78 per cent of pupils attaining five A* to C grades, including English and maths.

Headteacher Alasdair Coates said:¿"A lot of schools will achieve a higher percentage than that without English and maths but we feel it was very important the pupils had the literacy and numeracy skills and recognised qualifications and GCSE grades that will set them up for life."

He added: "We worked really hard to ensure we didn’t compromise the work with year 11 pupils because of the extra work we were doing with A-level courses and I think they reflect enormously well on the commitment of the staff that they have achieved a record year in both GCSEs and A-levels."

Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School in Oswaldtwistle also reported outstanding results.

Headteacher Paul Trickett said: "Once again we are extremely pleased and proud of the performance of our students. Almost without exception they have surpassed any expectations they had of themselves. It would be easy to pick out those exceptionally high performers and a glance at the results will reveal them. However we value the effort and hard work put in by all our students to achieve these wonderful results."

THERE were smiles all round as an agonising wait for GCSE results ended for students at Norden High School and Sports College.

Among those smiling was Harry Leyland, 16, of Great Harwood.

He got As in drama and history, Bs in maths, additional science and English language, and Cs in Spanish, Statistics, Science, Media and English Literature as well as a star distinction in PE.

He said: "I am really pleased with my results. I am now going to go to Clitheroe Grammar Sixth Form to study maths, drama, PE and history.

"Drama is my big interest and I would like to have a career in acting whether that is on stage or perhaps in TV."

Another happy student was Abbey Glen, 16 of Rishton.

She achieved an A* in Spanish and additional science, As in law, maths and English literature, a B in music and a C in statistics.

She said: "I am hoping to go to St Christopher’s for my A levels in they accept me and I would like to become a lawyer.

"I am really pleased with my results and the reason I wanted to become a lawyer is that we started studying in Year 10."

Another student Ashleigh Trinh, 16, also of Rishton said she was glad the wait was over.

She got an impressive four A stars in maths, chemistry, physics and English literature, As in resistant materials, biology and English literature as well as a C in statistics.

She said: "I wasn’t too nervous on Wednesday night until I went on Facebook and everybody was wishing each other luck and I just started thinking about it.

"I am not sure what I want to do yet but we will soon be moving to London so I will be doing my A levels there."

Another high flyer was Colleen Hargreaves, 16, of Rishton. She got an A star in English literature, and six As, one B and one C.

She said: "I did ace. I would like to study A levels in English language and literature at Burnley College because I am hoping to become an English teacher."

Another student who was pleased with his results was Andrew Haworth, 16 who lives in Read. He got Bs in maths and media, and six Cs in Spanish, statistics, double science award, English and English literature.

He also achieved a merit in PE and a distinction in IT.

He said: "I am going to study at Burnley College and I would like to work in the media, maybe something like TV or journalism.

" I am pleased with my results, I feel I have done quite well."

JOYFUL pupils spoke of their pride as they collected their results from St Christopher’s CE High School.

Top achiever Charlotte Maden, 16, from Accrington, achieved 10 A* grades and will continue at St Christopher’s Sixth Form to study biology, chemistry, maths and German.

She said: "I’m really happy with my grades and I have worked hard for it.

"I was predicted to get quite good grades but I didn’t know if they would be on the borderline or not. I’m really happy."

Beth Whittan, 16, from Great Harwood, attained 8 A*s, an A and a C and will go to Clitheroe Sixth Form to study maths, further maths, chemistry and biology.

She said: "I’m really happy with my grades and I got what I wanted although they weren’t as good as my brothers.

"I’m really excited about going to sixth form and my parents are really happy with my results and the hard work I have done."

Laura Oliver, 16, from Rishton, attained 6 A*s, 2 As and 2 Bs and will continue at St Christopher’s Sixth Form to study maths, geography, politics and economics.

She said: "The grades I got were about right so I’m really happy as I worked hard for them.

"I didn’t really think about the results over the summer until the day before. I tried not to think about it but when I did I became quite nervous."

Robert English, 16, from Accrington achieved 8 A*s and 2 As and will go to Clitheroe Sixth Form to study maths, physics, chemistry and German.

He said: "I’m right chuffed as I wasn’t expecting to get that.

"I was always hoping to get a couple of A*s but not as many as I did. My parents are really happy."

Ceri-Ann Hughes, 16, from Great Harwood, achieved 6 A*s and 4 As and will study psychology, sociology, French and government and politics at St Christopher’s Sixth Form.

She said: "I am really happy as that was what I was aiming for.

"I worked really hard for them so I’m happy with the results. I haven’t told my parents yet but I think they will be happy when I do. I have been really nervous thinking about it so it’s a big relief when I found out what I got."

Hannah Beardsworth, 16, from Accrington, achieved 8 A*s and 2 As and will go to St Christopher’s Sixth Form to study chemistry, biology, German and maths.

She said: "The results were what I was expecting so I’m really happy and my parents and friends will be too.

"I have been on holiday for a bit over the summer so I haven’t really thought about it but it hit me when I came back.

"It’s nice that it’s over and I know what I’ve got."

HEAD boy Jonathan Kirkaldy was the top achieving male student at St Christopher’s with 9 A*s and an A.

The 16-year-old from Burnley will go to St Christopher’s Sixth Form to study German, history, maths and business.

He said: "I was expecting to get a mixture of A*s and As but I didn’t think I would get so many A*s. I thought I would get about five.

"I worked really hard for it so I’m just happy with what I have got."

Matthew Haythornthwaite, 16, from Colne, achieved 6 A*s and 4 As and will study chemistry, geology, maths and further maths at St Christopher’s Sixth Form. He said: "I knew I had done fairly well but you never really know how well. I wasn’t worried or wracking my brains over the summer but it’s quite a relief to get it over with."

Bethany Riley, 16, from Accrington, achieved 8 A*s and 2 As but has not decided what to do next.

She said: "I don’t know what I’m doing yet. I will look to decide today. I wanted to see what grades I got first but it’s between this sixth form and Clitheroe. I want to do biology, chemistry, maths and German."

Dominic Newman, 16, from Oswaldtwistle, achieved 6 A*s, 3 As and a B and will go to Clitheroe Sixth Form to study chemistry, biology, physics and maths. He said: "I’m chuffed with the grades that I got and it was just a bit better than I was expecting. I really revised for the ones I needed to and it paid off. I have been quite relaxed over the summer and I wasn’t nervous until yesterday."

Head girl Rebecca Sharples achieved 8 A*s and 3 As and will go to St Christopher’s Sixth Form to study French, English language, geography and performing arts.

The 16-year-old said: "I’m very happy. They were better than I was expecting, particularly in some subjects like German where I was expecting something like a B and I got an A*. Sometimes over the summer I was thinking of the worst case scenario and other times I was thinking ‘come on!’ I’m well surprised."

SAM Westwood, from Hollins Lane in Accrington, passed all 11 of his GCSE subjects at A*.

One in eight pupils at Sam’s school, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn, achieved grade A* or A in all the subjects they sat.

More than 43 per cent of subjects were awarded the top two grades, A* or A; including 13 per cent at the highest grade, A*.

Headmaster Simon Corns said: "Congratulations to all our GCSE pupils, many of whom have performed well and some of whom, including Sam, have done exceptionally well."

Click here for results from Hyndburn's schools