TEENAGER Jake Knight will be following in family footsteps when he heads off to Cambridge University this autumn.
The 18-year-old Teesdale School student achieved A* grades in maths, further maths, physics and chemistry and will study engineering.
He said he was “surprised and really happy” with his grades.
“I did not expect it. You heard all the news about the downgrades and I was coming prepared for one or two grades to be downgraded. That was the big worry.
“I was pretty confident in the school’s ability to give me fair grades.”
Jake will follow in his elder sister Lizzie’s footsteps. She is currently doing a PhD in natural sciences at Cambridge.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding this year’s results, students at Teesdale School gained an overall pass rate of 99.1 per cent and 36 per cent of grades were awarded at A* and A.
Alongside Jake, Sam Arundel and Cal Baker achieved A* grades in all of their subjects.
Sam is also heading to Cambridge to study natural sciences. Cal was offered a place at Cambridge to read English literature but has instead opted to study at Edinburgh University.
“Everything has gone according to plan,” said Cal.
“I have been quite relaxed because I got good results in my mocks.”
Alice Lawson, from Newbiggin, got three A* grades in sociology, maths and further maths and an A in history.
She is heading to Lancaster to study maths and economics.
“I was not expecting them at all,” she said.
Helen Piercy-Mycock and Ethan Rawlins each attained two A*s and two A grades.
There were some excellent results for students studying subjects for a BTEC.
Sarah Alderson, from Bowes, achieved a distinction in applied science and a merit in health and social care and is currently considering her options for the future.
Millie Hawcroft was celebrating BTEC distinctions in health and social care and sport, along with a C in her biology A level.
She is planning to go to Northumbria University, in Newcastle, to study criminology and forensic science.
“That was as good as I hoped for. I wanted to sit my exams as I wanted to get a B in biology.”
Jasmine Cable, meanwhile, will be starting an apprenticeship in business administration with an IT firm in Darlington armed with C grades in sociology and photography and a pass in her BTEC health and social care.
“I was nervous, but not as bad as some who are going to uni. It has worked out really well. I am very pleased.”
For Isabella Campbell, relief replaced the stress of the last few weeks when she achieved an A* in psychology, an A in sociology and a B in history to secure her place at Leeds University, where she will study law.
“I have been so stressed worrying about what could happen. We never had a chance to prove ourselves in an exam, not knowing if we could have done better.”
This week, her younger brother will find out what grades he has been awarded when the GCSE results are released.
In addition to their results envelope, students received a wealth of information about the steps available if they were unhappy with how they had been graded.
Forms were also available authorising the school to appeal on their behalf.
Dr Simon Henderson, head of sixth form, said this year’s cohort of A level students were a credit to the school.
“We are immensely proud of all of our students who have had their time in sixth form forever shaped by the consequences of the pandemic.
“Their Year 13 studies were abruptly ended with only 24 hours’ notice and they had the opportunity to sit the exams they had been working so hard towards taken away in unprecedented circumstances.
“The national uncertainty about how results were to be calculated and the continued fluidity of the situation have been unsettling for students and their parents.
“We know that they will go on to have a significant and positive impact on the lives of those around them, both near and far, in the best traditions of our sixth form graduates.”
