BOYS at Ermysted's Grammar School in Skipton are celebrating a bumper crop of GCSE results with a 12 per cent increase in the top grades.

Headteacher Graham Hamilton said: "I am delighted for the boys – the year group worked particularly hard in the final few months and clearly benefitted from the extra effort they made.

"All the boys have achieved grades which secured places for them on further courses either here or elsewhere."

He said the boys had both worked hard and played hard and the year group included a number of excellent sportsmen and outstanding musicians.

Others had been heavily involved in extra-curricular activities including drama, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, charity fundraising and a host of other time consuming activities.

"To see the boys achieve so well academically is extremely satisfying – well done to them and thank you too to the staff for all the support and intervention which took place throughout the two year course."

Statistically the results revealed that A* grades represented 28.7 per cent of entries with A*-A representing 62 per cent. The percentage of students gaining 5A*-C, including English and maths was 96.4 per cent.