By Anna Edwards

anna.edwards@essnmedia.co.uk

Hundreds of Croydon students are celebrating this morning (Thursday) after securing the A Level results they were hoping for.

A number of schools saw big improvements in their results from last year.

Purley's Riddlesdown High scored the best results it has achieved since the introduction of a sixth form in the late 1990s.

The sixth form was run then as a franchise and the school - which from next term will be known as Riddlesdown Collegiate - has only had its own sixth form pupils since 2007.

Gordon Smith, Riddlesdown principal, says the A to C pass rate of 69 per cent has risen by nine per cent from last year and overall passes have gone up by one per cent to 99 per cent compared to last year's figures.

He said: "This is best year we have had by a long distance and I think that is down to a combination of hard work by the pupils and a real effort by the staff to ensure they didn't let anything slip by.

"Standards have improved in every area of the curriculum and I am especially pleased that at a time when schools are accused of ignoring traditional subjects that our students have achieved excellent results in maths, sciences and languages."

There was an overall 100 per cent pass rate in maths, biology, chemistry, physics, French and German.

A host of individual success stories have emerged this morning too.

Young Calum Miller was expecting to celebrate a successful day when his A Level results were revealed but not even he anticipated just how good they would be.

When the 17-year-old Archbishop Tenison's pupil, from Sprucedale Gardens, Wallington, opened his envelope he discovered he had passed all six of his exams and all at the top A grade.

His list of success covers biology, chemistry, maths, further maths, religious studies and critical thinking.

Calum said: "I thought the exams went well, so I was quite confident.

"I wasn't completely sure what grades I would get so it was very exciting when I found I had six grade As.

"What I am even more happy about is getting my place at Oxford University.

"I am going to be studying medicine and want to become a doctor."

Richard Parrish, headteacher of Archbishop Tenison's, said: "It is an amazing achievement, my head of sixth form can't remember it happening before."

Virgo Fidelis pupil Sabah Mehmood, 18, was another high achiever, scoring A grades in pure maths, further maths and accounting, as well as a B in business studies.

Sabah, who lives in Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, said: "I'm really surprised with my results.

"The exams were really hard, and I thought my business studies grade would be worse."

Trinity School, Caterham School, Croydon High, Coloma Convent, Royal Russell, Whitgift School, Harris Academy (South Norwood and Crystal Palace) and Old Palace all achieved 100 per cent pass rates.

*For a picture special on Croydon's A Level results - including the story of a teenager who overcame her exam preparations being dealt a devastating blow when she went blind - see tomorrow's (Friday's) Croydon Advertiser.

*Do you know someone who has passed their A Levels in testing circumstances or scored incredible grades? If so call the newsdesk on 020 8760 7608 or e-mail newsdesk@essnmedia.co.uk