TOP achiever Sarah Thomas crowned a day of A-level results celebration at Richard Huish College in Taunton with a staggering five A* grades.

The former Castle School student will go on to read maths and physics at St John’s College, Cambridge.

The new A* grade was introduced this year to identify students who achieve over 90% in their exams.

This year saw the college’s largest A-level entry and its ‘value added’ measure – which takes account of students who achieve higher than their expected grades - is the college’s best.

Of the college’s 51 A-level courses, 39 achieved a 100% pass rate and the overall pass rate was over 99%.

The figures show that 82% of the grades achieved were either A, B or C with 56% of all grades being A*/A/B band. There were 193 A* grades awarded this year at the college.

Ninety-nine students gained three or more A/A* grades including four students who gained at least 5 A/A* grades.

All 16 students who applied to Oxford and Cambridge have secured their places. The vast majority of A-level students at Richard Huish got their first choice of university.

Other high achievers include Jonathan Sykes, who previously attended Wellington School, who got four A*s and an A and will be going to Mansfield College, Oxford to read maths. Abigail Charlesworth secured her place at London University to study veterinary science with her two A*s and three As.

Richard Huish College principal Dr Peter Avery said: “We have every reason to celebrate; a great deal of hard work by very talented students and staff has produced a terrific set of results and a record number of students will move on to university this autumn.

“The A-level route that we specialise in has again proved right for all of our Oxbridge students and for hundreds of others aiming for competitive course at other universities.”

Highest achievers listed below:

  • Sarah Thomas (formerly Castle School) A*A*A*A*A*
  • Jonathan Sykes (formerly Wellington School) A*A*A*A*A
  • Abigail Charlesworth (formerly Huish Episcopi School) A*A*AAA
  • Rosemary Davey (formerly Tiverton) A*A*A*A*
  • Katherine Tailby (formerly St Augustines) A*A*A*A*
  • Jaxom Champion (formerly Stanchester) A*A*A*A
  • Rose Chesterton (formerly Haygrove) A*A*A*A
  • Marie Findlay (formerly Haygrove) A*A*A*A
  • Anastasia Miller (formerly Uffculme) A*A*A*A
  • Krystina Roope (formerly Court Fields) A*A*A*A
  • William Travis (formerly Haygrove) A*A*A*A
  • Timothy Williams (formerly Haygrove) A*A*A*A
  • Pok Yip (formerly from Hong Kong) A*A*A*A
  • Joseph Blackmore (formerly Uffculme) A*A*AA
  • Deiza Brooks (formerly Honiton Community College) A*A*AAB
  • Frances Carpenter (formerly Heathfield) A*A*AA
  • Elizabeth Walsh (formerly Taunton School) A*A*AA
  • Tomas Westlake (formerly Haygrove) A*AAAB
  • Danielle Beer (formerly Huish Episcopi School) A*AAA
  • Edward Balai (formerly Huish Episcopi School) A*AAA
  • Hannah McGown (formerly Wadham) A*AAA
  • Benjamin Passmore (formerly Castle) A*AAA
  • Madeleine Staple (formerly Heathfield) A*AAA
  • Holly Turton (formerly Stanchester) A*AAA
  • Hoang Vu (formerly International) A*AAA
  • Alexander Owen (formerly Kingsmead) AAAAB
  • Jessica Simpson (formerly Holyrood) AAAA
  • Justin Turner (formerly Kingsmead) AAAA
  • Caitlin Blumgart (formerly Queens College) A*A*A – Cambridge to read English
  • Michael Bradley (formerly Uffculme) A*A*A* - Kings London to read History
  • Emma Downs (formerly Castle) A*A*A* - Bristol University to read Medicine
  • Patrick Hollebon (formerly Bishop Fox’s) A*A*AC – Oxford to read Physics
  • Felicity Kerr (formerly Home Educated) A*A*A*BC – Dance at Laban, London
  • Maude Morrison (formerly Tiverton High School and President of RHC Student Council) A*A*A – Oxford to read PPE
  • Harriet Langley (formerly Huish Episcopi) A*A*AB – Oxford to read Classics.