SCHOOLS across Bexley were celebrating this morning with record breaking GCSE results.

Early indications show that the number of pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at A* to C grade has risen to 86.4 per cent - up from 81 per cent last year.

The number of students achieving five or more A* to C grades including English and Maths also rose to 60.9 per cent.

Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor John Fuller said: "These fantastic results are a reflection of the hard work our young people and school staff have put in.

"GCSEs are an important stepping stone in any young person's life marking as they do the beginning of further education or employment. I am delighted that the borough has done so well and wish all our students luck with whatever they choose to do next."

Townley Grammar School for Girls were celebrating their best year of results ever with a 100 per cent pass, with more than 70 per cent of grades A*s or As.

Headteacher Desmond Deehan said: “Everyone did brilliantly, it’s the best year ever for numbers of As and A*s. We have some very happy students, they have worked really hard for this.”

Four pupils, Molly McDonald, Talwinder Minhas, Caitlin Cordell and Lily Donnelly got 10 A*s.

Lily, 16, who is going to study chemistry, geography, maths and french at A-level, said: “I’m so happy with my results, I really wasn’t expecting them at all.”

Bexley Grammar School also had an outstanding day of results, with 49 per cent of all grades achieved As or A*s. Two star pupils, Christopher Piper and Sukvinder Sodhi, achieved 12 A*s, with a further eight students getting 10 or more A*s.

Headteacher John Welsh said: “ Throughout the list of results there are numerous personal successes and of course I am very proud of these wonderful achievements.

“Our Year 11 students have clearly worked very hard and this has been repaid by these excellent results.”

There was plenty to celebrate at Beths Grammar School, with 100 per cent of students getting five or more GCSEs at A* to C, and 54 per cent achieving at least five A*s and As.

Standout students were Rogba Oladimeji and Victor Jones, who both got 11 A*s and 2 A grades, as well as getting an A at AS.

Other top pupils were Michael Wheatley who achieved 2 As at AS and 4 A* and 7 A grades at GCSE, Fraser Walsh with 2 As at AS, 6 A* and 3 As at GCSE, Charles Dos Santos with 1 A at AS, 10 A* and 2 A grades at GCSE, Alex Kane with 1 A at AS, 9 A* and 3 As at GCSE and Adam Bligh Hassan with 1 A and 1 B at AS, 7A* and 3 As at GCSE.