HARD work paid off for dozens of students as they celebrated picking up top marks.

Pupils at Colchester County High School for Girls recorded outstanding results.

Eighteen students achieved nine Grade 9s and 13 students achieved ten Grade 9s.

The school’s executive principal Gillian Marshall thanked the pupils and families for their unfailing support.

She said: "These superb examination grades have truly been earned and the students have an amazing journey ahead of them.”

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Charlotte Fright was among those achieving ten Grade 9s.

She will be continuing her studies with A levels in Psychology, Biology, Chemistry and Geography.

She said: “I have found all my teachers really supportive and approachable, they were always available if I needed to go to them for help.”

Her passion for art has seen her helping to run art clubs and enrichment activities for her fellow pupils

She will study A-levels in art, maths, physics and chemistry.

Isabella Thompson got ten Grade 9s in her GCSEs.

She will continue to study at the County High School for Girls with A-levels in maths, Latin, German and English.

She said: “I particularly enjoy the history and the texts that we study in Latin, and I’m looking forward to being able to study subjects in greater depth.”

Fellow pupil Lucy Smith also achieved ten Grade 9s.

She is looking forward to the college-like atmosphere when she studies at the sixth form.

She will be studying maths, chemistry, biology and classics A-levels.

Students from Colchester High School are celebrating a successful year of GCSE results.

In total 97 per cent of grades were Grade 4 or above.

The school also saw 88.6 per cent of grades at Grade 5 or above and 43.5 per cent of grades were 7 or above.

There were also 14 subjects which achieved a 100 per cent pass rate.

Top performers included Josh Mitchell who achieved 11 GCSEs all at grade 9 and Nora Martin who achieved nine GCSEs at grade 9 and one grade 8.

Head teacher David Young said: “This year has certainly been a challenging and anxious time for our Year 11 pupils and it is such a pleasure to celebrate today with our students such excellent GCSE results.

“These results are testimony to the hard work of our pupils combined.”

St Mary’s School in Lexden saw 96 per cent of all candidates achieved five or more GCSEs of Grade 4 and above, including Maths and English.

The school also boasted a 100 per cent pass rate in 22 subjects.

St Mary’s principal Hilary Vipond praised pupils for their dedication in tricky times.

She said: “I am incredibly proud of our girls’ achievement at GCSE.

“In these difficult times it is only right and proper that the staff who know the girls so well are the ones providing the Centre Assessed Grades, and with a low staff turnover very many of the girls have been taught by a member of staff for five years.

“These super results are a reflection of all their hard work.”