PUPILS and teachers across Oxfordshire deserve our congratulations for yet another set of impressive A-Level results.

Some of Oxford’s biggest state schools achieved their best-ever results and the pass rate in the county beat the national figure.

High grades in the city were matched by pupils in schools around the county and headteachers praised their achievements against a backdrop of budget cuts.

Across Oxfordshire, there were clear examples of pupils battling against the odds to achieve the grades they needed.

They refused to be distracted or put off their studies, even when faced with the most distressing personal situations.

For the brightest pupils, picking up top grades has never been a problem, but staff in all schools have worked hard to ensure that all pupils, not just the most able, have been given an equal opportunity to achieve their goals.

Nationally, a record number of places were made available at top universities, but for some who did not achieve a perfect set of grades there was an anxious wait to see if the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service could help them get on a course.

Not everyone can, or wants to go to university, and it was refreshing to hear some confess they would much rather go straight into a job instead. Whatever choice they made, they were supported all the way by dedicated teaching staff.

See the full story here