SCHOOLS and colleges across Teignbridge are celebrating their best GCSE results yet, a week after A levels results also broke records.

Teign School, South Dartmoor Community College, Newton Abbot College, Trinity School and Teignmouth Community College all said their results this year are unsurpassed.

The rise in the number of A*-C grades had headteachers reaching for superlatives – 'outstanding', 'impressive' and 'amazing'. In many subjects, schools saw a 100 per cent pass rate.

Teignmouth College principal Tony Gray said: 'These are fantastic results that will give the students a good launch into their chosen adult career path.'

Andrew Davis, principal of Dawlish Community College said the results were a tribute to students' ability and hard work.

Deputy head of Teign School Martin Griggs: 'Teign School is once again delighted with the performance of our students. We continue to be one of the top performing schools within Devon.'

Newton Abbot College principal Gareth Davies commented: 'I am absolutely delighted that students' hard work has paid off with these great results. Our target was to place the college in the top 25 per cent of schools by 2011 and we believe these results may have got us there two years ahead of schedule.'

Stover student, Olivia Morton became the first pupil there to achieve a remarkable 13 GCSEs at grade A*.

'I could not stop shaking. I am so pleased with my results, they were better than I ever expected,' she said.

Headteacher Susan Bradley said that the numbers gaining eight or more GCSEs at A*-C had jumped 22 per cent.

In the battle of statistics, 86 per cent of Trinity School students got top grades.

At Teignmouth Community College, 70 per cent of students got five A*-C grades.

At Teign School, 72 per cent of students got five A*-C grades, 60 per cent if English and maths are included.

Coombeshead saw 53 per cent of students get five or more top grades. At Newton Abbot College, the figure was 60 per cent and at South Dartmoor College 75 per cent scored top grades, 60 per cent if subjects included maths and English.

High performing students include Alice Smiddy, Danielle Cornish and Florentina Papanicola from Teignmouth Community College, who gained 11 A* GCSEs. Jennifer Higgins from Coombeshead got 7.5 A* grades and 3.5 A grades as well as a grade B in A level music.

Trinity students, Serena Gosden, Jamie Issac-Richards, Danielle Rickard and Sam Homer, all got 10 A* or A GCSEs.

At South Dartmoor, Platt Nathanya got eight GCSE at A* and Alex Courtier and Callum Taylor each got seven A* grades.

Girls outperformed boys at South Dartmoor, with 87 per cent of girls achieving the top grades in five GCSEs compared to 65 per cent of boys.

Principal Ray Tarleton said: 'The results were predicted and every student was monitored and challenged. But there is a difference between prediction and achievement and this year staff and students together have triumphed.'