PUPILS across the county celebrated record-breaking success in their GCSE exams.

Budmouth schoolboy Oliver Mulley scooped a record-breaking 14 A*s and one A – the highest ever result in the school’s history.

The top performing pupil from Thomas Hardye, Tim Lawson, achieved an impressive 13 A*s while Megan Shore gained 10 A*s and one A.

Wey Valley School pupil Emily Flinn, 16, of Osmington, achieved the highest results in the year with seven A*s and two As.

Brother and sister, Mitchell and Fern Beard, from Royal Manor Arts College notched up 25 GSCE’s at grade A* to C between them.

David Akers, principal of Budmouth Technology College, said that the percentage of students who achieved A* to C was higher than ever this year.

He said 76 per cent of pupils within the Chesil Education Partnership, including Budmouth Technology College, Wey Valley School and Sports College, Royal Manor School and All Saints C of E School, achieved five A* to C grades.

Phil Thomas, headteacher of Wey Valley School and Sports College, added: “That is quite a leap over the past two or three years. We are all delighted.”

Budmouth’s Mr Akers added: “This is a massive increase on last year and it shows the direct result of collaboration between the four secondary schools because we all work together.

“This is the best set of results ever. We are really pleased.”

Students at Budmouth ripped open their results to find a string of top marks. Mr Akers said the pupils had exceeded the school’s target yet again.

He said: “We set a target for each year group to be in the top 25 per cent of all the schools nationally. Once again, this year we have exceeded that target.

“We are delighted for the students because they have worked really hard to get such fantastic results.”

Oliver Mulley, 16, of Weymouth, was delighted when he found out he had achieved 14 A*s and an A.

He said: “I was keeping my fingers crossed for those results so I’m pleased.

“I’m going to stay on for sixth form to do maths, further maths, physics and German.”

Hayley Liddle, 16, from Chickerell, was also pleased with her seven A*s and five As. She said: “I was hoping mainly for Bs so this is a massive shock.”

Elesha Vooght, 16, from Portland, said she was surprised with her 8 A*s and 4 As. She said: “I had no idea I would get these results.

“My grandad died in between exams and I kept on revising but my head was elsewhere. He would have been proud.”

n lucy.pearce@dorsetecho.co.uk