A school has praised its sixth form students following a leap in top grades.

Teenagers in Epping received their A-level and BTEC results on Tuesday from Epping St John’s Church of England School Sixth Form along with their peers around the country.

For the second year running, exams were cancelled due to the pandemic, with final grades based on assesments by teachers.

Those receiving results have had the last two years of study interrupted by the pandemic, with lessons moving online for months at a time.

Despite the challenges, Epping St John’s saw a boost in the number of top A* to A grades, as well as an increase in strong A* to C passes.

There were also more Year 13 students this year securing places at Russell Group universities on competitive courses, such as law, engineering and optometry, as well as a leap in students being accepted onto apprenticeship programmes with companies such as BT, Bloomberg and KPMG.

Head of school Mike Yerosimou and assistant head in charge of sixth form Flora Christofi said in a joint statement: “We are so proud of this wonderful group of students.

“The government announcement around exams came in January and it may have been tempting for students to down tools. Instead, Epping St John’s Year 13 students did anything but. It certainly would not have felt like exams were cancelled for them!

“They did a range of assessments over a period of months in all subject areas, showcasing their knowledge, skills and the fact that despite months away from in-school learning, they were able to achieve amazing things.

“It wasn’t the sixth form experience any of them expected two years ago, but we know they will be stronger for it. Every one of them will always be a big part of Epping St John’s.

“These results and this group of students demonstrate the new vision and direction of our wonderful sixth form. Coming to Epping St John’s offers a wide variety of pathways to access the very best universities and apprenticeships and gives students the tools they need to succeed in all aspects of further education and employment.”