A-level students at Hertswood - Borehamwood's only secondary school - celebrated results as staff hailed another year of significant improvement'.

The percentage of students who got an A grade doubled from last year, from five per cent to ten, but remained someway below the national average of 22.1 per cent.

Almost a quarter of students got an A or B grade (22 per cent) and nearly half got an A, B or C grade at A-level (44 per cent).

The overall pass rate stayed at 91 per cent, compared to an average in England this year of 96.6 per cent.

Jan Palmer-Sayer, the headteacher, said: "We are very pleased, thrilled to bits. These results reflect an incredible amount of hard work and dedication on the part of students and staff. This school has, since day one, been about improving the opportunities of our students."

Out of 51 A-level candidates entered this year, 35 will be going on to further education next year having achieved the results they needed.

There was a mixed reaction yesterday as students discovered their grades at Hertswood's upper site, in Thrift Farm Lane.

Emma Cullen, 18, from Borehamwood, got the three As she needed to get into Oxford University, where she will be studying physics next year.

Clutching a bottle of champagne, she said: "I'm absolutely amazed, I thought I had messed up but you just never know."

Teacher Dave Porter said: "I'm very proud of her, she has worked extremely hard through difficult circumstances to make sure she got there. She's the kind of student you want."

Emma Hill, 18, whooped for joy after discovering she had got AAC grades, enough to get her into University College London to study Science.

"I'm ecstatic, it's not what I expected at all. When I opened the envelope I just thought those aren't my grades'," she said.

Denis Bilal, 19, from Balmoral Drive, also got the results he was looking for.

He said: "I got BCD, which is enough to get into the University of Hertfordshire to study business management."

Raphaella Sichel, the director of the sixth form, said: "Whatever people say, these exams are hard. They get results because they work for them. I'm delighted and so happy, some of them have overcome a lot of obstacles, it's actually very emotional."

But for those students who didn't get the results they were looking for, all is not lost.

Ali Sherrif, from further education advisery service Connexions, said: "Don't give up. Those who have done better than expected can come to us and re-apply and those who didn't do so well can come to us and bounce back to another university."

For advice on clearing you can call the UCAS helpline on 08701122211 or call Connexions on 080 800 13219.