Sixth form students at The Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield have been celebrating their A-level results today with 80% gaining places at their first choice universities.

The director of sixth form praised his students who performed well despite the "extraordinary set of circumstances" students found themselves in with the cancellation of exams due to coronavirus.

Mark Payne said: "Their hard work and dedication have always been exceptional and they consequently fully deserve the success that they have enjoyed today."

Nine students have secured places at the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge universities studying courses including Medicine, Veterinary Science, English Literature, Chemistry, Mathematics and Human, Social and Political Sciences.

The academy said a number of its students have also gone on to gain places on competitive apprenticeship programmes including with Barclays and local pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

The CEO of the Fallibroome Trust, Peter Rubery commented: "After the hiatus of the last few months and the uncertainty surrounding the award of grades it was great to see our students again today and celebrate their achievements.

"They deserve every success in securing the University place or opportunity of choice for the next stage of their lives. They have also been terrific leaders and, through their many and varied contributions, have maintained Fallibroome's reputation for excellence and community."

Results this year were calculated through the teachers submitting a predicted grade based on different assessments and past work which would then be moderated by Ofqual.

Fallibroome headteacher, Francis Power, paid tribute to the students, saying: "All through the last two years, this cohort of students has been on track to produce our best-ever A-Level results.

"Their hard work and dedication have always been exceptional and they consequently fully deserve the success that they have enjoyed today."

He added that the students have "contributed enormously" to the school community and acted as role models for others to follow.