RECORD breaking GCSE results have been achieved by students across Wharfedale, Airedale and Horsforth.

In Rawdon, Benton Park Technology College pupils secured some outstanding results.

Danielle Kaminski notched up a full set of 12 A* grades and was amongst the top five in the country for English and English Literature.

Hot on her heels was Samantha Miller, who also achieved 12 A grades, including eight A*s.

Benton Park Head teacher Anne Clarke said: "It's always an exciting time of year seeing young people rewarded for their hard work. We look forward to welcoming most of them into the sixth form where we're sure they will continue to do well."

Students and staff at Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley also had cause to celebrate.

The school recorded a pass rate of over 72 per cent and saw pupils in several subjects, including chemistry, physics and textiles achieve 100 per cent A* to C grades.

There were also more than 90 per cent A* to C grades recorded in biology, art and design, Spanish and statistics.

Acting Head teacher John Dean said: "We're delighted with the students' performance and we're up by nearly six percentage points on the score last year, that's close to our best ever performance.

"And we have had a good percentage of the higher grades, as we always do, with a number of subjects doing particularly well.

"Just under nine per cent of our students are getting A*s, just under 18 per cent As and more than 22 per cent Bs.

"It has been an outstanding performance by students both at GCSE and A level."

Guiseley School was also reflecting on its best ever results. 74 per cent of its students got at least five A to C grades, almost a quarter were either A* or A and nearly half were A* to B. in addition, 97 per cent of students got at least one A* to G grade.

Head teacher David Lowe said: "There have been a lot of very happy faces. There is a great deal of hard work that goes into making sure that students get the best results they can - from staff and students supported by parents.

"Waiting for results is a very anxious time, but everybody who has been involved should feel a sense of real satisfaction. These are very good results with students now in a position to take the next steps whatever those are going to be.

"Most of our students will be going on to continue their education and with these results behind them they will be able to do the courses they planned. Today should be a day of celebration for students, staff and parents."

Horsforth School saw almost 70 per cent of all its students attain five or more grades at A* to C - the best results the school has ever achieved.

Every student at the school achieved a qualification with 96 per cent of all candidates getting five or more grades at A* to G.

Head teacher Steve Jex said: "These superb results are a testimony to the commitment to learning at our school. In partnership with parents, our staff rigorously monitor student progress and performance, encouraging the use of our out of hours facilities for independent learning.

"Special mention should be made to Diana Wu and Liam Coatman, both of whom gained nine grades at A*.

"Emma Pearson and Katherine Shearer gained seven grades at A* with Catherine Speare, Lewis Denby and Joseph Whittingon gaining six.

"Valerie Lodge was in the top five candidates in French in the country with over 130,000 taking this language."

Menston St Mary's RC Comprehensive School was also celebrating its best ever GCSE results - just a week after getting its best ever A Level results.

Head teacher Mike Pyle said: "We are very, very pleased. They are our best ever results. They are similar to last year, but just slightly better."

Mr Pyle said the school was particularly pleased because the GCSE year had a higher than usual number of boys.

"We have a very high proportion of boys, 99 lads to 75 girls and felt that we have done very well with such a high proportion of boys. It has been a tremendous effort by staff and pupils."

He said the school worked hard to make sure each individual pupil worked within their potential and achieved the best possible results.

Ilkley Grammar School is celebrating its best ever GCSE results. Bettering last year's record of 76 per cent five or more A*-C grades, the school achieved 80.47 per cent this year.

Twenty-eight per cent of students attained the top A*/A grades and over half (per cent A*-B grades. Almost half the year group, 123 students, achieved 9 or more A*-C grades.

Richard Brown achieved a 'clean sweep' of nine A* while Eleanor Woodhouse achieved eight A* and 2 A grades.

Seven students achieved six or more A*s. Even more impressively, two students, Amy Colclough and Natasha Slater, were in the top five in the country from 15,899 candidates in RE.

Headteacher Gillian James was delighted that high standards were being surpassed. "To see 80 per cent of students achieve five or more A*-C grades is quite an achievement.

"We have high expectations of our students but they have to work hard to meet them. These results are an impressive testament to both our teachers' and students' commitment as well as their ability."

She was, however, keen to point out that high performing exam results are only part of the story.

"We are a comprehensive school and many students do really well to achieve more modest grades: they deserve our congratulations too.

"Raw results also only give a partial picture. Until we can see the value added scores we cannot identify those who performed above expectation and really excelled."

The future, however, looks bright in the Sixth Form, with record numbers already signed up and others welcome to apply if they contact the school when it opens for staff training days on September 5 and 6

"As a Specialist School we have some exacting targets to meet", Mrs James admitted, "ut we feel we can be better still and look forward to another high achieving year ahead."

A pair of Wharfedale boys studying at Leeds Grammar School, meanwhile, James Solyom of Bramhope and Alexander Cherry of Pool in Wharfedale, both notched up ten straight A* passes.

James Solyom is also one of the top ten scoring candidates in the country (out of 42,988 candidates) for Edexel GCSE Religious Studies, while Alexander Cherry scored one of the top five national marks for his AQA GCSE in History (out of 51,064 candidates).

Over three quarters of GCSE passes at Leeds Grammar School were at grades A* and A this year, the pass rate for the top grades up 10 per cent on last year at 76.6 per cent.