The grounds of South Craven school were animated by the sounds of shrieks of joy and sixth formers hugging one another in the emotional

turmoil their A-level results.

Amid the chaos was Jimmy Christian, 18, of Long Lee, for whom it was a personal triumph to even sit any of his exams.

But with a broken finger from playing football and the death of his grandad, he managed to sail through with a B in Geography, C in General Studies and Sociology and a D in English Language.

He says: "My grandad died during my exams and I had to go to the funeral as well.

"I had to write with painkillers and was given 25% extra time, but I was left mentally drained."

But the hard work has earned him a place on the PE course at Carnegie College at Leeds.

Kay Hanson, 18 is over-joyed with her results of a B in Design & Technology, D in English and Psychology and an E in General Studies.

She says: "I am amazed I passed them all. I don't really need them - I was not expecting to do so well."

She plans to study holistic therapy at Craven College.

18-year-old Sharon Dredge, of Haworth, is all set to study Business and Management after gaining As in History and Business Studies, a B in English and C in General Studies.

She says: "I am very pleased with that. I thought I had done really bad."

John Snell, 18 of Silsden is unmoved by his excellent results of As in Business Studies and Psychology, C in General Studies and D in English Language.

He says: "I don't think I am going to university - I think I am going to have to turn that down, because I have a really good job now. I am working for a chartered surveyor and they will send me to college while I am working there."

Star pupil, Ellie Shardlow, 18, of Lothersdale scored straight As in Biology, Chemistry, French and General Studies.

"I am really shocked - I was predicted four As, and I was thinking I would get two of them, but Chemistry was harder than I expected," she says. Her plan is to study Forensic Science in France; her first steps towards this will be through a Chemistry and French degree at Herriot Watt College at Edinburgh University.

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