STUDENTS across South and West Dorset celebrated a series of stunning A-level results.

Ecstatic students saw stars at the Thomas Hardye School with plenty of teenagers gaining the new top A* grade.

Some 11.6 per cent of the Dorchester school’s results were at A* – achieved by students scoring an A overall and at least 90 per cent in each paper in the second year of their A-level course.

Alice Budden and Rosie Brewster led the pack by racking up three A* grades, two of 58 students who gained five, four or three A* to A grades.

There was also an increase in the number of students gaining top grades.

Some 34.4 per cent of all grades were A* or A, a rise of one per cent on 2009’s results.

And the A* to C grade pass rate was also on the up, with 85.4 per cent of students achieving these grades – an increase of two per cent on last year.

The school achieved an overall pass rate of 99.1 per cent, with the national average at 97.6 per cent.

Headteacher Dr Iain Melvin praised the school’s Sixth Form ‘very high’ pass rates, which saw students gain 100 per cent pass rate in 34 subjects.

Student Alice, who got three A*s in French, English Litera-ture and History, will study English at Exeter University.

Fellow top student Rosie, of Dorchester, notched up three A*s in biology, maths and law and will be studying medicine at University College London.

She said: “I was shocked and couldn’t quite believe how well I had done. I’m going out with my friends to celebrate but I have to be at work tomorrow at 9am so it will have to be low-key.”

Dr Melvin said: “These very high pass rates mean the school remains at the forefront of A-level results nationally and provides a high quality of education for all the students.”

Budding journalist Charlotte Foot, from Weymouth, gained an A* in media studies alongside an A in English and a B in maths.

She now plans to study multi-media journalism at Bourne-mouth University.

Richard Peach and Daniel Rogers, both gained two A*s and an A. Richard is off to Cambridge University to study engineering while Daniel, who got 100 per cent in his German exams, will be reading French and German literature at University College London.

Young talent Rosie Dunlavey, 17, took her A-levels a year early after moving up a year group in middle school. She called her mum after learning she had an A*, an A and a B grade.

Lydia Baker, who got an A*, B and C, and will train to be a teacher at Plymouth University.

Her friend Nicolle Chainey achieved two As and an A* and will study events management at university.