PUPILS across Tynedale are celebrating another year of excellent GCSE results.

Students sat GCSE exams for the first time in three years this summer, after they were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At Ponteland High School, 26 per cent of all students achieved five or more of the highest grades, i.e. Grades 7-9 (previously A*-A).

READ MORE: GCSE RESULTS 2022: Live updates and reaction from across Tynedale

Ponteland High School Headteacher, Stefan McElwee said: “Despite the challenges and adversity faced by our Year 11 students over the past two years they have achieved fantastic GCSE results.

"They have experienced significant disruption to their studies yet have shown resilience and determination to achieve their best, despite the national challenges of the pandemic.

"All of our students should be extremely proud of themselves; they have shown a strength of character and work ethic to be proud of. I look forward to celebrating their results with them and I am extremely proud of their many achievements.

“We will now look forward to welcoming many of them back into our Sixth Form. I am confident they will benefit from a more stable period of education and they can look forward to further successes at A-Level and beyond.”

Notable performances include:

All subjects awarded at Grade 9

Isla Cardno

All subjects awarded at Grade 8 and 9

Lauren Campbell

Rebecca Green

Jamie Ho

Myles Paparesti

Charlie Walker

Conor Wallace

All subjects awarded at Grade 7, 8 and 9

Sam Adamson

Katie Charlton

Liam Davies

Natalie Fielding

Rohan Ghai

Tyler Hannant

Fraser Heron

Charlie Lattimore

Emily Johnson

Holly Jones

Sara Kibble

Emna Mekki

Ruby Nagra

Ellie Shorton

Jessica Shorton

Phoebe Skinner

Adam Turnbull

Lucy Wallace

Nationally, top grades for GCSEs are down on last year – but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.

A total of 26.3 per cent of entries were awarded 7/A or above, down from 28.9 per cent in 2021 but up from 20.8 per cent in 2019.

Some 73.2 per cent of entries received a 4/C grade or above this year. This is down from 77.1 per cent last year, but higher than 67.3 per cent in 2019.