A-LEVEL students across Down celebrated this week with results above the Northern Ireland average.
At Assumption Grammar in Ballynahinch the school achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at A2 level, which they said had exceeded their own targets.
Some 90 per cent of all grades were between A* and C. Of these, 19 students achieved at least three A* to A grades. Four students sitting four A2 levels also achieved at least four A grades.
At AS level, 17 students gained at least three A grades and two students got five straight grade As.
Principal Paul McBride said he was delighted with this "outstanding performance".
"I am so pleased that every single year 14 student passed all of her A levels," he said.
"It is a time of celebration for the trustees, Board of Governors, teaching and support staff, and parents and pupils who play their own unique and particular roles to ensure that Assumption Grammar School remains a centre of curricular and extracurricular excellence, which is secured through a strong ethos and pastoral care system."
At Down High School over a fifth of Upper Sixth pupils achieved at least three A or A* grades. These included four A* performances from Clare Cunningham and Jamie Harris, which secures Jamie’s place at Cambridge University just as Sara Brown’s A* grades gain her entry to Oxford University.
Principal Paul Logan said he was delighted to see so many happy pupils on Thursday morning.
"I am particularly pleased with the excellent performances of so many of the large number of lower sixth pupils who joined us from other schools last summer," he said. "The support of the South Eastern Regional College has been particularly helpful in making our new BTEC courses such a success.
"We also plan to launch BTEC Business this September as well as our new A-level in computer programming, which is called Software Systems Design.
Mr. Logan added: “I want to congratulate the staff on ensuring that the proportion of Down High pupils heading to university continues to be massively above the grammar school average.”
St. Patrick's Grammar School said they were celebrating their best ever AS results and reported a 10 per cent increase in students attaining three A* to C grades at A2 level.
Of all the A-level exams taken in the school, 99 per cent were A*-E pass grades and 86 per cent were A*-C. Almost 25 per cent of all exam results were A*-A grades.
Principal Sean Sloan said: "I congratulate all our students —those who have been with us for seven years and those who have joined us at post-16 on their excellent results.
"In particular, I wish to pay tribute to the dedication of my staff, pupils and their parents who once again have demonstrated that it is the strength of the partnership between all three that contributes to our ongoing success."
Of the 33,000 students who received A-level results across Northern Ireland, there was a small decrease in the percentage achieving the top grades but a slight rise in those getting passes.
The proportion of entries achieving A*-E pass grades rose slightly to 98.2 per cent (98.1 per cent in 2012). The number of students achieving A* and A grades ped to 30.7 per cent this year compared to 31.9 per cent in 2012.
Principal of St. Colman’s High School, Mark Morgan, said his students studied a combination of academic and vocational A-levels, with a substantial number securing university places.
With an overall 100 per cent achievement at A-level, he said 75 per cent of St. Colman’s students who studied at least two A-levels achieved those at grades A to C.
“These results have been achieved by the dedication of the hard working staff and the consistent support of students’ parents,” said Mr. Morgan. “After our very good inspection I am pleased to report the success of our students at A-level and look forward to following their endeavours in their chosen career.”