It's the most anxious and exciting day of the year for 16-year-olds across Thanet as they found out their GCSE results.

This year pupils have faced some academic changes with the new grading system.

In English literature and language, English literature and maths the results are now marked with numbers instead of grades, with 9-7 being the equivalent of a high A* to A grade.

Year 11 Students at Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School are celebrating an overall pass rate of 95% and 34% of grades at A*/A and new grading 9-7.

Head teacher Debra Liddicoat said: "This has been a challenging two years for both students and staff trying to get to grips with all the changes to GCSE courses with limited guidance from exam boards and coupled with the fact that the Government have made no secret of the fact that the exams this year were harder.

"Students and staff should be incredibly proud of these results, they have all worked really hard together to ensure students could achieve their potential."

Pupil Lucy Blomfield was among the star performers.

The 16-year-old got five A*s, two As, one 9, one 8 and one 7.

She said: "I'm really happy but I'm a bit surprised.

"I worked hard but I thought some of the exams went badly but I did much better than I thought."

She is going on to sixth form next year to study history and sciences.

Rohan Terenghi will be in the school's sixth form next year after achieving three A*s, five As and three 8s.

He said: "Everything went how I wanted it to so I'm pleased. I revised especially hard for maths and I got an A in computer science that I wasn't expecting."

Top grades at Ramsgate's St Lawrence College have increased again this year, with 13% of all GCSE grades at A*, and 1/3 of all grades A* or A.

Principal Antony Spencer said: “I am delighted by the way our pupils responded
to the more challenging GCSEs, and they clearly have much success ahead of them at
both A Level and for university entry.”

Top performing pupils at Birchington's King Ethelbert School included Molly Brace-Traynor with three A*s, four As, two 9s and one 8, and Juvina Amada-Chan with four A*s, one A, one B, one 8, and two 6s.

Head teacher Kate Greig said: "We are very proud of the achievements of our Year 11
cohort who worked hard to get these excellent grades.

"This year the new specifications meant even greater things had to be done by the students but they rose to the challenge. We are delighted by the outcomes that these students so thoroughly deserve."

Pupils and staff at Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs are also celebrating.

Head of School Richard Morgan said: "I am pleased for the students as so many have worked incredibly hard to achieve good results.

"Many of them have the entrance criteria needed to continue with their first choice post-16 provision.

"This is a transitional period for both the school, now a sponsored academy, and for the GCSE examination system. I am positive the school will continue to grow from strength to
strength."

A total of 46% of pupils achieved five A*-C grades, and 36% of pupils achieved more than five A*-C grades including maths and English.

The head teacher of Ramsgate's Royal Harbour Academy, Simon Pullen, is pleased with how his Year 11 pupils responded to having to adapt to new qualifications within a short time frame.

Notable results included Rhiannon Hensman, who achieved 11 GCSE passes at C or above with two A*s and one A grade. Jasmine Clarke was also awarded 11 passes, including one A* and two A grades.

Ryan Farr, Brooke Potter and Vasilina Kalashnikova all secured 10 GCSE passes at C and above with Vasilina being awarded two A*s and one A, and Brooke receiving one A* and one A grade.