Students at Ipswich High school in Woolverstone have achieved a record-breaking set of A level results.

Almost half of all grades (48%) awarded are A or A* and the number of A*s awarded to students tripled from previous figures in 2019 to 18% (against the nationally predicted figure of 8%).

This A and A* performance is a 43% increase on the school's previous leading grades in Suffolk in 2019. Those students achieving A*-B grades increased by a further 9% on last year's record, to over 70%, and 94% of students achieved A*-C grades.

The results are higher across the board against the school's previous successful record in 2019, when the school achieved some of the highest grades in the top performing schools in Suffolk.

New head teacher Mark Howe, who became the first head of the Ipswich High School in July of this year, told the school website: "To have almost half of all A-level grades at A* and A is phenomenal! The school's consistent high-achieving academic record and the reputation of the specialist staff are one of the many reasons I am excited to take up the headship at this impressive school."

"We do know that 33 of our students' grades have been changed by the exam boards from those submitted by our teachers, based on mock exams and coursework performance, and we will continue to fully support those students with the appropriate appeals process and their UCAS applications. With this in mind, we anticipate these extraordinary results may go up further as a result of these appeals."

Nicola Griffiths, the school's Acting Head during the spring and summer term, added: "I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all of our students that are receiving their A level results today.

"We are delighted with these record-breaking results – although consistent with our strong academic past, these are the best in the school's history and 96% of our students have been offered places at their chosen university this year; this is testament to the students and specialist teaching staff, who have worked extremely hard in such a challenging year and this has well and truly paid off. I wish them all the best for the future and look forward to hearing about their next steps.

"This is a landmark year for the school, as we celebrate the achievements of our first cohort of boys who joined our Sixth Form in 2018 too."

Ipswich High School are one of only a small number of further education providers who proactively encourage students to study an Extended Project Qualification in addition to three or four A levels.

Head of Sixth Form Rob Hastings explained: "In addition to A Levels, we recommend our students take an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), something that more and more universities like to see in an application. An EPQ allows a student to immerse themselves in researching a diverse topic in which they're really interested over a period of time, gaining research and analytical skills that are hugely beneficial when they start their university courses. 100% of our students who completed the EPQ gained either an A* or A, which is an incredible achievement."

The university courses that students have chosen to go on to study reflect the broad curriculum of subjects and co-curricular activities their time at the school has enabled them to experience; from Medicine, Veterinary Science, Biochemistry, Engineering and Law through to Languages, Musical Theatre, Media and Architecture.

Emily Fillbrook, who received the Elliston Scholarship offered to GCSE pupils at local state schools, achieved four A* grades in Biology, Chemistry, French and Maths and will be reading Biochemistry at Bristol University.

Emily said: "I am absolutely thrilled, and speechless, with my results and so grateful to my teachers for their support. My Sixth Form experience has been fantastic and really enabled me to focus on my subjects and try new things, while concentrating on the grades I needed to get on to the course I wanted.

The school's first male Head of School, Charles Creed, will be attending Lancaster University to study International Relations, following an unconditional offer from the institution. Charles said: "It has been exciting to be one of the first boys to complete A levels in the Sixth Form at Ipswich High School, but regardless of gender, the Sixth Form is a hugely supportive community with a wonderful atmosphere."

Alex Nikoloudakis, who also joined the school's Sixth Form in 2018, is destined for the RAF at Cranwell in Lincolnshire to train as an RAF pilot.