A level success in Essex schools after percentage getting top grades A*s and As increased
Chigwell School had 11 students that didn't meet their grades, fewer than last year.
Cake, proud parents and Taylor Swift to celebrate - it's mostly smiles at Chigwell School today after 79 out of 90 children got the results they were after.
One student, Lucas, was beaming as he found out he'd secured his place at Oxford to study english and history:
"I was looking at the clock app watching the seconds go by. 8 o clock hit and I immediately refreshed my email... nothing. Immediately refreshed UCAS and they chucked me in a queue for four minutes. I've already done a countdown for six weeks I didn't want another countdown.
"But I was so relieved when I saw I got my place. AND I'm going to Taylor Swift this evening - what a celebration"
However for those that were disappointed, a deputy headmaster from Essex offered his advice:
"Please be reassured you will be fine. There is so much support out there you will find the right pathway," says Graham Brookes, deputy head of Bishops Stortford College.
He continues, "the key is to make sure you're in the right mindset. Be proactive and go to your teachers and your school. Take a pen, paper, and battery pack, as phone calls to Unis take time to get through. Make sure you take your UCAS number and any information about grade boundaries which your teachers will be able to provide.
"Teachers will be able to tell you how close you were to the grade above and advise if a review of your marking is in your best interest. Remember it is possible for grades to go down after reviewing.
"Ofqual's pages has specific information on reviewing your scripts.
"For students that missed their grades, this is a good opportunity to reflect on what you actually want to do and really enjoy. Others may recognise they'd like to see the world and take a valuable gap year."
New research highlights the changing attitudes towards further education with a quarter (25%) of school leavers believing they no longer need to go to university to get the job they want.
The research by apprenticeships provider, AAT also shows the rise in A-level school leavers working towards starting their own business with four in ten (35%) working towards becoming their own boss.
Vocational and technical qualifications are now the most popular choice for further study after A-levels (43%), followed by university (38%).
97.3 per cent of A-level students in the South East of England have passed their exams this year.
But the proportion of those getting an A* to E is down slightly on last year - when it was 97.5 per cent.
However - the percentage getting top grades A* and As has gone up from 30.3 to 30.8.