Nerves and anxiety soon turned to joy and relief for many pupils as they tentatively opened their A-Level results today.
A night of worry was soon forgotten as university offers rolled in and plans were put in place for exciting future careers.
At Campbell College, vice-principal Will Keown said they were celebrating their best A-Level results in at least 15 years.
“It is pleasing as a school but to be honest it is much more about the individuals, we have known most of them for at least seven years, some longer,” he said.
“Seeing them, and their parents, enjoying the fruits of all their hard work, it is very rewarding for us and their teachers and hearing where they are off to next.”
Former head boy Rex Tinsley, who has boarded at the school for five years, was delighted to walk away with three A grades in Maths, Chemistry and Physics.
He is now preparing to move to Edinburgh to study chemical engineering.
“I was very nervous, it would not have mattered if I had thought I had done well, I was always going to be nervous,” he said.
“I am so happy with my results and my parents are thrilled as well.”
Max McDermott, from East Belfast , said he was “excited and chuffed” after finding out he had got an A* and two A grades. The 18-year-old had come to Campbell College after getting a 54 in his AQE and said the school had helped him excel.
At Abbey Community College, staff and pupils were over the moon after receiving excellent results. Principal Maria Quinn said 88% of all grades were A*-C and 67% of all children received three or more A*-C grades, a 4% increase on last year.
“The grades are a testament to really good teaching, a lot of hard work from the kids and staff and support from parents, it is a real team effort,” she said.
Emma Meek, Courtney Campbell and Lauren Verner were all delighted when they picked up their results and started planning their next steps.
Lauren, from Carrick, got an A*, B and C and is now heading on to study Art at Ulster University.
She helped pal Courtney, from Newtownabbey , who couldn’t face opening her own results, and got to break the happy news to her that she received an A* and two B grades.
“I was ecstatic, I got my friend to open them as I was crying before that, I was a mess but now I am over the moon,” said Courtney, who is going on to study Business Management at Queen’s University .
Matthew Boyd picked up his results with mum Joanne Whyte and said they were both “very proud” after he found out he had earned an A*, A and C grades.
Curtis Hill and dad Samuel were equally delighted with the 18-year-old Monkstown teenager’s results, two A*s and a C. He is now planning to study at Stranmillis alongside his sister.
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