Sheffield students celebrate after receiving their GCSE results

At Forge Valley School, the foyer was a hive of activity as dozens of teenagers eagerly arrived just after 9am, ready to collect that all important envelope and reveal their grades.

This year, the school in Stannington saw 61 per cent of its pupils achieve a Grade 4 - equivalent to a C on the old GCSE grading system - in English and Maths with 59 per cent gaining a Grade 4 or higher in five or more subjects.

It was all smiles for Isabel Johnson, 16, of Wisewood, who said she was shaking with nerves before opening her results.

She said: "It's such a big deal because you remember it for the rest of your life. However I'm really happy with my results, you put so much pressure on yourself then you realise it has paid off. I was really worried about my biology because I came out the exam crying but I've got an 8 in that so I'm really happy with it.

"The only thing I'm disappointed in English because I only got 6's but I find that really hard, but other than that they're good. I'm now going to stay at Forge Valley Sixth Form doing biology, geography, chemistry and maths. I want to do medicine so I really want to go to university. I'd love to be a surgeon or something like that but if my A-Levels don't work out maybe midwifery.

"I phoned my mum, and she has a family business and works with my nan and my auntie and they were all on the phone crying."

Meanwhile Summer Evans-Akers, 16, of Fox Hill, revealed she was planning on celebrating her results with friends.

She added: "I was quite nervous before opening my results as I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know if I was going to do well. But, I'm quite happy with the majority of my results, the grades I've got are what I expected. I'm very happy with sport becuse I got a Distinction* and I feel like that's the subject I worked hard for and spanish as well. Sport is something I'd like to do at sixth form and then at university as well."

And despite not doing as well as he'd hoped in some subjects, Emre Akyigit, 16, of Stannington, is now planning on continuing his studies in psychology, english language, IT and maths at Forge Valley Sixth Form.

He said: "I wasn't nervous before because you can't really change your results at this stage. I just thought whatever it is it is, if you're disappointed with it then be disappointed but then move on. I knew that some of my exams hadn't gone amazingly, and after looking at my results I felt they were OK but in maths I got a 6 when I wanted a 7."

Most subjects are now graded one to nine instead of the lettered A* to G, with 7, 8 and 9 representing a high pass equivalent to an A* and A.

The results at Forge Valley showed that at least 70 per cent of all grades this year were above a Grade 4.

Dale Barrowclough, Headteacher of Forge Valley, said: “Pupils receiving their GCSE grades today have been celebrating alongside their teachers. Their exam success is a result of their hard work and the unfaltering support given to them by staff at Forge Valley. We wish all our pupils every success for the future.”