A RETIRING principal is leaving his college on a high after students gained their best ever A-level results.

David Heaton, who yesterday officially retired as principal of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, said the record results were a "great moment on which to finish" his career.

The 730 students entered for the exams had a pass rate of 99.2 per cent - beating last year's record results by 0.3 per cent.

The students also achieved a high grade rate of 51.2 per cent.

Mr Heaton said he felt the results were all the more remarkable given the number of students who sat exams.

He said: "We have a relatively low level of entry requirements and to get that kind of pass rate with the huge quantity of entrants is fantastic.

"I don't think there will be another college in the North-East with as many as 700 A-level entrants."

Mr Heaton added that the successful results were the culmination of a well-executed handover by the staff and governors to incoming principal Tim Fisher.

However, he hit back at suggestions that A-levels had got easier over the years.

He said: "Those criticing seem to suggest that everything in the past was just so.

"But I've been principal for 21 years and it wasn't just so.

"It's a different approach. I would challenge anyone who has done A-levels to do them now and I wouldn't expect them to find them any easier.

"Students are put under much more pressure now than ever before. In the past, some students might have been satisfied with a grade B, but now they would not be satisfied by that grade."

Mr Heaton said he would be leaving the college on a high.

He said: "It's a great moment on which to finish because we've had year-on-year improvement.

"I feel very confident that the college is in good hands in all sorts of ways. Success breeds success and a lot of people who work here are dedicated to achieving the best possible results."

Mr Fisher said he was delighted at the results but there would be no room for complacency.

He added: "It's equally a good moment for me to start.

"These sort of pass rates put us as one of the best performing sixth form colleges in the country. I look forward to working with future generations of QE students to ensure similar successes for them."