STUDENTS, parents, governors and teachers at a Newton Aycliffe school are looking forward to an evening of celebration.

This year's GCSE results at Woodham Community Technology College produced some spectacular successes, which will be acknowledged at the event next Thursday.

The top 12 students achieved 109 A* and A grades between them. Carly Price achieved 11 straight A*s on her own, plus another four A grade equivalents by way of a distinction in GNVQ ICT.

Two Woodham students were in the top five nationwide in GCSE history, which covered 23,500 entries.

A school spokeswoman said: "The college is firmly committed to high expectations and high standards and if examination results further down the school are any measure, there are some bumper years ahead."

More than three-quarters of Woodham's Year 9 students achieved the national target Level 5 in maths, science and English.

In maths, 24 per cent of students reached Level 7 or 8, grades that identify the country's most able mathematicians.

An express group of Year 10 students took GCSE maths one year early and over 90 per cent gained A or B grades.

The spokeswoman said: "Aycliffe can be justly proud of its young people and their spectacular achievements."