PUPILS in Darlington were celebrating record results in their GCSE examinations yesterday.

Among the state schools, 50.1 per cent of pupils gained five or more A* to C grades - a 1.4 per cent rise on last year, and five per cent up on 2000.

Carmel RC Technology College set a record among Darlington Borough Council's schools with almost 74 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades.

A number of students achieved several A* and A grades, including David Trenholme, 16, who achieved ten A*s.

The GCSE success follows the school's A-level pass rate of 98.5 per cent.

Headteacher James O'Neill said: "The A*-C rate is one which will compete with the best schools in the country and is a measure of the quality of education provided at Carmel."

At the private Polam Hall School, 89 per cent of pupils received five or more A* to C grades after getting a 100 per cent A-level pass rate last week.

Polam pupil Deborah Cullinan's GCSE success this year was not her first - she passed her GCSE French with an A* when she was only 11.

The 16-year-old, from Hurworth, took her first GCSE at a young age because she had lived in France until the age of six and wanted to sit the exam before she forgot her French skills.

Yesterday, she increased her tally by adding eight A* passes and two A grades.

Hurworth and Eastbourne schools both broke their own record results as the two secondaries prepare to forge a federation.

The union, between top-performing Hurworth and Eastbourne, which was on special measures this year, will be the first of its kind in the country.

New federation chief executive, Eamonn Farrar, said: "I'm over the moon with both schools' results. It shows what can be achieved by these youngsters. What is exciting about the federation is that it will be able to bring in even better results in the future at both schools."

At Eastbourne School, 28.7 per cent of pupils achieved five A* to C grades - an increase of 8.7 per cent on last year's results.

Hurworth Comprehensive School broke records with a 70 per cent A* to C pass rate, with 149 A* and A grades across the year.

Andrew Bernstone gained top marks in the year, achieving straight A* and A grades.

Haughton saw 33.3 per cent of pupils gain five or more A* to C grades.

At Branksome, the rate was 39.7 per cent, Longfield School achieved 44.9 per cent, and Hummersknott saw 60.5 per cent of its pupils with five A* to C grades.

At private boys' school Hurworth House, with a class size of only 14, there was an 85 per cent A* to C pass rate.