Students at Barrow Sixth Form celebrated another exceptional set of A level results in the college’s milestone 40th year.

Students were jumping for joy as they opened their results with many achieving a superb set of top grades - including many A*s.

There were shouts of delight at the Rating Lane campus as the students gathered to collect their grades and speak to tutors who were on hand to celebrate and advise on next steps.

Around 200 students will now leave college having secured their first-choice of university place, a higher apprenticeship or apprenticeship or into jobs with major local employers including BAE Systems and Sellafield.

Among those celebrating was Hannah Dixon, a former Furness Academy pupil, who secured four A*s in chemistry, maths, further maths and physics – and will go to Durham University to study a degree in maths.

“I’m ecstatic, it couldn’t have gone any better and I wasn’t expecting to do this well. I’ve enjoyed it and the teaching was great,” she said.

Caitlin Patterson, 18, also a former Furness Academy student, will study veterinary medicine at Pembrooke College, Cambridge, after securing A*s and an A grade in biology, chemistry and maths, plus an A in her extended project.

“I am a bit shocked, I wasn’t expecting to do so well,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed studying here because it’s such a different environment to school and you have the freedom to focus on the subjects you enjoy.”

Deputy Principal and Head of Sixth Form Mark Nicholson said the sixth form has gone from strength to strength since it became part of Furness College when the two merged three years ago.

"The number of students who have this year secured A Level grades A*-B has increased massively on last year so it's been an incredibly successful year for us," he said.

“The sixth form has had a long tradition of success spanning 40 years and this set of students has continued that history of academic excellence with a set of impressive grades of which they can be very proud. We have seen another rise in the amount of high grades awarded this year, particularly in the reformed A levels.

“Over six decades, thousands of students from the Furness area and beyond have bounded down those steps on results day into bright futures full of opportunity thanks to their own hard work and that of the dedicated and experienced staff here at sixth form.”

Hannah Bethell, who went to Furness Academy, achieved 3A*s and an A in her extended project, and will do a degree in medicine at Leeds University.

Ben Chinn, who went to Chetwynde, achieved 2 A*s and a B and will study Zoology at Bangor University while Chris Bradbury, a former St Bernard’s pupil, got 3 A*s and will go to BAE Systems to do a degree apprenticeship in nuclear engineering.

Liam Edgley, who went to Chetwynde, is now joining Furness College as the Student Liaison Officer after achieving AABB before going to study engineering at Lancaster University.

Maddy Burnside, 18, of Dalton, a former Dowdales student, is now taking up a higher apprenticeship in procurement at BAE while Chloe Dunn, 18, of Dalton, also a former Dowdales student, was the top achieving art student with A*s in A level Art and Photography alongside a B in history.