A GIRLS' school has celebrated its hard-working students after they secured an impressive set of A-level results despite enduring "one of the toughest times in their lives".

A total of 61 per cent of grades awarded at Burgess Hill Girls were A*-A while 82 per cent were given an A*-B.

More than 60 per cent of girls gained an A*-B in three or more of their A levels, with more than 80 per cent securing a place at their first choice on results day.

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They will now go on to study a huge variety of courses including Law, Medicine, Geography, Design for Stage and Screen, Speech and Language Therapy and Marine Biology at universites up and down the country.

The coronavirus crisis put a sudden halt to all plans to hold exams this summer with sixth form pupils's grades instead decided by a combination of teacher assessments and national standardisation.

Students were left in limbo as the Government was left to make decisions on how their futures would be decided.

But Burgess Hill Girls' headteacher Liz Laybourn has hailed the hard work and determination of her pupils, which allowed them to secure the grades necessary to pursue their desired careers.

She said: "Without doubt, this year’s A-level students will have had one of the toughest times in their lives, working so hard until March to secure the courses and careers of their dreams only to be told that exams were cancelled.

"So it feels very special to see so many happy faces today, the girls finally having clarity on where they are heading next.

"I would like to thank them, their parents and carers and my teachers for their exceptional attitude to the most challenging of circumstances.”

Four Burgess Hill Girls students, Esme Godkin, Cathryn Barton, Francesca Arlett and Natasha Arbon-Stuckle, achieved three A*.

Esme studied art, English literature and religious Studies. 

She will go on to study an art foundation course at Brighton Met, following her aspirations to become an artist.

Cathryn studied classical civilisation, latin, and English literature, and will take up a place studying classics at Cambridge University.

Francesca studied fine art, graphic arts and fashion and textiles, and will study fine art at Newcastle University.

Finally Natasha, who studied economics, classical civilisation and maths, will study philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford.