EARLY indications show that sixth-formers at Canon Slade School have bucked the national trend for the numbers of young people achieving the top grades.

The number of A* grades are up by two per cent from last year to 7.7 per cent .

The overall pass rate was 99.3 per cent, A*to B grades are up 0.6 per cent to 49.7 per cent and A* to C grades are up 2.9 per cent to 75.6 per cent.

Dr Benjamin Eves, head of sixth form, said: “ Canon Slade School and Sixth Form are celebrating excellent A level and BTEC results again this year.

“Congratulations to all our Year 13 students whose hard work, dedication and enthusiasm has resulted in these successes.

“Whilst we celebrate with them we will also miss them and the wider contribution they made to our school family, enriching our community through their involvement in the Arts, Charities, sporting activities and education of all our students.

“With nearly a quarter of grades being A* and A and half being at grade B or above our students have secured their places on highly competitive degree programmes with such institutions as the University of Oxford and other Russell Group universities as well as several going on to Medicine and Veterinary Science courses.

“They have been equally successful in securing places on apprenticeship programmes with prestigious multinational companies such as PWC.”

He added: “We wish all our students every success in the future as they take up these opportunities in only a few weeks’ time.

“These results are a testament to the hard work and effort of the students and the support and guidance of Parents and Teachers alike.”

Inspirational stories to come out from the school is that of teenagers who fled wartorn Syria and came to Bolton as refugees.

They are now on course to study medicine after scoring outstanding grades.

Nada Al-Yasen , started at Canon Slade in Year 10, and Raneem Al-Halabi, started in the sixth-form. Their English was limited but they made the most of the new opportunities they had been given to create a new future for themselves.

Raneem, gained an A* and 3As and is now taking a gap year before becoming a young doctor.

Her father made the dangerous journey to escape the war, in which the family lost their home.

She said: “My father came over here first before bringing us over safely.

“I want to take a gap year because I have worked so hard and after that I will go to university, get some more work experience.

“My father is a radiographer and that is why I wanted to go into medicine.

“When I cam I could not speak English very well but here everyone has been so supportive.

“I cannot describe the feeling when I got my results and saw my grades, it has been very stressful.”

Her father Mohamed Ali added: “We are so proud of her, she has worked so hard .”

Nada, started at Canon Slade in Year 10, and was reunited with her family, who were separated because of the war.

She achieved 3As and A* to study medicine at Plymouth University.

Nada said: “It was really hard, I did not speak English and I had to adapt and work really hard, but everybody has been supportive and has helped me.”