Record results two years running

Sixty per cent of pupils achieved A* to C grades.

The A* to C rate in business studies improved from 69 per cent last year to 80 per cent this year, and in food technology the rate soared from 18 per cent to 50 per cent.

One student achieved 14 GCSEs at grade A* to C and 23 picked up 13 GCSEs at grade A* to C.

Roshan Shivabalen-dran achieved nine A* and As; Waleed Hashim received eight A* and A grades; and Anastasia Aboim and Salma Ahmed got the top grades in seven subjects.

More than half the GCSE pupils at Aveling Park School achieved five or more top grades this year.

Headteacher Lynette Parvez welcomed the results as the school's best-ever performance, and said it is the first time the majority of its pupils had attained five or more grades A* to C.

The results were also an eight per cent improvement on last year's figure.

Some 99 per cent of Aveling Park School pupils were awarded at least one grade A* to G, with strong subjects, including PE, German and technology.

Ms Parvez attributed this year's success to making an effort to meet the specific requirements of each student.

She told the Guardian: "We have done a lot of intensive work, such as mentoring and after-school provision, to focus on individual needs. We also have dedicated staff here who work in the evenings and even during holidays."

In 2008, Aveling Park School will merge with Warwick Boys' School and move to new premises in Fulbourne Road under the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Ms Parvez is optimistic that the state-of-the-art facilities will help the school improve further.

Among those celebrating on results day last Thursday was Shade Tongo, 16, who said she spent Wednesday trying not to think about opening her results the following morning.

She achieved an A* in English language, along with seven As, a B and C, and will now go on to college in Edmonton.

Shade hopes eventually to go into medicine, and said: "I liked being at Aveling Park because it challenged me.

"I liked the fact that it was multicultural and I could learn about other people's beliefs, and how other people live."

There were tears, laughter and excitement at George Mitchell School on Thursday, when students went back to the school in Farmer Road, Leyton, for the last time to open their GCSE exam results.

Leena Tailor, 16, was shaking as she counted five As, three A*s and a B. "I'm really proud and surprised," she said.

Ozan Ergisi, 16, moved to London from Turkey three years ago, and he was less impressed with the four Bs, two Cs, two Ds and single A* he has been awarded.

However, he will go on to Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College in Walthamstow, where he will study for A-levels in chemistry, maths and physics.

Russell Wallcot, 16, said: "I am pleased with my B in science, and I did all right in drama. I can retake maths in college, and I'm happy with that, because I got a D. It's not far off a pass."

Russell is going to Leyton Sixth Form College in Essex Road to study A-level ICT. "I am ready to move on," he said.

Headteacher Helen Jeffery said the school was delighted with a four per cent increase in the number of students achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE, with high numbers of students achieving all A* and A grades.

She added: "Our commitment to the lifelong learning of our students cannot be better illustrated than in the B grades achieved at A level by three Year 12 students and one Year 11. These students have been generously tutored by George Mitchell head of English, Matthew Savage, every Saturday for just one year.

"We are equally proud of those students for whom a simple pass in all their GCSE subjects was a major achievement.

"We really are a comprehensive school and have once again added well above national average value to the academic attainment of all students over the time they were in school.

"As Ofsted said in the recent inspection, we are a school spiralling up."

Girls are celebrating getting the highest marks ever in their GCSEs.

The number of pupils scoring five or more A* to C grades at Walthamstow School for Girls in Church Hill Road has risen to 75 per cent for the first time.

And a staggering 98 per cent got five or more passes at GCSE, which are A* to G grades.

Headteacher Rachel McFarlane said that no state school in the borough has managed more than 70 per cent five or more top grades before now.

"It's a credit to them," she said. "They have been a fantastic year group. Not only have they worked really hard, but they have been a very giving year group.

"I am just so pleased they have got this for themselves."

Ms McFarlane said that she did not want to single out any pupils as all had worked hard, but that she was particularly proud of students who had done well despite speaking English as a second language.

The magic 100 per cent figure was reached at Forest School in College Place, Walthamstow, as every pupil achieved at least five GCSEs at A* to C.

Heading the list was a shell-shocked Jalpa Kotecha, who scored 13 A* grades, while three girls - Eleanor Brown, Ruth Buscombe and Georgina Leighton - achieved among the top five scores in the country in their English literature exams.

Girls' school headteacher Penny Goodman said: "The results reflect the enthusiasm and commitment of the girls and the dedicated and inspiring teaching they receive."

The boys were not to be outdone and 63 per cent of them scored all As and A*s.

Boys' school head Marcus Cliff Hodges said: "It's clear that all of our pupils put in the hours, and we're looking forward to a strong sixth form."

Chingford Foundation School has been celebrating a "superb" set of GCSE results.

More than 74 per cent of students at the Nevin Drive school achieved the gold standard of five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C.

Six students achieved a clean sweep of A and A* grades.

Deputy headteacher Stuart Baker said: "These excellent results reflect the hard work of both pupils and staff.

"I'm particularly pleased to see pupils of all abilities achieving their potential, with 99.5 per cent achieving five GCSe passes at A* to G grades."

This year's GCSE results have been hailed as the best ever in Waltham Forest.

Figures released by EduAction show that 51.6 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades.

It is the first year that Waltham Forest has broken the 50 per cent barrier, and a 2.5 per cent increase on last year's figure.

Walthamstow School for Girls, Chingford Foundation School and Highams Park School have all increased their five A* to C rate to more than 70 per cent for the first time in Waltham Forest.

The top three are Highams Park School with 78 per cent, Walthamstow School for Girls with 75 per cent and Chingford Foundation School with 74 per cent.

Cllr Chris Robbins, the council's cabinet member for childrens' services said: "I am delighted with the results.

"They are the result of hard work and commitment, not just from the young people but also from their schools, parents and school governors.

"Most importantly for parents and students, results across the borough continue to improve steadily, and is the seventh consecutive year that we have seen a rise in performance in GCSE results."

Leafy Leytonstone School was teeming with students on Thursday morning, buzzing with excitement as they opened their GCSE exam results.

"I thought I was going to do badly, but I am really pleased," said Jamie Barnett, 16, who got five As, three Bs, a C and a D in his exams.

"I thought I would do better in maths than English, but I got two As in English."

However the results have not changed Jamie's mind about his future, and he is going on to Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College in Walthamstow to study maths, sociology and physics A-level, and an extra drama course.

Anna Harte, 16, also got two As in English and was equally surprised. "It is madness because I hate English," she said. "I don't even remember what I wrote."

Anna achieved eight As and one B in her exams and is also going to Monoux for A-levels in biology, chemistry, maths, art and an AS level in classical history.

Asma Rafiq's GCSEs were graded with two A*s for English, three As, four Bs and two Cs.

She said: "I am really happy with it because I got what I needed in all the subjects I want to carry on with."

Asma, 16, said she would take A-levels in English, history and politics, before she ran off shrieking with her friends.

Luke Barton, head teacher of the school in Colworth Road, Leyton-stone, said: "I am very pleased with the results this year.

"It is good to see the school is maintaining a good standard, and it keeps improving year on year.

"It is a credit to the students, the staff and the parents."

He said 58 per cent of GCSEs were graded A* to C this year, and 100 per cent were grades A* to G.

He added: "It just shows how hard they students have been working across the board. I came here in January so it is also a credit to Joan McVittie who laid the foundation."

Star pupil Himal Patel achieved the best ever GCSE results at Norlington Boys School with 11 A*s.

He will go on to sixth form at Chigwell School, along with Fahed Mayet, having won scholarships as part of a partnership between the independent Essex school and the school in Norlington Road, Leyton.

Norlington Boys share the sports facilities in Chigwell and the Leyton school trains graduate teachers from Chigwell in return.

The benefits of the partnership are clear for sports stars as well as shining academics as the Norlington Boys cricket team won the London Cricket Cup in July.

Nearly half the GCSE pupils at Norlington were awarded grades A to C, with a 42 per cent pass rate, and head teacher Neil Primrose said he was really pleased with the improvement on last year.

He said the SAT results were equally impressive, with a new record 76 per cent pass rate in English, and 77 per cent of students passed the mathematics SAT.