The nail-biting wait for hundreds of A-level students at schools and colleges in Lambeth ended today when they received their results.

See the A-level results here.

Many schools reported their best ever results and scored higher than the national average of 97.5 per cent pass rate, as the debate continued to rage over whether exams were getting easier.

But David Boyle, headteacher of Dunraven School, said: “Try telling the students who have put in so much hard work to achieve good results that they are getting easier.

"The exams are a real challenge and all the students have every reason to feel proud of their achievements.”

The school in Streatham Hill scored its best results in the six year history of its sixth form, with 42 percent of its students’ results being As and Bs- a rise of seven per cent on last year.

Mr Boyle said the “excellent” results - with an above national average 98 percent of A-levels passed- were testament to a recent outstanding OFSTED rating given to the sixth form.

Deputy Head of La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School, John Conway, said the school had recieved the highest average points score per pupil - or best average grades - in its history.

He said the “overwhelming majority” of its pupils would head to university next year -with every applicant securing their place.

The school on the Balham/Streatham Hill boarder’s achievement was “even more significant” with 50,000 extra university applicants battling for just 13,000 more places this year, he added.

Mark Dewey, director of sixth form at St. Martin-in-the-Fields High School For Girls in Tulse Hill paid tribute to many of the students - such as refugees - who had overcome difficult situations to excel at school and go on to university.

The school in Tulse Hill scored just below the national average pass rate, with 97 per cent of grades being A to E.

Streatham and Clapham High School scored well over the national average of 26.7 per cent of A grades, with 35.3 per cent of its A-level results being the top mark.

Head teacher Sue Mitchell said their hard work had meant most had got into their first choice university.

Lambeth College’s Principal Richard Chambers was delighted with the performance of his students, although less than 10 per cent of pupils achieved an A grade/ close to 90 per cent of exmas were passed.

He said: “Our A level students have done exceptionally well this year which is a tribute their hard work and the excellent support they have received from their tutors.”

See the A-level results here.