A-LEVEL students at the West Somerset Community College celebrated outstanding success yesterday (Thursday) after beating national pass rates in their results. The proportion of entries achieving an A grade was 24.4 per cent, against the national figure of 24.1 per cent, a rise of 1.3 on last year. And while nationally the overall pass rate rose for the 24th year to 96.6 per cent - up by 0.4 - the pass rate for A to E grades achieved by the West Somerset teenagers was 97.5 per cent. Just under 48 per cent of passes were at grades A and B, while 66.8 per cent were A to C. And almost 20 per cent of students attained A grades in two of their subjects. High fliers James Dibble, who is heading for Downing College, Cambridge, to study law, and Laura Longworth, off to York to embark on a French/German degree, notched up four straight As each. Other top achievers included Lisa Hayward, who with three As and a B will take up a place at Southampton to study medicine, and Debbie Gilpin, whose two As and two Bs have put her on the road to a career in dentistry. Meanwhile, Eleanor Pawson, Sarah Prentice, Tara Parker and Harriet Tucker all achieved three As. College principal Nick Swann described the results as "exceptionally pleasing" and said they had been achieved by a very hard-working and committed group of students. "Success on this scale is most heartening and is a real tribute to all the young people who have worked tirelessly to reach such high standards." Over two-thirds of the college's A-level students applied to university and Mr Swann said the results would mean the vast majority securing their first place choices. "It is pleasing to see so many students wanting to continue with their education as they seek to create further opportunities in a variety of different and exciting careers. "These excellent results follow the college's glowing Ofsted report in March that paid tribute to its highly successful sixth form." Mr Swann said that while the college was pleased with what it had achieved so far, it had ambitious plans as part of the hoped-for New Horizons project to extend the range of courses, particularly in vocational areas. He added: "I should like to congratulate all our students who have done so well and, at the same time, pay tribute to the wonderful support they each receive from college staff and their families."