Students celebrated and chatted away in the sixth-form common room at Valentines High School, Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill as more teenagers arrived to collect their results and nervously awaited in line.

Deputy director of the sixth-form, Jessica Lee, said: “We are so proud of everything the student have achieved. They have all worked very hard this year and there are our best results ever, with a large number getting an A or A*.”

Michael Reece, 18, of Valentines Road, Ilford, said: “I’m so happy to find out I got an A* and two A’s which means I can study drama at Exeter University. I felt sick this morning and was terrified about collecting my results.

“I thought I might take a gap year but then decided to go straight to university and I am the first one in my family to go.”

Louis Turner, 18, of Clarendon Gardens, Ilford, who managed to get a �2,00 grant to study at Cass Business School, said: “I have wanted to be an investment banker since I was nine so I am really happy that I have got the grades to do that. I looked for an internship at first knowing how much fees were but I really struggled to fine one.”