LAST summer's A-level results were an emotional roller-coast ride for many students, not just because they were waiting for results that would affect their whole future.

The re-marking fiasco prolonged the agony for scores of pupils, but the results were nonetheless a huge success at schools throughout North Wiltshire.

Also released later this year, because of the re-marking delay, the Wiltshire School and Performance Tables are an anxious time for schools, as they wait to see on what footing in terms of overall achievement, the results have placed them.

A new feature in this years' tables are the inclusion of a new category for AS levels, which refer to the exam qualifications which can now be gained by students at the end of their first year of A level study.

The new tables have again revealed that St John's in Marlborough is among the country's top performers. Yesterday headteacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood said he was once again pleased that the school had outperformed its expectations.

Dr Hazelwood said St John's scored by giving its lower school students the interest and initiative to learn as they progressed into their GCSE and A level classes.

According to statistics and the ability of the school's intake, said Dr Hazlewood, only 53-55 per cent of students should get five GCSEs at grades A-C where the results showed an achievement level of 65 per cent.

The head said: "What these latest figures are actually showing is that over a four year period we have continued to improve year on year and we are among the best performing schools in the country."

St John's would inevitably one day reach a point where further improvement was impossible, Dr Hazlewood said. "That will come to all schools," he said adding that the targets then would be for each year to equal the previous results.

Devizes School had an increased pass rate in its A Level results last year despite complaints about the complexity and overwork caused by the new AS and A2 level system.

The then headteacher Colin Isted said at the time: "This is the first cohort to take the new examination system and we have been very pleased with the results they have obtained.

"We have a 98 per cent pass rate and the average number of points obtained by the students has increased by 20 per cent compared with last year."

Likewise Dauntsey's School, West Lavington, celebrated record results.

A total of 71.7 per cent of all A Level passes were A or B grades and almost half of the 446 AS entries were awarded A grades.

Colin Smith is head of Hardenhuish School in Chippenham, where students achieved an overall pass rate of 99 per cent and nearly 80 per cent of the grades were either A or B.

"We were really pleased with the results in the sciences and maths," he said.

"The results were a credit to the outstanding work put in by our pupils and teachers.

"I have yet to study the performance tables, to see how well the school has done as a whole. But I know that many parents like these tables and use them as an indicator of schools achievement."

He continued: "From a personal point of view, I am more in favour of the way this year's GCSE tables were put together.

"For the first time, the tables featured a Value Added measurement, which charts the improvement in performance of our students, from the start of their GSCEs until the end of the course in addition to the qualifications they attain.

"I see this is an excellent indicator of how well the school and our teachers are improving on our pupils' education throughout their school career."