The huge efforts of students at Tavistock College were applauded as they collected their GCSE results today.

Now aged 16, this group of students saw their early secondary school career disrupted by covid.

The results revealed in the brown envelopes showed just how much progress they have made.

Some students came with family members, others alone, to collect their brown envelopes in person from the school hall. Many will be staying onto study A-levels or other further studies at the college.

Bea Bradford, who took an amazing 13 subjects, was surprised to get a grade 8 – what was an A grade – for physics GCSE. She also got 7s for chemistry and biology.

“I don’t know how I got an A (grade 8) for physics,” she said. “I’m surprised with biology and chemistry too.

“I’m probably going to do biology and psychology A-levels and also history.”

Overall, Bea achieved two grade 8s, seven grade 7s, one grade 6 and one grade 5. She also achieved qualifications in dance.

She wants to go to university and has an interest in ecology, which could shape her future career plans.

Her dad Dan said: “I’m really proud of her, she has worked so hard.”

Henry Hoskins, from Tavistock, was modest about his amazing results.

He opened his envelope to find he had four grade 8s – maths, physics, chemistry and biology – and five grade 7s.

He got a grade 7 for his English. “I was surprised by the English, I thought I’ll get 4/5. I studied hard for the maths and sciences..”

He plans to do chemistry and biology A-levels and says of his future plans: “I’ll probably go into the RAF because I do air cadets at the moment.”

Luana Pellegrinello’s hard work had paid off. She was delighted to open her brown envelope to find she had two 8s in English Literature and Language (A grades in old money), four 7s and three 6s.

She plans to stay on at Tavistock College to do A-levels, including English literature and psychology.

Luana lives in Plymouth. Her proud mum Deiliane said Luana had been juggling revising with her part-time job and school. “It was like a full-time job,” she said. “I’m so proud of her.”

Other individual standout achievements included:

The college also flaged up the “exceptional progress” made by three students, Dan Elkington, Oliver Purtill and Luana Pellegrinello. Overall, there were strong performances in physics, construction, dance, chemistry, art and business studies.

Principal James Buchanan said: “We are incredibly proud of our students. There are some really stellar results this year. It is really clear that lots of our students have made real progress at the college with us and we can’t wait to welcome more of them back next year for the sixth form.”