SLEEPLESS nights and a summer of nerves are a distant memory for pupils at Dr Challoner's Grammar School after another year of outstanding A Level results.

A total of 82 per cent of exams were graded B or better and a quarter of the Amersham school's students achieved A* or A grades in all their exams.

Edward Armstrong achieved six A* grades while a group of four friends studying the same subjects - maths, further maths, physics and electronics - all picked up four top grades.

One of them, George McLauchlan - who will now study mechanical engineering at Bristol - said: "They're better than I could have imagined. I was just gobsmacked when I got the results on screen. I had to come into the school to check it was true.

"You have to put it to the back of your mind in the summer but the last two days I've started feeling nervous."

Connor Lenihan is off to do physics at Oxford and said: "I was hoping for four A*s - that's what I was aiming for. I think it's sunk in now."

Also in the four A* club was Jamie Wills, who will study physics at St Catherine's College Oxford.

He said: "I didn't sleep at all last night and was waiting for ages for the results to come up. It's a massive weight off my mind.

"I got an email from my teacher Mr Atkinson at five to eight and thought, I might have done well."

He's got no plans to go out partying to celebrate though: "I'm just going back to bed now, I'm so tired. It's been a long day already."

While he may have been nervous, pal Nick Brabbs was at the other end of the scale.

He said: "I've been in Greece for the last three weeks and it was easy to take my mind off the exams. I've had all that worry condensed into about ten seconds waiting for the page to load, with that circle going round. I was waiting and thinking, 'I'm going to get eight Us."

Elliot Ford got four A*s in maths, further maths, physics and Spanish and A grades in history and general studies, which gets him into Cambridge to study linguistics.

He said: "It was a bit scary for a bit not knowing. I'm really excited, especially getting into Cambridge - it's a great opportunity to challenge myself."

Headmaster Dr Mark Fenton said: "The boys can be very proud of their achievements today. Your A Level results stay with you for the rest of your life and they will be able to look back on a job well done.

"With A* and A grades becoming more difficult to achieve across the country, I am delighted that so many of our students have secured top grades again this year."