Pupils across the district are celebrating another record year for A-level results.

Heads have been quick to defend them in the wake of criticism that the exams are getting easier.

“People who think that should try taking them for themselves," said Alasdair Hogarth, head of Archbishop's School, Canterbury.

“I think they’ll realise they are very challenging, after all they are the gold standard of secondary education.”

His school’s 80 A-level students achieved a 90 per cent pass rate, with many going on to reach their first choice university.

Mr Hogarth was delighted with the news.

"It’s the largest number of students we’ve ever had taking A-levels and the success rate’s been fantastic, everyone’s done really well."

~ Listen: Mr Hogarth speaks to the Kentish Gazette's Adam Williams about the school's success >>>

Danny O’Donovan, departing head teacher at Herne Bay High, hailed another really good year for his students.

There was a 96 per cent pass rate and 95 per cent got two or more A-levels, a slight improvement on last year.

Over 50 per cent are going to university, everyone to the course they chose.

“It is a great way to go out knowing the school is maintaining the high standards we have set in recent years," he said.

Rebecca Newell, 18, was the highest performing student with two As and a B.

“I am really pleased,” said Rebecca, who is going to university to do psychology and business studies.

The Community College, Whitstable, is sending more students than ever before to university.

The school achieved 100 per cent pass rates in English and art and 90 per cent for religious studies.

All students taking the new subject of media and television also passed.

At the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham 97 pupils took 392 exams and achieved a pass rate of 99.2 per cent.

Headteacher David Anderson said: “These excellent results are the result of a great deal of hard work over the last two years."

Two pupils, Anna Cordes and Amy Barker, achieved five A grades.

There was another year of improving A-level results at the Abbey School, Faversham.

Sixty-five per cent of pupils passed two or more subjects while all the pupils who studied maths passed with a C grade or better.

All Abbey’s prospective university students achieved their goal of getting into higher education.

For the first time in the school’s history, every A-level taken by students at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School has achieved a pass grade.

A total of 335 exams were sat by 113 girls with more than 65 per cent achieving grade A or B.

Among the 24 students who achieved straight A grades in all their subjects was Alison Zhu who was awarded five. She has been accepted to study mathematics at Cambridge.

At the Boys’ Langton, 34 per cent of the grades were A - boosted by Jonathan Rogers and Tianying Zhang who each racked up four.

Both are off to Cambridge to read medicine. But 35 other students also all achieved straight As.

At Barton Court nearly 20 per cent of the year group achieved four A grades or better and over a third of all grades were at A.

Chaucer Technology School saw a huge improvement in top grades (A to C) and a significant increase in overall points score per candidate as well.

One of the biggest providers of A-level and vocational programmes in the district is Canterbury College which is celebrating an increase in its overall pass rate.

Its results show a rise from 90 per cent to 92 per cent, with 100 per cent success rate in 18 of its subjects.

At St Edmund’s School, Canterbury, half the candidates achieved at least two A grades.

Sixteen pupils achieved straight As in three or more subjects, with another 12 gaining two A grades.

“Whatever statistic you choose to use, these results were the best A-level results we have had,” said headmaster Jeremy Gladwin.

Keep visiting kentishgazette.co.uk to find out how students get on.

If you want to share your joy with us, email pictures (jpeg format) of you and your fellow students celebrating your results.

Don't forget to give us a left to right of who is in the photo, and details of your school.

The lines have been red hot at Kent University’s clearing call centre in Canterbury.

Four hours after the lines opened to A-level students, an estimated 2,000 calls and 500 applications had been handled by the team of student operators.

Head of the university’s information, recruitment and admission office Steven Holdcroft said: “All our 40 operators are students and some of them have even been through clearing.

“They know what the university and the city is all about, so when you do call, you can be guaranteed a nice, friendly, helpful voice at the end of the line.”

The call centre number is 0800 021 31 26 and is open until 7pm Thursday, from 8.30am to 7pm Friday and 10am to 5pm Saturday.

It will closed on Sunday, but will reopen Monday at 8.30am until 5.30pm.

Students can also apply online at www.kent.ac.uk/clearing

~We have put together tips galore to help you. Just click here for more advice.

~For a round-up from schools, see the Kentish Gazette, out on Thursday, August 21