MORE than 40 students who sat A-levels at Winchester's Peter Symonds College earlier this year have been offered places at the country's two top universities.

The 44 students will be taking up places at Oxford or Cambridge after the college once again chalked up its best ever A-level results last month.

Peter Symonds College - the largest A-level centre in the country - regularly sends more than 40 students off to the two Oxbridge universities, but bosses there say they are delighted that once again pupils and staff have done so well.

Figures released by the college last month showed that the 1,200 students who sat A-levels this year achieved a staggering 99.3 per cent pass rate, once again putting the college into the top ten in the country.

A-grade results were equally impressive, with some 33 per cent of students getting straight As and more than 84 per cent of pupils gaining only grades A-C.

Principal Neil Hopkins said: "We are delighted that 44 out of the 47 students offered places have the grades they needed, although we understand that two might be choosing to go elsewhere.

"We send more than 40 students to these ancient seats of learning every year, and have good relations with the Oxbridge colleges who now know Peter Symonds, and are confident our students will live up to expectations."

Going to Cambridge are: Daniel Freeman, Marcus Johnson, Emily Dickens, Andrew Nanapragasam, Rebecca Collins, Alethea Peters, Suzanne Pett, Thomas Welchman, Katie Wooding, Josie Brant, James Stewart, Edward Shepherd, Ben Harrison, Phoebe Amoroso, Joanna Salkeld.

Going to Oxford are: Joshua Roche, Luke Pollard, Matthew Pointing, Sarah Burton, Deborah Arianayagam, Christopher Charles, Ellen Harvey, Stuart Jones, Kirsty McNaught, Emma Pearce, Thomas Swinburne, Jenny Winders, Robert Coe, Christine Smith, Emma Scandrett, Jacob Wolff, Neil Lees, Toby Harris, Edward Butler, Harriet Keane, Eleanor Warren-Thomas, Alexander Parker, Thomas Gregory, Jana Sadler-Forster, Rachael Moore, Alexandra Dorgan, Jessica Head, Laura Mears, Emily Pugh.