THE waiting was finally over for hundreds of students in Southampton who yesterday found out their A-level results.

They congregated nervously outside Itchen College and Tauntons College before queuing to collect the plain brown envelopes at 11am.

There were shrieks of joy for those students who discovered their long-awaited A and AS-level results were better than expected.

But for others who just missed out on getting the grades they wanted there were only commiserations.

Within minutes of finding out how they had done, students were on the phone to their parents and friends, letting them know their grades.

Colleges across the city matched or outperformed the national overall pass rate, which has gone up for the 22nd year running to 96 per cent.

At Itchen College, principal Barry Hicks was delighted with the college's 97 per cent overall A to E pass rate, of which 67.2 per cent was grades A to C.

And he described the results of AS level exams taken by students at the end of year 12 as "very promising".

Ten students - eight boys and two girls - managed to get all A grades, with two coming away with four A grades.

"While it is difficult to make general comments on the difference in performance between the sexes, among the A-level high-flier students boys have done better."

In 25 subjects including biology, childcare, maths, economics, English language and literature, French and geography there was a 100 per cent pass rate.

"Given the results we have got this year I would have thought most people will be able to make it to their first-choice university and not have to go through clearing," said Mr Hicks. At Tauntons College, students recorded an overall pass rate of 96 per cent, of which 62 per cent was grades A to C, and this year 100 per cent of students gained A to E pass grades in 30 different A-levels, including art, biology, dance and drama.

Ex Bitterne-Park pupil Neil O'Brien

achieved five A grades inelectronics, maths, further maths, computing and physics.

Principal Jenny Fitton said: "I am absolutely delighted for the students and very proud of them.

"All those successful today have had to work hard to achieve those results and congratulations are due to them all, and to the staff and parents who have supported them in their achievement."

At St Anne's Convent School in Rockstone Place students recorded an overall A to E pass rate of 98 per cent with 74 per cent of exams graded A to C.

At King Edward VI School students achieved the best set of results with an overall pass rate of 99.7 per with more than 58 per cent of grades at grade A.

Head teacher Julian Thould said: "This is an outstanding achievement. Students and staff have worked exceptionally hard and deserve the best set of results we have ever achieved."