THE new headteacher of Clitheroe Royal Grammar School has spelt out the heartache felt by students when exam boards give them the wrong grades.

Speaking at the school's annual awards night presentation Judith Evans commended students for the school's "excellent" exam results, including a 100 per cent pass rate for students gaining five GCSEs at grades A to C, a 95 per cent pass rate at AS-levels and a 99 per cent pass rate at A-levels.

Mrs Evans, who took over from former headteacher Stuart Holt on September 1, the start of the new academic year, last night said the results demonstrated great strength at all key stages and added some results may change with upgrades.

She said: "I don't want to be negative on an evening of celebration, but it is still of great frustration to staff, students and parents that the exam boards do not always get it right.

"This can result in long hours of work in the pursuit of justice and students' heartache."

Mrs Evans also spoke about improvements at the school over the past 12 months, including 20 new laptops which gives access to the school network from classrooms which do not have permanent ICT facilities, together with the resurfacing of the school roof at Chatburn Road, a new telephone system and upgrading of security.

Mrs Evans, added: "We are now full - full of talent, full of enthusiasm and quite literally full of students."