Three students from Saffron Walden County High School were celebrating this morning (August 13) after achieving top marks in their A-levels.

Emily Dan, Rebecca Tomlinson, and Ellen Paterson were each awarded four A* grades and will begin university life this autumn.

Emily, who took art, maths, biology and an extended project (ECQ) on architecture, will attend Kings College, Cambridge to study architecture this October.

She said: “I’m really, really pleased and looking forward to getting started at Cambridge.”

Emily’s mum, Gillian, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and delighted for her. She’s worked really hard and deserved her grades.”

Rebecca Tomlinson is also heading to Cambridge and will read classics at Fitzwilliam College after securing her top marks in Latin, English, classics and an ECQ on the classical renaissance.

She said: “I’m very surprised, I did not expect to get A*s in all of them. But I’m very excited about beginning my course.”

Ellen Paterson achieved her dream results in history, government and politics, religious education and an ECQ in history, and will study history at Durham University in October.

“To say I’m surprised is an understatement,” she said. “I can’t quite believe I got four A*s.”