Islington Art and Media School pupils rushed to Turle Road at 9am to open their results, and there were happy faces all round.

Alison Romanova, 16, got two A*s, four As, four Bs and a C. She said: “I feel fantastic. I was confident after the exams but as the summer went on I started to feel nervous. But now I have officially got them, it’s cool.”

Alison, who will study chemistry, biology, English literature and art at A-level, but is still deciding which sixth form to attend, was particularly pleased with her B in maths.

She explained: “For the second paper, I had a horrid migraine so I was in and out of the exam hall. It was a real struggle, so I was expecting a D! My maths teacher will be very pleased.”

Aine McMenamin, 16, wowed teachers with her seven A*s and three As. She will go on to study geography, classics, English literature and Spanish for her A-levels at Woodhouse College, Finchley.

She said of her results: “I thought I would be getting Bs and Cs! I thought my coursework wasn’t that good. My mum made me breakfast this morning but I couldn’t eat as I was so nervous. I can’t really believe the results I got.”

Ayfer Dabar, 16, played it cool with her six As and four Bs. It included an A at AS-level Turkish, and she said: “I’m content. I wasn’t expecting to do so well. I didn’t want to open the results but I feel good now. It wasn’t that scary after all.”

Ayfer will also move on to Woodhouse College, where she will study English literature, French, psychology and drama.

Marwa Ismail, 16, got one A*, five As, three Bs and a C. She will also study at Woodhouse for biology, chemistry, phsyics and English literarure.

She said: “They are what I thought I would get, but I am so happy with the results. I am just disappointed with the one C. I felt numb opening the letter, I just wanted it to be over.”

Diana Osagie, the school’s headteacher of five years, said: “It’s a highlight of the year, just listen to all those excited voices around the hall.

“It’s a good day for the school. Pupil attainment reflects the hard work and input of our great staff. We are very pleased with the results, which gives us a good platform, and wish them all the best for the future.”