RECORDS have been broken at the borough's schools where jubilant pupils have been celebrating their GCSE successes.

The nail-biting wait was finally over yesterday (Thurs Aug 24) as pupils learned the results of five years of hard slog.

Across the borough there were scenes of both delight and despair as emotions ran high.

Bury Council's spokesman for education, Coun Trevor Holt, said: "Although we have yet to fully analyse the results it would appear that once again our youngsters and our schools have done the borough proud."

He added: "We anticipate that this year's pass rate will at least mirror the high standards achieved in 1999 and could even be up on those. Congratulations go out to all the pupils for the high standards that they have reached."

Elms Bank Community High School, where many pupils have disabilities which they have fought to overcome, had its best ever results with eight pupils gaining GCSEs, seven with A-C grades.

Particularly impressive was Michael Rowley who got a grade C in Art and eight Certificates of Achievements with seven Distinctions and one Merit.

Anthony Jones also did exceptionally well, gaining a grade C in Art at GCSE and eight Certificates of Achievements with five Distinctions.

Certificates of Achievement have been improved with a 50 per cent increase in the number of pupils achieving Distinctions, Merits and Passes. Ten pupils also gained City and Guilds Preliminary Cookery. Headteacher Ms Lynn Lines said: "It is congratulations all round. The pupils have excelled themselves as have the staff."

St Monica's RC High School turned in a record breaking performance with 71.4 per cent of its pupils achieving at least five A*-C grades.

There was a 100 per cent pass rate and the school broke another of its records thanks to those pupils who achieved 447 A* and A grades.

Deputy headteacher Mr Bernard Swarbrick said: "We are especially pleased that the boys' results of 65.4 per cent are very high for the second year running. We are equally pleased with the girls' results which have gone up by 10 per cent to 76.7 per cent."

Parrenthorn High School's headteacher Mr Arthur Francis was "highly delighted" with his school's performance.

The school had its second best year since GCSEs began with 55 per cent of pupils getting five A*-C grades and 99 per cent gaining at least one A*-G grade.

Outstanding pupils were Lisa Mildenhall of Simister Lane who gained 6A* and 4As, Chloe Mould of Kearsley Road, Crumpsall, who got 5A* and 5As and Helen Watkiss of Rectory Lane, Prestwich, with 5A* and 4As.

Last year Prestwich Community High School's head boy and head girl were top of their year, but this time it was a case of boy power.

Head boy Mark Gray of Heywood Road, Prestwich, got 8A*,1A and 1B and deputy head boy Shahzad Younas of Great Clowes Street, Salford, got 8A*,1A.

Mr Brian Worthington, the head of the upper school, said: "The national trend seems to show girls outperforming boys but, interestingly, at our school, six out of the top ten achieving pupils were boys."

The school as a whole saw its performance for five or more A*-C grades rise from 43 per cent to 44 per cent.

Bury Grammar School (Girls) had another successful year with 61.9 per cent of all grades being A* or A.

Against a national average of 61 per cent A-C grades achieved by girls, the school's pupils achieved a staggering 98.1 per cent, only fractionally behind their record pass rate of 98.4 per cent last year. And 29 girls achieved nine GCSEs exclusively with A and A* grades.

Across the road at the Boys school the percentage of A*-C grades fell from 97 last year to 94.5 this year.

Of the 97 fifth formers who made 830 subject entries, there were 106 A* grades (12.8 per cent) and 256 A grades (30.8 per cent) and all pupils achieved at least five A*-C grades.

The top pupils were Philip Boyes of Stanley Road, Radcliffe, who managed to get ten A* grades and Neeraj Shah of Langdale Drive, Unsworth, who secured nine A* grades together with an A grade in Additional Mathematics for which no * grade is available.

In the fourth form 102 boys took French with 25 gaining A* grades and 47 getting A grades.

Pupils at Broad Oak High School gained the best GCSE results in the school's history, 50 per cent more pupils gained five or more A*-C grades than last year.

Headteacher Mr Andrew Mackenzie said: "We are delighted to see so many more pupils being successful this year and look forward to greater success in the future."

Bury CE High School did almost as well, recording the second highest set of results in its history.

Over at Radcliffe High School, however, it was a case of girls on top. Its most academic pupils were Helen Critchley of Turks Road (3As, 4Bs, 3Cs), Jemma Hilton of Abden Street (3As, 3Bs, 4Cs) and Laura McCarron of Calf Hey Close (2As, 7Bs, 1C).

Headteacher Mr Graham Rollinson said: "Results are in line with expectation and similar to last year's results. The high level of achievement across the ability range reflects the hard work of both staff and pupils."

At neighbouring Coney Green High School the girls took the top five grades. Karen Hollingworth of Moss Shaw Way got two A*, five As and two Bs, Caroline Penswick of Moss Shaw Way who gained one A*, seven As and one B, Christine Hart of Hill Street, Radcliffe, and Sara Sobhani of Bannerman Avenue, Prestwich, who each achieved five A grades and four B grades and Donna Duffy of Waterside Close who got four As and five Bs.

Tottington High School had a grade A-C pass rate of 60.1 per cent of which a staggering 19.4 per cent were A* or A grades.

In total there were 88 A* passes and 216 A grade passes.

Rachel Nye of Ryecroft Avenue, Tottington, and Ann Nicholson of Rudgewick Drive, Bury both gained ten A*s or As.