THE nail-biting is over for students at South Bromsgrove Community High School, who were handed their long-awaited GCSE results on Thursday.

More than 300 teenagers gathered at the school to find out if their hard work had paid off.

Sixteen-year-old Katie Silver couldn't believe it when she discovered she had got an A* for English Language.

Katie, from Dodford, left with six A*s, two As and Bs and an A grade in RE half GCSE, firmly under her belt and plans to return to sixth form at the school to do A-levels in chemistry, history and geography.

She said: "I think I am useless at English, so it was a nice surprise."

Emily Phillips, from Friarscroft, gained three A*s, seven As and one B and was pleased with her French result.

The 16-year-old gained two A*s in the subject even though she thought she'd 'messed up' her oral.

She is off to King Edward's Sixth Form College, in Edgbaston, where she will do French at A-level.

Mark Heyden, of Harwood Park, is pleased he will never again have to do maths after he gained a much-needed grade A in the subject.

He also walked away with two A*s under his belt and plans to return to the sixth form at the school.

The 16-year-old said: "I was really surprised by my maths result and pleased it's the last I'll see of the subject."

Student Dave Burton, of Millfields, was off to celebrate after scooping two A*s, seven As and one C.

He is returning to do A-levels in English, history and chemistry.

Dave said: "It was really hard work and I was most pleased with my English result, which was an A*."

Hard-working Melissa Rutter, of Millfields, was shocked with her English result -- a grade C.

The 16-year-old works at Shire Associates, in Bromsgrove, and will take four NVQs in business administration and information technology through Topskills, in the town.

She said: "I hardly ever went to school and now I am off back to work."

Her friend Hayley Warman, of Charford, got what she wanted with five Cs, one B, two Ds and an E.

She needed the C grades to study health and social care at NEW College, Redditch.

Hayley, aged 16, said: "I am pleased and off to celebrate with my boyfriend."

Headteacher Phil McTague said the results were a rich reward for the huge effort put in by staff and students.