The headteacher of St Edward's Academy has praised the "resilience, determination and hard work" of pupils who secured top A Level grades.
Pupils at the Romford school enjoyed a successful results day despite a year of study disrupted by the pandemic.
Amongst its highest achievers was Destiny Loa, who was visibly shocked to discover she had achieved an A* in chemistry and three A’s in maths, biology and EPQ (extended project qualification).
She's taking a gap year after which she hopes to study medicine in America.
The 18-year-old said: "I didn’t expect to do so well and I have to admit I was sweating when I was travelling to St Edward’s today.”
Kai Stephen also felt a sense of relief when he got the grades he needed - three A's in accounting, economics and maths - to secure a place at Loughborough University to study accounting with financial management.
Loughborough-bound Kai told the Recorder: "It has been difficult with learning from home and then socially distancing in school, but St Edward’s has supported me every step of the way.
“I think it makes the success of every student in the country even more special after what everyone has been through.”
Also snagging three A's - in economics, history and politics - was the academy's head boy Sam Dixon.
The Goodmayes resident admitted feeling nervous in the run-up, especially following "inconsistencies" about how the exams would take place.
Sam's also set to take some time off, after which he hopes to study international relations.
Also bagging the same grades as Sam and Kai was Jasmina Salaria, whose marks in psychology, sociology and biology saw her accepted to study psychology at the Queen Mary University of London.
Chadwell Heath's Tony Iwobi is planning to study economics at the University of Bath after achieving a trio of A's in economics, history and maths.
These successes have been met with open arms by headteacher Jodie Hassan, who described the academy as "incredibly proud" of its pupils.
"They have all shown incredible resilience, determination and hard work to achieve some fantastic grades. These are very well deserved and earned and show our HOPE values in action," she said.
Ms Hassan also praised the "exceptional" staff at St Edward's, who she credited with ensuring "continuity of learning at all times".
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