GCSE results day: Two girls scoop impressive 21 A* grades at London school

Two students were today celebrating 21 A* grades between them at a London secondary school which opened seven years ago.

Alaa Lafta and Nadia Ezbakh nervously opened their result papers this morning at King Solomon Academy in Marylebone, off Edgware Road.

Alaa scooped 11 A* grades while Nadia received 10 A*s and an A after enduring “sleepless nights” over their results. Both girls, 16, now want to study maths and sciences at A-level at the school.

Alaa said: “I was hoping for A*s and As, so I’m more than relieved, as well as happy that the stress is over. I need to go home and sleep now. The stress and the wait was the worst thing. I didn’t sleep at all last night. It was last-minute panic, but I wanted to scream out when I saw the results.”

Nadia, of Ealing, said she was “shocked” by her grades despite being predicted to get top marks by her teachers. She said: “I didn’t think I’d get these grades because I found the exams challenging. I’m going to study biology, chemistry, Spanish and maths at sixth form.”

Principal Max Haimendorf said the results showed the school was on an upward trajectory. He said: “We’ve just had our first kids going off to university. We are special because we serve an area of economic deprivation, but despite that our mission is to make it possible for every child to go to university and be successful. We are really happy with the results and of all the exam results 75 per cent were B grades and above.”

Milod Sadaty, 16, from Paddington, joined the school in year seven and achieved two A*s, seven As and two B grades.

After arriving at school at 8am, he said: “It was nice to see all my hard work pay off and all the hours of revision were worth it. My family will be proud of me and excited. I wanted to make them proud as well as getting the good grades for myself.”