Students, teachers and parents at Bruton School for Girls are celebrating another year of excellent A-level results, none more so than deputy head girl Harriet Sharp, who gained all four passes at A*, an outstanding achievement.

Sixteen per cent of Bruton's entries were awarded the new and challenging A* grade – more than double the proportion being forecast nationally – and the combined A* and A percentage was 45 per cent. The pass rate was 100 per cent for the seventh year out of eight. 72 per cent of the entries received a grade B or better and 97 per cent grade C or better. Top individual performances were: Harriet Sharp, of Shepton Montague, near Bruton, who gained her four passes all at A*, Kelin Chen, from Shenzhen, China, who achieved two A*s and three As, Rosie Bell, also of Shepton Montague, with two A*s and an A, Tallulah Pomeroy, of Bruton, with two A*s and a B and head girl Sophie George with an A* and two As. Others gaining at least two A* or A grades were: Kate Chandler, of Stoney Stratton, Louise Dubuisson, of Redlynch, near Bruton, Charlotte Hole, of Martock, Catherine Linney, of Wanstrow, Rosa Nash, of East Lydford, near Somerton, Penny Rice, of Pitney, near Langport, Gemma Voysey, of Sparkford, Hannah White, of Glastonbury, and Katherine Wong, from Hong Kong.

Harriet will be taking up a place to read medicine at Queens' College, Cambridge in 2011. Two years ago, she gained all 11 GCSE passes at A*. Her A-level success comes as the culmination of a year in which, amongst other achievements, she won the Prayer Book Society's national Cranmer award.

Kelin has a place to read Civil Engineering at University College London and Rosie will be reading Physiotherapy at Birmingham. Tallulah and Sophie, along with Lizzie French of Rode near Frome, have gained places at prestigious Art colleges.

"We are delighted with these A-level results," said head teacher John Burrough. "To have gained so many A* grades across seven different subjects from various areas of the curriculum is very pleasing.

"The students have worked extremely hard, supported by their teachers and families. They have been subjected to extra pressure created by the new A* grade on one hand and the shortage of university places on the other. The notion that students today have an easy ride is far-fetched. They pack in a great deal of valuable extra-curricular experience too. I congratulate all of them on their tenacity and achievements."