Next stop Cambridge for pioneering boy from the East End

Among those celebrating was a boy who grew up surrounded by knife crime and poverty in east London, but today won a place at Cambridge. George Weller, 18, is among the first to benefit from a partnership between Kingsford Community School in Beckton and £24,200 a-year Brighton College.

He is going to Emmanuel College to study natural sciences having achieved straight As in chemistry, biology, maths and further maths. George, from Plaistow, said: "You might think they might be stuck up or look down on you. But that changed when I went to visit the place. Everyone was really welcoming."

Brighton College head Richard Cairns said: "George has demonstrated the sky is the limit for every child in east London."

Students at St Francis Xavier in Clapham were jubilant as it remained top performing sixth form college in London with 22.6 per cent of its 450 pupils achieving A grades and 78.59 per cent getting As to Cs.

Maria Oreyelu, from New Cross, gained As in English, politics, sociology and history and a distinction for an advanced qualification in history. She will study politics and sociology at Warwick. For Ezme Bushell, from East Dulwich, As in English, drama and sociology won her a social anthropology place at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Gloria Ackah, from Streatham got straight As in maths, economics and sociology. She will study maths and economics at Royal Holloway College.

At private Eltham College there were record results with 70 per cent gaining A grades. Clare Palmer got straight As in chemistry, biology, history and drama and her place at St John's College, Oxford, to study experimental psychology has been confirmed. Sarah Martin - As in German, music and English - is off to Bristol University to study German and music