The headteacher of Cardigan Secondary School says that all of the students receiving their GCSE, AS and A Level results this week should be proud of their achievements.

Congratulating them on their "exceptional" success, Nicola James said their results were against a "backdrop of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty" caused by coronavirus.

This year’s assessment and qualification process has been different to previous years as examinations for summer 2021 were cancelled in response to the pandemic.

A new system was designed and delivered by schools and put trust in them to draw together a range of assessment evidence on which to determine a learner’s grade.

Mrs James thanked the students, staff, parents, guardians and the governing body of the school for their support in what has been an unprecedented couple of years.

"All of our students receiving their GCSE and A/AS level results this week should be proud of their success, and I congratulate them on their achievements," said Mrs James.

"These exceptional results are the culmination of hard work and considerable effort, and they have been achieved against a backdrop of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty.

"I thank all the students and staff for their dedication, and I am delighted that despite the challenging circumstances this year.

"The vast majority of our students have accepted places at their chosen universities, or apprenticeships and employment.

"I wish them every success in the future, I would also like to thank all parents and guardians and the governing body for their continued support and co-operation during a difficult and challenging time for everyone.”

The total number of A level entries in Wales this year was 35,867, an increase of 14.5% relative to 2020.

It reversed the decreasing A level entries since the summer of 2015, and resulted in an extra 4,500 A levels being awarded to Welsh learners this year.

Results for Wales show that 99.1% of learners achieved A* - E grades, up from 97.6% in 2019, with an increase at A* with 21.3% of candidates achieving this grade.

A total of 48.3% of grades, decided by teachers, were A* and A after what exam awarders called "challenging circumstances" due to Covid-19.

The other headteachers in south Ceredigion have also congratulated their students and thanked their staff on their achievements.

Jane Wyn, headteacher at Ysgol Bro Pedr, said: "We are very proud of the pupils' achievements and I would like to take this opportunity to wish the pupils every success in the future.

"As a school, we believe these results are proof of the pupils' hard work, the school's high standards of teaching and the support of parents during a very challenging academic year.”

Owain Jones, headteacher at Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron said: “We are extremely proud of the work and efforts of our students and I would like to congratulate them on their excellent results.

"Although the past two years have been very unusual, their hard work together with the support of teachers and school staff, parents and carers is reflected in well-deserved results.

"We wish all our A Level pupils all the best whether studying a degree at University, pursuing an apprenticeship or moving into the world of work, and we are excited to welcome a high percentage of our GCSE pupils back to the sixth form."

Robert Jenkins, headteacher at Ysgol Bro Teifi noted: "I would like to congratulate our pupils on this year's results.

"They have continued to succeed over this period, benefiting from the excellent support and advice of school staff.

"We wish all those pupils who are moving on to university, college, apprenticeships or the world of work every success, and we look forward to welcoming the majority of Year 11 back to the Sixth Form in September."

Dorian Pugh, headteacher at Ysgol Henry Richard, said: “It is a pleasure to congratulate our pupils on this year's fantastic GCSE results.

"The pupils have had to deal with a number of additional challenges as they learned remotely for periods of time during their GCSE courses.

"I would like to sincerely thank the pupils, staff and parents for the excellent co-operation in ensuring that the pupils reach their full potential.

"We wish the year 11 pupils of 2021 the very best of luck as they move on to the next chapter, whether it be further education or the world of work. ”