A-LEVEL results in Hounslow overtook the national average, with the proportion of passes at A*-C leaping three points from last year to 77 per cent.

Several schools saw big improvements in their results, announced yesterday, including Chiswick Community School (79 per cent A*-C, from 71 per cent), Gumley House Convent School (88, from 75) and Heston Community School (77, from 72).

However, there was a sharp drop at Feltham Community College (68 per cent A*-C, from 41 per cent).

Nationally, the pass rate at A*-C was 76.2 per cent, up slightly from 75.4 per cent in 2010. The overall pass rate was 97.8 per cent, just below Hounslow's 98 per cent.

Councillor Steve Curran, Hounslow's cabinet member for education said: "I'm extremely proud of Hounslow's students for their hard work and the sustained improvement we have achieved across our schools in the borough.

"It's so pleasing to see so many happy faces, and with the hard work of the students, their teachers, parents and governors all paying off at this moment, they can move onto the next stage of their lives and I wish them every success for the future."

Many schools in the borough had extra staff on hand to help students going through clearing, with demand for university places higher than ever as many students opted against taking a gap year to beat the huge rise in tuition fees.

But students and teachers alike were left frustrated as the UCAS clearing site crashed under the weight of demand.

Mike Bates, head of year 13 at Lampton School, in Hounslow, said on Thursday morning: "Universities are telling pupils if they don't have a clearing number they can't deal with them, but they can't get on the website to get that number. It's so frustrating, but we'll be here all day to help them."

RESULTS

School Per cent of grades A*-C (2010 figure in brackets)

Brentford School 74 (73)

Chiswick Community School 79 (71)

Cranford Community School 69 (62)

Feltham Community School 41 (68)

The Green School 81 (85)

Gumley House Convent 88 (75)

Gunnersbury School 94 (94)

The Heathland School 73 (71)

Heston Community School 77 (72)

Hounslow Manor School 66 (60)

Isleworth and Syon School 78 (72)

Lampton School 73 (77)

Rivers Academy (formerly Longford) 66 (64)

St Mark's RC School 83 (80)

Hounslow overall 77 (74)