Tears and excitement were flowing across Hackney today as students picked up their GCSE results.

At Our Lady’s Convent School in Stamford Hill, there was much cause for celebration.

The school has seen a great improvement in results with headteacher, Jane Gray, saying they had been “at least” a 14 per cent rise in pupils achieving A*- C in maths.

She said: “We’ve had a good improvement on last year’s results and I’m really pleased for the students. They are, after all, the most important.

“As always, it’s down to the hard work by all the staff and fantastic students.

“The most important thing is that we have given them all they need to get on with the next stage of their education.”

Overall, 56 per cent of students achieved five A* to C, including English and Maths, but Mrs Gray was particularly proud of the school’s Mandarin GCSE results.

“We got a 100 per cent A* to C pass rate in Mandarin with I think about half of them receiving either As or A*s.”

One of those students, is Lauren Hands, 16, who got an A* in the subject as well as two more A*s and seven As.

She said: “I’m really happy I got an A* in Mandarin. I went to China on a school trip to do it so I’m glad all that hard work has paid off.”

She says she will now attend the school’s sixth form to study geography, chemistry, biology and maths and hopes to become a geologist.