BORDEN Grammar School students celebrated another successful year with every one of them gaining at least three A levels and 35 per cent achieving A* to B grades.

George Mannering, 18, from Upchurch, was extra pleased to discover he'd passed his A levels after a potentially fatal illness led to his collapsing the night before his psychology exam.

He had to be rushed to Medway Maritime Hospital for a life-saving operation.

In 2008, George had been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a condition that disrupts the normal rhythm of the heart.

He said: "I had to stay in hospital for eight days, my heart rate was 250 beats per minute for three hours. I would like to say thank you to my head of year Mr Mulligan. He spoke to universities and wrote to exam boards and sorted everything out for me."

George is off to the University of Winchester in September to study sports.

The school's top-scoring student was Ashley Wise with an A* and three As.

Another success story was Jodie Dewberry, 18, who got As in French, maths and psychology as well as two Bs.

The youngster from Sheerness will study French and Arabic at the University of Exeter and hopes to work abroad after graduation.

She said: "I didn't expect to do this well, I just really wanted to get into Exeter."

Deputy head Laurel Townend said: "We are very proud of all the efforts our students have made and really feel they deserve success for the future."