TEACHERS at two Havant-area colleges which recently merged have been united in praise for their A-Level students.

“Outstanding” was the buzz word at Havant & South Downs College (HSDC) on Thursday morning as hundreds of students collected their results.

Both campuses achieved impressive results, with an overall pass rate of 98 per cent, compared to 98.3 per cent and 97.1 per cent last year at Havant College and South Downs College, respectively.

And with a further 43 per cent of students achieved the toughest A* to B gradeS, it seems the merger has not affected academic excellence.

Mike Gaston, Principal of HSDC, called the results “outstanding” but is confident that marks will be even better in years to come.

He said: “Congratulations to all our A-Level students for their tremendous hard work and determination, and to our staff for their dedication and commitment to excellence.

“This is the first of many successful years for HSDC, with many of our students going onto top universities around the country.

“Based on today’s results, the journey towards HSDC’s vision of excellence for the future is stronger than ever: two campuses, one college and one incredible journey for our students.”