The wait was finally over for thousands of GCSE students across Thanet as they collected their results today.

It is the last year before a new grading system comes into force, when A* - G will be replaced with one to nine.

Nationally the number of top grades has fallen this year, with record numbers of pupils having re-sat their exams.

Here's how schools on the Isle got on.

St George’s Foundation School

Wilson Cole-Dellow was one of the school's most improved students.

He is completely blind and sees neither light nor dark.

Mr Cole-Dellow achieved eight A*-C grades, including Bs in English literature and maths.

He said: "I've done really well and I have always wanted to pass my subjects in Year 11.

"I am pleased, happy and very proud of what I have done.

"Physics was one of my favourite subjects but I am going to do music at East Kent College next year."

Among the top performers were Timotej Conka, Nadine Kelly, Jade Locke, Harvey Crouchman, Ross Worledge, Cora Gaffon and Clark Correa.

Miss Kelly, achieved two A*s, five As, two Bs and one C.

The 16-year-old said: "I am very happy with my results, I got higher marks than I was expecting and it means I got the grades I wanted to go to sixth form at Chatham and Clarendon.

"I am a bit nervous but excited and I'm sure it is going to be awesome.

"I'm going to pursue my dream now in interior design, I am artistic and that is what's going to make me happy."

Head teacher Kim Stoner said: "I am very proud of our students, their results are a testament to the relentless hard work and determination of all members of the St George's learning community.

"These results provide and excellent platform for students to follow their dreams."

Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School

Alastair Manclark picked up his results just before heading to the Isle of Wight on holiday.

And the 16-year-old was delighted with his 10 A*s and one A.

He said: "I'm absolutely amazed. And the stress has all been relieved."

He hopes eventually to head to Edinburgh University and study medicinal chemistry.

And Shivay Sachdeva, 16, still couldn't quite believe his eyes after seeing his five A*s, five As and one B.

He said: "I'm so relieved, I didn't think I would do that well. I'm not sure those A*s should be there!"

He has already had a taste of university life at Canterbury Christ Church University during a National Citizen Service course this summer and is aiming for a career in banking.

The school had on overall pass rate of 97% five A* - Cs with English and maths.

Head teacher Debra Liddicoat said: "Students should be really proud of these amazing results, they are well deserved and the result of two years of hard work.

"Particularly pleasing are the 40 students who gained between eight and 12 GCSEs at A* with distinction, A* and A grades."

The Royal Harbour Academy

After Ellington and Hereson and Marlowe Academy merged last year to become The Royal Harbour Academy the two groups of Year 11 students were kept separate.

Both schools have shown massive improvements in their results with 16% of the former Marlowe Academy pupils achieving five A*-C grades including English and maths. This was an increase of nearly 300% after results showed only 5.6% of pupils achieved the government benchmark last year.

The former Ellington and Hereson School also showed a marked improvement with 41% of pupils attaining five A*-C grades including English and maths, an increase of more than 30% after last year's percentage came out at 30%.

Wiktoria Mlynek came to Thanet five years ago, the 16-year-old had to learn English at the same time she worked towards her GCSEs.

Miss Mlynek achieved four As, one B and the rest of her exams she passed with a C.

She said: "The first two years were really but slowly my English got better.

"I had to work really hard to get these results. At the start of Year 10 it was difficult because I couldn't get used to the lessons and different type of programme in teaching.

"I overcame it and did my best, in Poland we had all different subjects and went to school at different times too.

"I am hoping to go to Chatham and Clarendon to study maths, economics, business and geography."

Jack Parkinson has a dream to study astrophysics or to become a professor of the science.

He said: "My subjects that I am required to have such as English and maths I did satisfactory.

"I have basically sacrificed all the time that I could to achieve these results and studied anywhere that I could.

"The subjects I didn't expect to do well in, I didn't do well in - as I predicted.

"I am planning to go to Dane Court next year to study physics, maths and information technology."

Dane Court Grammar School

Dane Court achieved the best results the school has seen, with 99.4% of pupils achieving five A*-C grades including English and maths. And with one paper left to re-mark, the school's head teacher, Andrew Fowler, believes the total will reach 100%.

Mr Fowler said: "These are stunning results, well deserved by a wonderful year group of hard-working students and their teachers.

"We are waiting for one paper to be remarked which should confirm that 100% of pupils have gained five or more A*-C grades, including English and maths.

"These are Dane Court's best ever results and put the school on a level with the highest performers in the country."

Dane Court pupil Ronan Docherty was one of the Isle's top performers. He achieved 12 A*s alongside fellow student Zoe Manser.

Mr Docherty said: "I worked really hard for the results and I'm very proud.

"Looking back you never feel like you have done enough for exams. You get in there and feel like you haven't done enough work but it obviously paid off.

"I'm most proud of the French result because the boundary was quite high. For that to be an A* is pretty magical.

"Hopefully it means I can get into Oxbridge in the future and I'd like to study natural science."

Other high achievers included Aleesa Viepadan, Sophie Wise, Esma, Atkinson and Megan Tudor who all obtained 12 A* and A grades.

A total of 45% of grades achieved at the school were A*s and As.

St Lawrence College

Principal Antony Spencer said: "These are tremendous results across the ability range.

"We take as much pride in the pupils who have worked hard to get five good passes as we do those with a clean sweep of A* and A grades.

"Pupils and staff have worked very hard indeed and have been justifiably rewarded."

More than 90% of pupils achieved five A*-C grand and amongst the highest individual performers were a local boy and girl.

Kathyn Spencer achieved 11 A* grades, including four languages, and Atharva Lad obtained six A*s and four As.

Hartsdown Academy

More than 40% of Hartsdown Academy pupils achieved the government benchmark of five A*-C grades, including English and Maths.

Nibar Mahdi-Hussain, 16, could “barely speak a word of English” when he started at Hartsdown after arriving in the UK from Kurdistan.

He said: “Hartsdown has been a very positive experience for me and I was given so much support to integrate into this school.

"It helped me settle in a new country.”

He will study hairdressing at college to enable him to follow in his family business.

Principal Andy Somers, who retires this month, said: “Once again this summer Hartsdown students have demonstrated that hard work and a positive attitude brings results and our A Level, vocational subjects, and GCSE outcomes reflect the terrific learning support from our staff.”

Top performers included Claire Canillas whose total featured 4 A*, 1 A, and 3 B grades. Erin Good’s results included 3 As and 4Bs, while Lukasz Radek had 1 A*, 2Bs and 5Cs in his results.

Miss Canillas moved to Westgate with her family from the Philippines and now aims to become an astronautical engineer or an astrophysicist.

She said: "I have been given so much support here and the whole school community embraced me when I arrived. It really encouraged me to do well."

Miss Good, a senior prefect, hopes to study palaeontology at university after her sixth form studies of biology, chemistry, maths and music.

She said: "I have have made good friends here but it has all gone so quickly. The staff have been brilliant with us."

King Ethelbert School

King Ethelbert's are also celebrating their best examination results with more than 60% of pupils achieving five A*-C grades including maths and English.

82% of pupils obtained a C or above in maths and 70% reached the same grade in English.

Head teacher Kate Greig said: "For the fourth year in a row, we are the highest achieving non-selective school in Thanet by some distance.

"We are absolutely delighted with these results which are thoroughly deserved as the students and staff worked so incredibly hard.

"What I am particularly pleased with is the amount of progress each student has made.

"I am enormously proud of our young people who not only work very hard but also are a credit to their school and the local community.

"They are a wonderful set of young people and we are really proud of them."

Some of the top performing students included Jamie Wells, Jack Midgley, Joe Fagg, Callum Sawkins, Lloyd Arnold, Jack Easton, Eloise Baker and Chloe Wood-French.

Deputy head teacher Vicky Willis said: "We are thrilled that so many of our students have met or exceeded our expectations."

Ursuline College

Hugs, high fives, laughter, tears and congratulations were part of the emotional climax to weeks of waiting on tenterhooks.

Outstanding individual performances were achieved by Penny Curry who gained seven A*s, one A and one B, Sam Ballard-Strevens (five A*s, three As and one B), Anne Goesel (seven As and three Bs), Louis Denniss (two A*s, three As, four Bs and one C), Austin Rohl (one A*, four As, three Bs and one C), and Amy Taylor ( four As, three Bs and one C).

Executive head teacher Stephen Adamson said the school was proud to report another good set of GCSE results.

He said: “These results are a reflection of the hard work and commitment of both students and staff and are particularly encouraging in a year when nationally there has been some turbulence in the pass rates."

Student Sam Ballard-Strevens said he was thrilled and shocked with his four A*s, four As and two Bs.

He said: “I had worked hard but was not expecting to do quite so well.”

He is planning to study biology, chemistry, psychology and philosophy and ethics at A-level and at this stage is considering a career in the medical field or possibly as a building surveyor.

Animal lover Amelia De Rosa was delighted and overcome with emotion when she learnt she had achieved 10 A-C grades, with three As and five Bs.

She hopes to study biology and chemistry at A-level and is planning on a veterinary career.

The Charles Dickens School

More than 50% of Charles Dickens students achieved five A*-C grades including maths and English.

Head of school Richard Morgan said: "The GCSE examinations are not getting any easier and it is so rewarding for the students, staff and parents when all the students’ hard work is justly rewarded with a fantastic set of results.

"We would like to thank Mrs Stoner and her team of staff from St George’s C of E Foundation School who have supported The Charles Dickens School during the last academic year and have contributed towards these improved student outcomes."