THE principal of Blackburn's Westholme School praised pupils and staff for an outstanding year in a ceremony at King George's Hall last night.

Lillian Croston said she was proud of the school's academic, sporting and musical success but she was particularly proud of the pupils and their behaviour. "They are all polite, courteous and well-behaved young people," she added.

She also announced the school's academic results and said that 99.6 per cent of its pupils passed, more than 70 per cent received A and B grades and approximately 96 per cent were accepted by their first-choice university.

The school also achieved a similarly high pass rate in GCSEs with 97 per cent of pupils receiving A to B grades.

Mrs Croston took time to praise the school's music department and the high standard of its pupils. She said she particularly enjoyed all of the concerts and performances throughout the school year.

The principal also congratulated pupil Elizabeth Walmsley after she got one of the top five marks in the country for her A Level theatre studies work, and the sixth form's enterprise company which gained the ten best results in the country.

Prize presenter was Dr Dorothy Shaw, clinical professor in the departments of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of British Columbia.