Almost six out of every 10 results (58 per cent) were at grades A and B, with 28 per cent of results awarded the top A-grade. Almost everyone who took an A-level in Powys passed (99 per cent).

These results maintain the excellent results of last year and are once again significantly higher than Wales and England.

Welshpool High School have had some of their best results in history, with almost 25 per cent of students attaining three or more grade A, and 60 per cent achieving two or more grade A and B.

Newtown High School also enjoyed its best ever A-level results, with 98 per cent of pupils passing with grades A to E.

100 per cent of pupils at Llanfair Caereinion High School passed their A-levels, with 87 per cent of them gaining grades A to C.

Another school to have enjoyed a 100 per cent pass rate is Llanfyllin High School.

Llanidloes High School enjoyed another successful year with 58 per cent of its pupils achieving grades A to B, 81 per cent got grades A to C and 98 per cent enjoyed grades A to E.

Ysgol Bro Ddyfi, Machynlleth, enjoyed a 100 per cent pass rate, with 70 per cent of pupils receiving grades between A and C.

Builth Wells High School's A-level results represent another outstanding year for the school – only just missing out on a 100 per cent pass rate.

99.3 per cent of all exams taken by the schools' 49 students were passed, with 49 per cent of the pupils receiving an A grade.

It was also a record-breaking year for Llandrindod Wells High School with 83 per cent of pupils receiving between A to C grades, while John Beddoes School, in Presteigne, achieved a 92 per cent pass rate at A to E grades with 18 per cent achieving the top A grade.

The number of students achieving the A-level pass rate in Wales overall has risen again. This year 97.6 per cent of entries passed with grades A to E according to Welsh exam board the WJEC, which is an increase of half a percent. However the number of top grade A awarded has remained the same as last year at 24.1 per cent.

The regional results improve on those statistics further – Powys WJEC results at grades A-B are nearly seven per cent higher than the all-Wales figures (all boards) maintaining the outstanding progress seen since 2001.

Compared to the rest of the UK, Wales has produced slightly fewer A grades but the overall pass rate in Wales is higher than that of Britain as a whole.

Powys County Councillor David Jones, portfolio holder for Schools and Inclusion, and Councillor Kath Roberts-Jones, chairman of the People Policy and Scrutiny Committee, said: "These are excellent results clearly reflecting the dedication and hard work of pupils and teachers in Powys schools.

"Our warm congratulations go to all the young people on their well deserved achievements and to all those who have supported them throughout their school careers.

"We wish all the students every success for the future."

* Full stories from Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, with pictures, in this week's County Times. More pictures in next week's paper.