FROWNS were literally turned upside down as Mossley Hollins High school pupils opened the dreaded envelopes containing their GCSE results.
And as much as the high achievements of some, the progress others had made was celebrated.
Tension in the air could almost be cut with a knife before the grades wee learned, with parents wearing faces almost as stern as the teenagers.
But once they were opened, there were smiles all around, as well as audible sighs of relief.
Cara Dote, of Mossley, was the top achiever with a full set of Grade Nines, the equivalent of higher than A* in the latest set of marking boundaries.
Now after living in Japan until she was six-years-old – her father is Japanese – she will head to Huddersfield’s Greenhead College to study her A-levels.
Once she regathered her breath after gasping as she read her results, Cara said: “I’ve done all right with all nines – 10 of them.
“I can’t believe it. I wasn’t expecting to get that – especially in English!
“I’m going to study maths, further maths, physics and economics. All the way through my time at school, I’ve been interested in maths.
“And I already know I want to do a maths-related degree.
“My time at Mossley Hollins has been absolutely fabulous. I’ve made so many friends and the teachers were so supportive, especially through the stressful exam period.”
Career aims were largely vague but Carrbrook’s Maisie Knott has her eye on becoming a journalist after getting better results than she thought she would – level eight and nine in all her subjects.
“I wouldn’t mind going into journalism,” said Maisie, who hopes to study English literature, politics and history at Ashton Sixth Form College.
“I was definitely nervous before I opened the envelope. I hardly slept the night before.
“Mossley Hollins was enjoyable. There were lots of extra things I could do and I got a lot out of it.”
Josh Aspin was left delighted as he received his grades – almost as delighted as he is when he scores for Wakefield Whirlwinds wheelchair basketball team.
After being born with cerebral palsy, that means he has been a wheelchair user all his life, he scored two nines, five eights, three sevens and two sixes.
And no-one can accuse him of not going down the academic route as he will study maths, further maths, history and chemistry at Ashton Sixth Firm College.
“I’ve done pretty well,” Josh, of Greenfield, said. “One grade slipped slightly but it’s fine.
“College should be good. I’ve no real aims of what I want to do as a career – I’ll just see where life takes me.
“Mossley Hollins has really helped set me up for life.”
Head boy Keano Wassall scored two Nines, as well as Eights, Sevens and Sizes, finding out his grades while on holiday as he seeks to become a barrister.
It was also all smiles for Brooke Bamford and Amber Webster, of Mossley, who achieved mostly Grade Nines and Eights.
And they will be pals at Ashton Sixth Form College together as they will both head there – Brooke studying maths, further maths, computer science and history while Amber will take on biology, chemistry and law.
“I made a lot of friends and Mossley Hollins was really nice,” said Brooke, who is looking at a maths or computer science-related career. “I’m really happy with what In got.”
Amber, who hopes to head into medicine, added: “It was nice that the teachers were really supportive.
“I achieved what I wanted to achieve.”