Twin sisters from Derry have received marks in all of their GCSE examinations.

Cait and Oonagh Grant are pupils at Lumen Christi College.

The two girls sat their GCSE exams earlier this year and where amazed to find out they had received identical grades in all their subjects when they opened their results’ envelopes on Thursday morning.

Cait and Oonagh were just two of the hundreds of local students for whom the nervous wait for their results ended on Thursday.

All local schools reported excellent results for their pupils, with some enjoying a record year.

There were extra special celebrations at Bogside-based primary school, Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir.

The youngsters at the Lecky Road school sat the GCSE Irish test earlier this year at the age of 10 or 11 at the same time as 16-year-olds from secondary and grammar schools across the North.

The 13 Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir pupils’ results ranged from A too C and they achieved a remarkable 100 per cent pass rate in the rest for their written and oral skills.

School principal, Alicia O’Kane, congratulated the pupils on their achievement.

She said: “Once again everyone at Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir are celebrating the remarkable GCSE success of our primary seven children.

“I would like to congratulate all the students who sat their exams, they are credit to themselves, their families and our school. We are extremely proud of them.

“Our students are six years younger than most sitting this exam which makes their performance even more significant.

“We are delighted at this success and a lot of credit must go to the children and their teacher, Antóin de Brún, and it is great to see their hard work pay off.

“We take great pride in all our students at Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir and we have no doubt they will be great ambassadors for our school and the Irish language as they embark on the next chapter of their educational journey.”

The National Union of Students (NUS) in Northern Ireland has urged GCSE students not to rush into their future plans.

NUS President Olivia Potter-Hughes said anyone who did not get the results should not worry as there could be a number of excellent educational opportunities open to them.

“There are other excellent routes that people can take aside from A-Levels and university,” she said.

“People can study in further education institutions in vocational or other courses or in apprenticeship. All of these options open up significant career opportunities and may be a better route than A-levels for many people.

“Further and higher education are equally valuable to our economy and equally valuable as regard educational opportunities.

“It is important that further education is promoted effectively so that people receiving grades are aware of the excellent options that it provides.”

Neil Anderson, head of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in Northern Ireland, also stressed that support was available for GCSE students and their families.

“For many this moment will be a cause of celebration as they secure the grades they require to move on to A-Levels, further education or go directly into employment.

“But for some others it will, unfortunately, be a stressful time as they fall short of their expected results. This is borne out by the growing number of young people contacting Childline at this time of year seeking advice and support for exam related worries.

“At Childline we never dismiss the concerns teenagers may have, because exam results can be important depending on their chosen career path.

“But at the same time we always try to reassure young people that getting good grades is not necessarily a make or break moment in life.

The main thing parents or carers can do when their children receive their results - especially if they weren’t what they were hoping for – is not to panic!

“Tell your child that everyone is different – so urge them not to compare themselves to their siblings or friends. And remind them that many people who didn’t do well at school have gone on to be hugely successful in life, including Bill Gates, Richard Branson and even Albert Einstein.”

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