DELIGHTED pupils at James Reid School have spoken of how their excellent exam results have boosted their confidence and made them even more determined to succeed in the future.

As the Herald reported last week, the school in Saltcoats achieved its best exam results ever. The accomplishment was praised by head teacher, John Hamilton, who described the results as “fantastic” and said that they were testament to the hard work and dedication of pupils, staff and management.

The number of National Units taken this year by James Reid pupils more than doubled and the number of students taking National 4 was at the highest ever level in the school’s history.

S5 pupil, Ryan Dickson, said: “I feel the school is really helping me. My writing and reading have really come on and I can see this at home and when I’m out as well I notice a big difference.

“I feel capable of doing a lot and I’ve got skills. The qualifications that I have show my skills and they prove that I can work hard and stick at things.

“I’ve tried really hard and my teachers have worked with me and now I’ve reached National 3 I want to go further and further.”

Another S5 pupil, Adam Howell, spoke of the moment he received his results. He said: “When I got my qualifications I was stunned and my mum was so happy! It was a great feeling to see it all written down on paper in black and white.

“This has really helped me to build up my confidence and I feel good about the future.

“My family have also helped me a lot and I am so happy that I have managed to get all of these qualifications for myself and them.”

Tianna Burnett from S6 was also delighted with her results. She said: “I’m really proud of myself. My mum and dad were really pleased and it feels so good to achieve these things.”

S5’s Amy McCallum added: “It was great, I got a lot lot more than I ever thought I could. It’s really brilliant!”

Adam Mason from S6 said: “It’s really good; when I got my results I was so excited. When I got the SQA paper and the letter, my mum and dad were very proud. My brother was so happy about it too. It felt brilliant.”

Tony Maxwell, also of S6 added: “Inside I felt warm about my SQA results and my mum was so pleased.”

Congratulations to James Reid School, from everyone at the Herald.