Shaun Pexton achieved five A* grades in history, chemistry, physics, maths and further maths, and is one of 16 pupils at the college to head across the pond for their university courses.

Shaun turned down his offer to study at Cambridge to study at Yale University in Connecticut, and will be joined by his fellow pupil Kieran Malandain and Matias Paz Linares.

He said: “I spent my younger years in Hong Kong and Singapore, and I’m now moving on to Yale University in the US – but my roots will always be here in Brighton, and I know that my years at Brighton College will remain some of the best of my life.”

Shaun swam the English Channel last year to raise money for charity YoungMinds, which supports mental health in young people.

• READ MORE: Sussex students begin to receive A Level, BTec and T Level results 

College headmaster Richard Cairns was delighted by the news and said: “It was always going to be a challenge for this year’s cohort because they had no previous GCSE exam experience, so it is wonderful that they have risen to the challenge, smashing the record in 2019 when exams were last sat in person.

“Nearly all Brighton College pupils have secured places at top universities.

“Twenty-four received Oxbridge offers but it is noticeable that there has been a real shift in emphasis towards the United States, with 16 heading off to North America.”

Nationwide, the number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has fallen slightly this year.

A total of 425,830 people have had places confirmed, down two per cent on the same point last year - according to data published by university admissions service Ucas.

The figure remains the second highest on record, up 16,870 compared with 2019 when exams were last held.

Students also received the first T level results, with 71 per cent of applicants gaining a place in higher education.

Clearing phone lines for universities across Sussex are now open for students considering other options for continuing their studies.