There were tears of joy at St Michael's Catholic Academy, Billingham, where the school was celebrating 72 grade 9s across the year group.
Headteacher Helen Keough paid tribute to students who she said had been “courageous” in the way they had met the challenge of the pandemic.
“We are all so proud of the wonderful students — the pupils have been so courageous and the results they have received today are a testament to that courage.”
She added: “They are a testimony to their hard work and determination in overcoming the challenges of the lockdowns, the isolations and the remote learning.
“They are a generation of students that have shown incredible resilience and strength of character and they thoroughly deserve the success they have achieved.”
Mrs Keough said the students had been fearful initially ahead of their GCSEs after missing out on exams at the end of Y10 and then their mock exams this year.
However, staff had worked with them to explain the process.
The headteacher said the school decided that exams would still take place in the school hall.
“We wanted the students to be prepared for the future when they would have to meet the challenge of exams again.
“We wanted the process to be rigorous but fair.”