More than 2,500 pupils achieved 10 or more A* grades in their GCSEs in 2015, a new report by Cambridge Assessment shows.

The majority of these top performing students - almost two thirds (1,722) - were girls. And out of the 26,914 students who achieved at least five A* grades, 16,048 - or 60 per cent - were girls. The statistics also show that the proportion of girls who achieved at least 10 A* grades (0.63 per cent) was almost double that of boys (0.34 per cent).

This gender gap also extends to pupils who achieved 10 or more A or A* grades. In 2015, more than 14,000 girls managed this feat, compared with 8,164 boys.

@willmartie