GABRIEL Naughton got an A* grade in Latin A-Level and a place at Oxford University after learning the ancient language on Skype.

The 18-year-old student at Didcot Sixth Form College took lessons outside school time with teacher Giles Dawson, of Charlbury, using Skype, which allows people to communicate over the internet by video link.

Backed up by revision in his own time, Gabriel achieved the top grade and is now going to study classics at St John’s College, Oxford.

He said of the Skype lessons: “Occasionally there were problems with the connection but most of the time it worked well.”

He picked up A* grades in history and English but was the only student to achieve one in Latin.

The students from the college – a partnership between Didcot Girls’ School and St Birinus School – celebrated record A-Level results yesterday.

There were 148 pupils taking A-Levels, with 30 per cent getting A* or A.

A record-breaking 57 per cent of all exam entries were graded A* to B, with 81 per cent A* to C, and 98 per cent achieving A* to E.

Didcot Girls’ head Rachael Warwick spoke of the “phenomenal effort” by all.

Gabriel’s dad John Naughton, 49, a governor at St Birinus, said: “Gabriel used modern technology to learn an ancient language.”

Mrs Warwick added: “It is unusual for state school students to go to Oxford to read classics.”

Eighteen of the sixth-form college's students achieved three A* or A grades and four have accepted places at Oxford and Cambridge universities.