TWO Winchester pupils from the same school have been crowned the country's best.

Best friends Rebecca Massey-Chase and Emily Barrow, both 16, did the best GCSE papers in humanities subjects including history, geography and religious education.

The pair, pupils at Winchester's Henry Beaufort School, were yesterday named two of the brightest sparks in England at an awards ceremony in London.

Their honour came as students across Hampshire were celebrating posting their best GCSE results.

The class of 2004 achieved almost a 100 per cent pass rate while 58 per cent managed to get five or more A* to C grades.

Rebecca, who gained 7A*s, 4As and a B, said she and Emily had studied together for their exams despite being in different classes.

"When I opened my results there was another envelope in there, but I didn't notice for about 20 minutes," said Rebecca.

Emily, who netted 12 A*s in her GCSEs, admitted there was a bit of competition between the pair.

"There is a bit of rivalry, but I'm proud of what she achieves and she's proud of what I achieve," she said.