As students celebrated - or lamented - their A-level results, the Church of England enjoyed its own celebration as it announced that today's A-level results marked the fourth successive rise in the number of entrants for Religious Studies A-level.

The number of entrants to the course this year has seen an increase of 4.4 per cent against 2006's figures. The figures also show a 7.95 per cent increase in the number of entrants for AS level Religious Studies compared with a year ago.

The figures represent an extra 800 students opening A-Level results envelopes for Religious Studies today, taking the total to over 19,000 students.

Speaking today, Nick McKemey, the Church of England's National Schools Improvement Officer, said he was pleased that the "significant rise in interest" in Religious Studies had come in spite of competition from a number of new subjects, such as Critical Thinking.

"Religious Studies is increasingly popular because students appreciate the importance of understanding the meaning of faith in Britain and the world today, whatever career they are seeking to pursue," he said.

"Being able to study the major world faiths in an academically rigorous way gives them an invaluable perspective on our complex and interdependent world.

"Many students are drawn to the subject as it provides an opportunity to explore the meaning of faith in their own lives."

The announcement came as the number of A-grades this year broke previous records. The Joint Council for Qualifications revealed today that the number of students reaching the top grade this year had risen by 1.2 percentage points to 25.3 per cent.