AT one stage, Emily Wood’s eating disorder was so bad she could not face attending lessons at The Cooper School in Bicester, but yesterday the teenager picked up several A grades.

The 16-year-old from Southwold said: “This last year I had a really hard time. I was skipping a lot and not going to lessons because I didn’t like the thought of being there.”

The teenager’s illness was at its most severe between October and her final exams.

She said: “I failed my mock exams and went from being predicted A*s and As to Cs and Ds.

“I came to pick up my results fully prepared to have failed again, so to pass all of my exams and pass so well is an amazing achievement.”

In total, Emily gained four As, three Cs, as well as 5s in English Literature and Maths.

The student said she was most proud of achieving 7 in English Language despite missing so much school.

The teenager added: “I got a lot of support from the school, they made sure l could take the exams in the way I needed.

“I’m getting better now and this has definitely helped.”

Emily will now carry on to sixth form at The Cooper School and hopes to then go on to university.