ONE youngster from a Witney school beat the odds by achieving top marks in her GCSEs despite being diagnosed with a spine condition last year.

Wood Green School student Mary Collingridge took two and a half months off from her studies when she had surgery for scoliosis in November.

Despite the setback, she achieved a stunning set of results across the board including a grade 8 in English language, a 7 in English literature and maths and multiple As and A*s.

Mary was diagnosed with the condition, in which a person’s spine has a sideways curve, last June and said the news initially caused her to ‘completely break down’, thinking it would impede her performance in her exams.

However, despite missing out a chunk of the academic year when she underwent surgery for the condition, she said the school’s consistent support helped her do the best she could.

She said: “When I came back to school the teachers were so supportive, giving me extra time to go through things. They didn’t give up on me.

“With all the time off I thought I wouldn’t do as well as I was meant to but the school helped me believe in myself.”

She will continue studying in the school’s sixth form.