A PUPIL who should be in Year 10 is celebrating receiving top GCSE grades.

Wheatley Park School pupil Cerys Dempsey was awarded ten grade 9s – the highest score possible – after moving to England three years ago from Greenville, South Carolina.

She explained: “I moved to England three years ago and was put in Year 8, however, I felt like I could be challenged more academically, so I spoke to my teachers and they agreed, so I was moved to Year 9.

“It presented a challenge but I enjoyed it and rose to it.”

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After her opening her results, she said: “It was definitely a big surprise as I wasn’t expecting these results – it was really nice.”

Cerys will now study the International Baccalaureate at St Clare’s in Oxford.

Only a year into her education in England, Cerys was then given a new obstacle – the coronavirus pandemic.

She said: “It’s been difficult for all students and the pandemic has presented all sorts of challenges.

“Having the online learning we had has helped though, as has the support from my parents too – I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Cerys’ mum Janice said she was ‘beyond proud’ of her daughter.

“I said to her when she opened them, that she had put in so much effort and dedication, this was her reaping the rewards,” she said.

“As her parents, when she told us she wanted to move up a year, we said straight away there’s a lot of facets to consider.

“We thought about it, and when it was discussed with her teachers, we knew it was the right decision and she flourished.”