A BOY with an inoperable brain tumour has amazed teachers by landing five A*s and two As in his GCSEs despite taking his exams just a fortnight after undergoing chem-otherapy.

Alex Polywka, 16, was diagnosed with brain cancer by doctors in February but was too ill to take his full set of 10 GCSEs.

However, after revising for his exams while recovering in his hospital bed at the John Radcliffe, the Magdalen College School pupil scored five A*s in Maths, English, Physics, Biology and Chemistry and As in English and music.

Alex even completed an AS-Level in maths at the hospital school, gaining an A.

Alex, from Norman Aven-ue in Abingdon, said: “The school was brilliant right from the start and said if I couldn’t do one GCSE I’d still get into the sixth form with the rest of the year.

“There were times during my chemotherapy I thought I could sit down and do an hour’s chemistry revision but other times I thought, ‘no I can’t do anything’.”

His mum Susan, 45, said: “At one stage we ruled out the GCSEs completely and thought let’s see if he can take the odd one.

“He was so very, very ill but his attitude was to try to do what could be done.

“We’re extremely proud of his attitude and achievement through all this. It’s quite hard for me to reflect just how brave he has been.”

The teenager had been suffering headaches prior to his diagnosis as the tumour was causing bleeding in part of the brain.

He underwent four hours of surgery in February to ease pressure on his brain.

Following the surgery, Alex was paralysed down the left side of his body and had to learn how to walk and play the guitar again.

Three months later he was able to sit seven GCSEs and start playing bass again with his band The Quaking Ducks.

Alex was too sick to take his German, French and geography GCSEs but is continuing to receive treatment for the cancer. He started radio- theraphy two days ago and is now half-way through his cancer treatment.

He is going on to study science, maths and further maths at A-Level.

He hopes to go on to read chemistry at university.

Master Tim Hands said: “It’s an extraordinary achie-vement. It’s amazing not only that he has taken so many exams but that he has done so well.”

He said the school told Alex he should only take the exams if it was therapeutic.