A student who maintained A grades throughout her education has claimed a place at a top university medical school.

Emily Ward, a pupil at Loreto College in St Albans had already achieved 10 A*s at GCSE before learning last week that she had been awarded an A* and two As at A-level.

She has wanted to pursue a career in medicine from a young age and will now be taking up a place at Newcastle University Medical School in September.

She said: “I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved and so lucky and excited to have this opportunity.

“I was also even happier to find out that all of my friends got into the universities that they wanted as well.”

Emily, who lives in Marshalswick, believes that her high grades are down to “being so motivated to do medicine”.

She continued: “I was always working towards that goal and I knew how hard I had to work to achieve it.

“Going to Loreto also meant that I achieved well in my exams as the school offered amazing support and every teacher cared about you doing well as an individual.”

Emily sat her A-level exams shortly after her grandfather died and while travelling around Australia this summer, she completed a skydive in his memory.

She has raised £650 for Rennie Grove Hospice Care which supported her grandad during the last months of his life.

She added: “The skydive was incredible and it was even better to be able to raise money for such an amazing charity in memory of my grandad.”

For more information or to donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/Emily-Ward16?utm_id=15