Triumph over adversity

Oldham Academy North GCSE results

TWO young students at Oldham Academy North fought personal battles to emerge triumphant on GCSE results day.

Zainab Bibi spent a crucial month away from the classroom just weeks before her exams, when she had to undergo an eye operation.

She kept abreast with her work by studying at home, then staying behind after classes to catch up when she was allowed to go back to school.

She had a winning smile on her face though when her hard work rewarded her with one A*, two As, five Bs and one C grade.

She said: “I had a corneal graft, which meant I had to take four to five weeks off school, as well as one day a month off when I came back.”

Zainab will now study biology, chemistry, maths and English language and literature at Oldham Sixth Form College.

Adil Ali overcame his own personal challenge to emerge as one of the academy’s star students.

Despite not being able to speak a word of English when he came to live in England, he gained six A*s, three As and one B grade.

He joined the former Grange School at the age of 14, and had to learn English from scratch as well as trying to keep up with his studies.

He said after opening his results: “I am happy and relieved. It seems to have been a very long wait.”

Adil wants to pursue a career in medicine, and will study biology, chemistry and maths at Oldham Sixth Form College.

Other top students from Academy North include Shamima Akhtar, who earned five A*s, five As, one B and one C, Thaslima Begum, who gained four A*s, five As, two Bs and one C, and Bilal Patel, who got one A*, six As, two Bs and 1 C.

Results overall have improved at Oldham Academy North, which saw a 7 per cent increase in five A*-C grades including English and maths, to 44 per cent.