Dudley teenager gains free place at top school

The 16-year-old from Dudley, who attends Four Dwellings Academy in Quinton, passed the rigorous entrance exams to get into the sixth form at Cheltenham Ladies' College.

And, after shining at her interviews there, she was offered a fully-funded bursary for the college, where fees are normally more than £30,000 a year.

Vice principal at Four Dwellings Academy Ian Trevethick said: "Xara is a bit of a special girl – she's very talented and deserves the chance to excel."

Xara, who lives with her parents, Ken and Vanessa, and brothers, Mason, aged 11, and Harvey, 10, in Warrens Hall Road, Sledmere Estate, Dudley, said: "I feel blessed to have been offered the place. I'm very excited and proud."

She is set to study A Levels in history, maths, further maths, English literature and government and politics when she starts at Cheltenham Ladies' College in September.

Xara is also a talented piano player. Mr Trevethick added: "Cheltenham Ladies' College were very keen to have her. She came second among all the entrants to the college from all over the world.

"The offer of a place there is unconditional upon her results this summer but we are predicting a clutch of A* and As for her.

"She is very mature and is our head girl – but she is also very caring, kind and considerate and fully focused, setting her stall very high." Xara is not the first Four Dwellings pupil to win a free place at a top public school – in 2010 Jake Hayden-Wright went to Eton. Mr Trevethick has hopes that, after completing her A Levels, Xara may aim for a place at Harvard or Yale in America. She says she would like to be a lawyer or psychologist.

Xara's mother Vanessa said: "We're just an ordinary family and we are extremely proud of our daughter."