By Emma Grove

egrove@thekmgroup.co.uk

A star pupil has gained a set of GCSE results which are among the best in the country.

Islander Chidera Ota found out she had achieved 15 A*s when she went to collect her results last week Tuesday.

The 16-year-old, who lives in Leet Close, Eastchurch, got the results in English literature and language, maths, statistics, French, German, Latin, history, sociology, chemistry, biology, physics and an IT qualification worth three GCSEs. She also got an A in RE.

The Highsted Grammar School girl wants to follow her Nigerian-born parents' footsteps and go into medicine. Her dad Uchenna is a Sheppey GP and mum Mercy is a nurse.

At the start of the new term, Chidera will be going to King's School in Canterbury where she has gained a scholarship to study biology, chemistry, physics, maths and further maths A-levels.

She then hopes to get a place at Cambridge University.

Chidera said her favourite subjects are maths and science because they suit the way she thinks. German was the subject she found hardest because she returned to it after studying French.

Chidera has a younger sister, fellow Highsted pupil Chindi, 13, who she says already gets lots of awards at the school.

Chidera is delighted with her results and said she worked very hard to achieve them.

She said: "I have always tried hard at school because medicine is a very competitive field and even getting into the university I want is hard enough.

"I knew I had to have a good foundation to work on - I did extra sessions at school and lessons at lunchtimes and I had all the revision leaflets.

"I'm really happy with my grades and relieved. Mum and dad are very proud and my friends are all really pleased."

To celebrate she and her family went out for a meal in London on Tuesday. Highsted head teacher Jenny Payne said: "I am extremely proud of all our students. I am confident Chidera will continue to flourish in her new school."

Although figures for the best achievers nationally are not officially recorded, a spokesman for Kent County Council said Chidera's were the best set of results he had come across this year.