Ten-year-old Mehak gets maths A grade

Tutor Neelam Aqil (centre) in the classroom with 10-year-old Mehak Shahid (left) and Shenice Hussain (11), who was two points off an A grade

GCSE RESULTS
A PAIR of primary school Maths whizzes are celebrating after passing their GCSE exams.

Mehak Shahid (10) was in Year 5 at Knowsley Primary School, Springhead, when she sat the exam normally taken by 15-year-old students.

The young number cruncher scored an A grade for her efforts and is already preparing to take her maths A-Level next summer.

Her study pal Shenice Hussain (11), who attended Greenacres Primary School but starts at Droylsden Academy next week, also sat her exam and narrowly missed out on an A grade by two points.

Mehak’s proud mum Farzana Koosar, from Lees Road, said: “Mehak only studied two hours a week during six months for the GCSE.

“I was a bit scared and thought she might be too young to sit the exam but we were thrilled when she got an A. She’s got a real talent for maths as has her sister Alina (12) who got a B in her maths GCSE last year.”

Shenice’s mum Rabina Begum, from Prince Edward Avenue, Clarksfield, said: “Her result was really fantastic.

“She’s quite an academic girl and is always reading books but I didn’t know she was clever enough to sit a GCSE at her age.

“Her brother Samual has just sat his Year 10 exams and got an A in maths so it must run in the family.”

Both girls studied with after-school tutor Neelam Aqil (26), a chartered accountant, who set up A-Star Tuition a year ago while looking after son Ibrahim (2) and daughter Khadija (16 months).

Neelam, who teaches science, maths and english to 11 children of all ages, said: “I’m so pleased for both the girls. I teach children according to ability not age.

“Shenice turned up saying she wasn’t good at maths but you could see after the first few lessons she was very good.

“She was just two points away from getting an A so she will be resitting the exam to improve her grade.

“Mehak will also be looking at progressing and taking her A-Level maths next summer.”