A TEENAGER has achieved an A* in English Literature despite not learning to speak until he was five-years-old and struggling with literacy as a child.

Adam Foakes, 16, was thrilled to discover he had been awarded the top grade when he opened his GCSE results at Sedgefield Community College today (Thursday, August 21).

His achievement is all the greater because English is a subject he has struggled with in the past.

“I didn’t learn to speak until I was five and I hated reading,” said Adam. “I had bad asthma and I used to cough a lot which I didn’t help.

“I just worked really hard and my teacher was really helpful. I also liked the books. We read To Kill a Mocking Bird and Animal Farm.”

Adam, who achieved one A*, one A, three Bs and two Cs, plans to study A levels at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington in September.

Other pupils celebrating at Sedgefield Community College were: Robert Temperley and Zoe Dobson who achieved 9 A*s; Lucy Coates, Thomas Lowe, and Georgia Winkley, who achieved eight A*s; Jennifer Provan, Wai Ting Chan and Charlotte Foakes, who achieved seven A*s; and Megan Hetherington, who achieved six A*s.