A STUDENT from a Teesside sixth form has won a place to study Classics at Oxford.

Sarah Bennett, from Redcar, who attends Teesside High School sixth form, received an offer from Merton College for October this year.

Merton College is second in the academic league table of all the Oxford colleges and ex-students include Nobel prize winners, cultural leaders, and the literary elite including TS Eliot and JRR Tolkein.

The 17-year-old was battling for one of only four places on her chosen course, to read Greek and Latin.

She said: “After such an intense selection process, I was nervous I wouldn’t be successful. I was so surprised when I received my email."

Sarah, who joined Teesside High School in Year nine, said she was one of only five students in her English literature class at Teesside High, where she received help with applying and revising for the entrance exam and interview.

Jane Bird, Head of Sixth Form at Teesside High School, said: “Sarah is an extremely hardworking and committed student who has rightly been rewarded with a place at one of the world’s most renowned universities.

“Of an estimated 1500 students who study Classics subjects at A Level nationally, Sarah has worked tirelessly to stand out in a small pool of high flying candidates."