A FEMALE breakthrough has been spearheaded by a teenage girl in the portals of Durham Chorister School.

The alma mater of famous people including Prime Minister Tony Blair and comedian Rowan Atkinson, was, until recently, an all-boys school, supplying choristers for Durham Cathedral.

Founded by cathedral monks in 1416, it only admitted its first female pupils in the mid-1990s.

The new intake of 1995 is now the senior class and 13-year-old Kimberley Forrest has become the school's first head girl.

She has also outdone her male counterparts by winning the top scholarship award open to chorister school pupils.

Kimberley, from Shotley Bridge, won the King's Scholarship, for entry to Durham School, in September.

But while she is delighted with her award, Kimberley has more pressing commitments, in trying to help the chorister school netball and rounders teams to victory in forthcoming matches.

Other award winners are flautist and fencer Toby Mitchell, 13, from Durham, who won a music exhibition to Durham School, Gareth Pratt, 13, from Low Pittington, and 12-year-old Harry Drummond, from Cornsay Colliery, who won all-round awards to Durham School.

Andrew Walker, 12, from Dalton-on-Tees, won the top scholarship to Barnard Castle School, joining brother Simon, who won a music scholarship last year.

Four pupils, 12-year-old twins Rohan and Roshai Desai, 13-year-old James Finch and Stephen Frenk, 12, all from Durham, won places at Newcastle Royal Grammar School.

Headteacher Stephen Drew, who will be moving to Cambridge in the summer, said he was thrilled at the results, which made for a great swansong after eight-and-a-half years at the school.