A brainy A-level student was given a pleasant surprise when she won an award for achieving the highest mark nationwide in her GCSE geography exam.

On receiving the award Year 13 Bancroft’s School student Laeticia Junanto said the news “was quite unexpected” but she was pleased to be recognised for her impressive test result – which she sat in June.

The Woodford Green school’s head of geography, Victoria Talbot, was delighted by Laeticia’s success.

“I have taught Laeticia every year since the Removes, when she joined Bancroft’s and am currently teaching her at A-level. She is a talented, hardworking young geographer.”

The award was given out by the Royal Geographical Society which gives prizes to students who are the highest scoring candidates in public examinations.

Laeticia, who plans to go to Cambridge University after she finishes her A-levels, had the best test result out of more than 40,000 16-year-olds who sat the exam nationally.