Two primary school pupils at Castle Hill Primary School in Chessington passed GCSE maths five years early, despite the introduction of tougher exams this year.

Erum Siddiki and Ibrahim Dembele aged 11 sat their GCSE maths exam at the end of year 6, achieving a 6 (the equivalent of a B) and a 5 (or a C) respectively.

Erum and Ibrahim’s names were put forward due to the level of their grasp and enjoyment of the subject and were given additional tutoring at a higher level in the classroom.

Headteacher Lou Anderson said: “We were a little nervous about entering pupils for an early GCSE this year as the examination has changed and become even more challenging.

“However both Erum and Ibrahim were so enthusiastic and committed to the learning programme we set them that we felt confident they had the potential to pass and they did

“We couldn’t be more proud of them. I look forward to finding out how well they get on in the future.”