Dylan Ramirez spoke basic English when he joined Newtown High School as a Year 8 pupil after moving to Powys from Spain. Now he’s going to study chemistry at the University of Birmingham after smashing his A-level results.

The 18-year-old, who is originally from Seville, got an A*, an A and a B in chemistry, physics and biology.

“I’m really happy about it,” he said. “I worked really hard during the year, and it paid off.

“I lived in Spain however me and my family decided to move to the UK. I didn’t speak a lot of English, only what I was taught in primary school. It was a lot of hard work at the beginning.

“Even doing my GCSEs it was difficult with the English barrier however I put in the work and it definitely paid off.

“I’ve really enjoyed [being at Newtown High School] and I’ve made many great friends. Everyone here has been lovely. My teachers have been really helpful, and I enjoyed my stay at this school.”

Dylan’s proud chemistry teacher Miss Maddocks said she was “absolutely ecstatic” with his results and how far he’s come since joining the school five years ago.

“I knew he was good for an A but he came out with an A*,” the Head of Science teacher said.

“He’s just worked so hard right from day one when he arrived here in Year 8.

“I started teaching him in Year 9 and he was in one of the lower sets and he got science, so we worked and worked.

“Then I took a chance and put him in for the double award in science and he paid that back with brilliant GCSE grades and then he went on to do sciences at A-level and he’s just got better and better every year.

“It’s on him; he works. He's got that motivation to succeed, and I’m really chuffed to bits that he’s going to go off and do a chemistry degree. It’s brilliant.”