Girl, seven, passes GCSE

Safiya Shariff likes to write stories on her computer

A seven-year-old girl has passed a GCSE - becoming the second child in her family to hit the headlines for exam feats.

Safiya Shariff, from Northwood, Middlesex, took a grade C in information technology after taking a course at Ryde College, near Watford, Hertfordshire.

She said: "I feel really good, I feel I've achieved something very good. It was a lot of hard work but I really enjoyed doing it."

Safiya said she loved to write stories on the computer and her next project would be writing about the day she got her results.

'Hoping for an A'

Her brother, now 17, achieved a GCSE pass in the subject when he was eight.

Safiya's mother, Rosemin Shariff, said: "It's fantastic. She is following in my son's footsteps."

Two eight year olds also achieved GCSE passes in IT at Ryde College, which specialises in getting young candidates through exams.

Chahak Patel, from Harrow, north London, and Rahim Hirji, from Worcester Park, Surrey, gained grade Bs.

Chahak said: "I was a little bit sad. I was really hoping for an A. I worked hard but I didn't do my homework, or I did do it but not regularly."

He added that he was thinking about doing GCSE English when he reached the age of nine.

Home teaching

Rahim was pleased with his B, saying: "It was actually a surprise because I thought I had nearly failed.

"I think I will do another GCSE in about two years. I'm doing another in maths."

A boy who became the youngest person to pass a GCSE two years ago, when he took the basic maths paper aged five, is celebrating gaining the top grade in the subject.

Arran Fernandez, taught at home in Surrey by his father, Dr Neil Fernandez, achieved an A* grade.

He said: "I study English and French and also I'm studying geography and astronomy.

"Daddy doesn't think I should go to school. We've done topics that aren't in the syllabus, such as complex numbers and groups."

Dr Fernandez confirmed: "He is not going to be doing any exams next year. We are going to give it a rest.

"A lot of boredom goes on in school - you have to sit there, whereas at home you don't get the negativity associated with being there with boredom."