Child genius gets three A-levels

Adam Spencer's father wants him to go to a leading university

A 13-year-old boy from Bedfordshire has passed three A-levels with top grades.

Adam Spencer, from Arlesey, sat Biology, Chemistry and French alongside pupils five years older and was awarded three B-grades.

But while many of the other students will be off to university Adam has been told he is not old enough to be given a place.

New child safety rules mean that staff working with under 16s have to be given expensive police checks.

Considering move abroad

The universities are not prepared to to make expensive checks for just one student.

His parents Paul and Marlise are now considering moving to another European Union country so he can go on to study biochemistry.

On Thursday as he received his A-levels, at Samuel Whitbread Community College in Bedfordshire.

Adam said: "I am delighted. I will wait and see what the universities want me to do."

His father Mr Spencer, 37, a web designer, said: "He would stagnate if he stayed on at secondary school. We want him to go on to a top university."

When he was 18 months old he could recite the alphabet.

He passed his maths A-level at the age of 10, taking a one year course at an adult education class run by Luton Sixth Form College.