Oxford place for Forest Gate student mentor
Tanvirul Islam is heading to Oxford University - Credit: Tom Barnes
An aspiring doctor is swapping the streets of Forest Gate for the hallowed halls of Oxford University.
Tanvirul Islam will be heading to Magdalen College in September to study medicine – and was so shocked to be offered a place he had to phone up and double check.
“I was overwhelmed, I couldn’t believe it,” said the 19-year-olld.
“I just had to check that it had not been some sort of mistake.
“They thought it was quite funny actually.”
Tanvirul took a gap year after his A-levels to mentor students at Forest Gate Community School, which he used to attend.
He credits staff at the Forest Lane school for giving him the belief to apply for the college, which boasts Oscar Wilde, George Osborne and Ian Hislop as alumni.
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He said: “If I had gone to any other school near me I don’t think I would have got into Oxford.
“When I came back here to tutor the support of teachers gave me the confidence to say, yeah, I can do this.”
Headteacher Simon Elliott said: ”Tanvirul is not only an exceptional student but in his capacity as student mentor a huge inspiration to our current pupils.”
