A Stratford teenager has secured a £33,000-a-year scholarship to study at a top boarding school.

Libby Bentham, 16, will be heading to Felsted School in Essex to study for A-levels in English, psychology and classics.

Her mum Sarah Sutherland explained she was put forward for the scholarship by teachers at the Royal Docks Academy before taking tests and an interview at the private school.

The unconditional offer means she will be moving out next month regardless of her GCSE results, but had been getting “all the right grades before lockdown”.

Studying at Felsted was something that Libby had been determined to do for some time.

“She went there on a sociology trip in May last year, to look at the differences between pupils at state schools and those that go to that type of school,” Sarah said. “She came home and said, ‘I’m going there.’”

The proud mum aso praised the opportunities Royal Docks had given Libby as well as supporting her in getting a place at Felsted, adding that staff went “above and beyond”.