A Newham schoolboy has astounded teachers by getting the best maths grade in his school - despite only being in year 8.
Moosa Ali, 13, from Hampton Road, Forest Gate, found out this week he beat the highest-scoring 15 and 16-year-olds in Year 11 with his 192 out of 200 in the GCSE exam.
Despite the remarkable achievement, Moosa feels he could have done better and was aiming to beat his cousin, who scored a near-perfect 199 out of 200.
The teen, who is now studying for a statistics GCSE, puts his success down to good preparation and hard work.
He said: “Yes I am happy to get the best mark but I could have done better.
“My cousin got almost the top mark and I wanted to get the very best, or at least the same. I will try even harder for my up-coming exams.”
He added: “I prepared by planning my work out over the year because I knew what I wanted to achieve.
“I looked at every past paper I could get from the exam board and practised the questions. Then I looked at the mark scheme. Doing this got me from a B to an A*.”
Head teacher, Simon Elliott, said: “Moosa has all the characteristics of an excellent Forest Gate pupil.
“Obtaining this fantastic grade whilst in year 8 is a testament to his work ethic and commitment.
“We have many outstandingly academic students at FGCS and more than 20 students gained qualifications at A level this summer, even though they were still at secondary school.”
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