CLEVER Hannah Birdsey has become the first Weaverham Primary Academy pupil to earn a coveted private school scholarship.

The talented 10-year-old showed remarkable composure under pressure to ace the entry exam despite having only three days to prepare.

Hannah also sat the test during the first national lockdown, but came through with flying colours to bag a full scholarship at The Grange, Hartford.

The school, which became Weaverham Primary Academy in 2018 after joining North West Academies Trust (NWAT), is confident Hannah’s success will mark the start of a steady flow of scholars after significantly raising standards over the past three years.

Deputy Headteacher Jo Ferrari ‘couldn’t be prouder’ of Hannah, who will start at The Grange in September.

She said: "We are all delighted for her and I think she’ll do really well.

"She is very conscientious and always works hard so I knew she’d do well in her test and she was confident when she met the Headteacher to look around the school.

"I’m especially proud because she didn’t have time to put in lots of practice.

"I sent her some test papers but, because of lockdown and the way everything worked out, she really only had three days to prepare.

"She was tested on non-verbal reasoning, maths and writing.

"We knew we have covered everything in class so we were confident that she would do well.

“We’re going to miss her, and all of our Year 6 pupils when they leave.

"They are a wonderful group and I’ve really enjoyed teaching them.”

She added: “We’ve been working so hard to improve standards across the board at the school, and to provide new experiences designed to encourage children to engage in learning and reach their full potential.

"Hannah’s success reflects the sort of results we are seeing and I’m sure this is just the start."

Hannah, who lives at Cuddington and wants to become a vet in the future, said: "I feel excited and nervous now.

"I will miss my friends and all of my teachers but I will still see my best friend at football."

NWAT manages eight schools across Cheshire and Shropshire including Delamere Academy, St Matin’s Academy and Acresfield Primary Academy, which are all rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

CEO Steve Docking encouraged the school to put Hannah forward for the scholarship.

He said: “We know the teaching standards are high at our schools, so I’m not surprised that we have pupils of such a high calibre.

"Hannah is a credit to her school and I’m delighted for her."