A Denbighshire student who scooped 14 A* GCSEs says he hopes to go to Oxford or Cambridge after his A Levels.

Tom Wood, 16 from Bodfari, got the highest grades in the county and puts it down to the extra help he received from the teachers at St Brigids in Denbigh, who took time out of their own lunchbreaks to help him through his extra subjects.

Tom, who also gained a Distinction in Additional Maths as well as a BTEC in Public Services, will be starting his A-Level studies at King’s School in Chester

Tom said: “I was really pleased when I saw my results, I couldn’t happier in a way. I did put a lot of effort in and got everything I wanted out of it.

“Next year I’ll be moving to King’s School in Chester to do Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics and maybe Further Maths.

“It’ll be a new environment and it’s sad to leave St Brigids but I’m looking forward to King’s to get a greater experience for university.

“I’m looking at studying to Earth Science, I haven’t looked into options, but if I can I’ll look into maybe Oxford or Cambridge.”

Tom doesn’t spend all of his time studying. he recently took part in a training camp for the British Orienteering squad.

Tom continued: “I do orienteering, I do competitions each weekend and then training in the week. I put a lot of effort in with the selection races to get into the British Training camp over the summer, and managed to get into the top few in my age category so I’ve just been in Sweden for two weeks.”

Tom’s mum Jane Wood, 54, said the family were over the moon.

“We’re very proud indeed, he’s worked extremely hard.

“We had an inkling they were be good but to get this many, well, they’re excellent

“He did Mathematics in November and that’s what then enambled him to do the Additional Maths which he got the distinction in.

“But then he’s done Music and P.E and he did those in lunchbreaks and afterschool with the teachers, those were extra choices .

“He got full marks as well so we have to say thanks to the staff at the school who put their own time in with those extra hours of teaching.”

Tom’s dad Jim, 57, works at the school and helps run the Public Services BTEC.

He said: “I look after the Combined Forces part of the BTEC. It takles into account all the leaership, soft skills and and a few extra bits. 75% of it is what they’re already doing, and 25% is extra work and it turns into a level 2 btec,

“He’s under a different sort of pressure as I’m involved with that, but he did well anyway.”