STUDYING for 12 GCSEs and coming out with nine A* and three A grades after two years of hard work would be an achievement worthy of celebration for any pupil.

But spare a thought for Arya Roshanfekr who had to cram all of his studying into just 12 months after moving to the UK from Iran last summer.

The Wheatley Park School pupil still achieved top marks and is on course to achieve his dream of studying medicine at Oxford University.

But it was not an easy route to success for the 16-year-old from Garsington.

He said: "It was really hard at first because it was so different to what I was used to doing and there was so much work to catch up on.

"I also wanted to fit my hobbies in and catch up with all of the controlled assessments.

"It was hard but I tried to do everything that I needed and revise as much as possible and do as much work as I could."

Arya, 16, also successfully fitted his studies around practising tennis, piano and the Persian instrument the tar, as well as playing chess for his school.

Sometimes he had to stay in school until 7pm to complete controlled assessments that he otherwise would have done in his first year of GCSE study.

He said: "The syllabus is different in a way.

"Here you do not necessarily need to memorise particular things and go in and just write them down.

"You need to have different views on things.

"For example, in English you have to write your opinion.

"It is more in-depth than in Iran. For science here you get three papers but in Iran you just get one."

Arya secured A* grades in maths, further maths, biology, chemistry, physics, geography, French, Spanish, Persian and history and As in history, English language and English literature.

He moved to the UK with dad Majid and mum Ellie in order to pursue his dream of going to Oxford University.

He will now go on to study seven A-Levels in chemistry, physics, biology, maths, Persian, Spanish and French.

He said: "It has been really nice moving to the UK. It has been a different journey and adventure meeting new people and making new friends as well as keeping up with my hobbies.

"There are many more activities to do here. I go to the gym and play squash.

"There is always something to do, it is more exciting."

Dad Majid said: "I am sure Arya will do all that he wants to and go on to get seven A-Levels and study medicine at Oxford.

"We support him in all that he tries to achieve."