‘I woke up at 4.30am to study 11 hours daily for my three As’

For two years, every weekday at 4.25am, Zahra Rafiq's alarm would go off and she'd prepare for her two-hour journey from Croydon to Newham, attending one of the country’s top-performing schools in one of London's most deprived boroughs.

The 18-year-old had a place at Brampton Manor Academy – which two years ago sent more students to Oxbridge than Eton – and was determined to make the most of the highly selective east London school. Her early morning commute, which involved a car journey, two Tube trips and a bus, saw her arrive at the prestigious school at around 7am, where she would then sometimes work until 6pm.

But Zahra's regular 14-hour days paid off in the end – as she achieved 3 A grades at A-Level last week and will now go on to study medicine at university. The long trips weren't without their challenges at a school where some dedicated students adopt a '6-6' scheme of working 12-hour days, but she showed the impressive work ethic mirrored by millions of students who got the A-Level grades they wanted last week.

Describing her intense routine, Zahra told Yahoo News: “I never really travelled by train very much, especially by myself. So it took some getting used to, but then it just became routine. My alarm would go off at 4.25am, and it became very normal for me. In the winter, it was very strange because I’d get to school, and it’d be pitch black, and when I left for home, it was dark again. It was definitely a very strange time for me,” she added.

Rafiq said her parents have supported her every step of the way. She said her dad sometimes drove her to the station to make it on her train, as she was leaving before the buses started running.

“They went through that whole sacrifice with me, waking up super early just to drop me off at the station," she added. "It’s been a collective effort, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

The 18-year-old’s long hours and early starts paid off as she secured 3 As and will go on to study medicine at the University of Aberdeen.

Her dad works in IT, and her mum has a government job. Rafiq is the eldest and has a sister who is currently doing her GCSEs. On results day last week, she said Ucas had already spoiled the news that she had achieved her grades. Rafiq said they cheered when Ucas updated to say she got the grades she needed, which were 3 As.

Later, her family drove her to sixth form, and her mum went into the school with Rafiq to see the grades for herself. When they walked to the car, her family had prepared a surprise. Rafiq said: “They gave me a lovely surprise; they got me balloons, flowers, and a card, which was very sweet.”

Rafiq studied chemistry, biology, and maths at Brampton Manor’s sixth form, a school known for its rigorous academic environment. In 2022, Brampton Manor sent the most students to Oxbridge out of the country, beating the prestigious private school Eton. Brampton Manor’s sixth form is a selective school, and only those who achieve high grades at GCSE level can attend.

This caught Rafiq’s attention, as she knew she wanted to study there. She said that from the moment she saw it, her “heart was set on Brampton Manor”. She applied and was interviewed by a headteacher. She said she wasn’t given specific grades to achieve and that the intake is based on how everyone does.

When she arrived, she quickly realised how the students got those incredible grades.

Rafiq described the sixth form as a “challenging environment”, with all the students there being self-motivated and wanting to do their best.

“It’s a very high-pressure environment because everyone’s very intelligent, and there’s a lot of pressure to do well,” she said.

Watch: Students receive A-Level results in parts of the UK

“For example, every week, we’d have a test in chemistry, and if you scored less than 80%, you’d have to go to detention and come back early the next morning to retake it. But these challenges are what make Brampton Manor such a special place.”

Students adopt what has been called the “6-6 scheme”, which means they can go to school to study from 6am before classes start and after school until 6pm. But as Rafiq lived so far away, the earliest she could arrive was just after 7am. She would stay until 6pm and said it was really helpful. She said: “It was great because the school provided a nice, quiet study space with a very controlled environment.”

Rafiq said: “The idea is you don't want to have any regrets, to work hard now and then, you can celebrate later, rather than being regretful afterwards.”

Rafiq left her sixth form with more than just straight A’s. The soon-to-be medicine student was among the 15 winners of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2022. Rafiq’s poem The Oyster combined her passion for writing and science. Rafiq also ran a 5k marathon yearly to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and was awarded the Good Citizen award by the mayor of Croydon.

Rafiq said her sixth encouraged her to thoroughly research the subject they would choose for university. She said: “After my GCSEs, medicine was just an idea as it wasn’t something I was fully committed to. But at Brampton, my subjects aligned with a potential career in medicine, and the teachers encouraged us to do extra reading and research.”

She immersed herself in the field, attending webinars and lectures, reading books on medical perspectives, and gaining experience. Rafiq added: “All these experiences deepened my interest in healthcare, and by the end of my time at Brampton, I knew medicine was the right path for me.”

Rafiq said she was excited to relocate to Scotland to begin studying her degree at the University of Aberdeen. She is looking forward to exploring the Scottish Highlands as she fondly remembers going climbing with her family. She said: “We climbed the three peaks when I was aged 11 and I am so looking forward to being up in Scotland and being with all the nature again.”