Success: home-schooled Alex Reddy

A BOY has scooped three perfect scores after sitting his GCSEs while aged 12.

Home-schooled Alex Reddy, who has just turned 13, got “9s” in mathematics, computer science and Italian.

Proud dad Jason told the Extra how one of his main inspirations had been a children’s programming class at St John’s Wood Library.

He said his son, who could solve a Rubik’s cube at five years old, had learnt so much by watching YouTube, which he thought as effective as traditional schoolteachers.

Mr Reddy said yesterday, Thursday, “It’s a relief that he has done what he put his mind to. He’s a very talented young man.

“When he was about seven he went to a class in St John’s Wood Library that really made a big difference to him. We didn’t realise what an impact it had on him until a few years later when he said, ‘…you know, I really like programming because of Toufik Bakhti’. Toufik was his teacher at St John’s Wood.

“St John’s Wood Library used to have classes for kids. So Maths, English, Lego-building, and programming. Toufik would give the kids toys and books as a reward for doing their work. As a parent you just drop him off and you pick him up an hour later, so we didn’t see what an impact Toufik was having.”

The all school club courses are no longer provided in St John’s Wood Library, which Mr Reddy said was “a real shame” and connected to “government cuts”. They continue at Church Street Library, run in Westminster Council.

Mr Reddy, a computer programmer, said his son had gone to reception class at George Eliot school but that he became “a bit bored” and “didn’t take to it too well”.

He said: “So when he was five years old he could solve the Rubik’s cube and he did it by watching YouTube.

“He thinks YouTube has the best teachers and that’s why he loves home-schooling because sitting in a classroom was a bit challenging for him.

“I think he didn’t understand why he needed to do it when he could be at home and teach himself, or actually we teach him and guide him. And then see his friends at the after-school clubs.

“So he couldn’t understand why he had to go to school and then the after-school clubs, when he could just stay at home, and then go to the after-school clubs.”

Alex loved to go to the adventure playground in St John’s Wood and the Otherwise Club in the Kilburn area, and also to run the junior Park Run at Paddington Recreation Ground.

His dad said his hobbies include table tennis and reading, and added: “So his policy is he works first and then he relaxes. His favourite activity is playing games with his friends online. So I mean they’re his physical friends that he sees, you know, a few times a week. But he likes to play games online with them, like Fortnite and Rocket League.”

Results day relief and joy

Westminster Academy students Jamili Hammoud, left, Martina Radenkovic and Martin Radenkovic

WESTMINSTER students were overcome with relief and joy after receiving their GCSE results yesterday, Thursday, writes Caitlin Maskell.

At Westminster Academy they were also celebrating their hard work where the school saw over two-thirds of its students achieve benchmark grades 9-4 in English and maths. Among those celebrating were twins Martina and Martin Radenkovic, who came to the UK from Italy at the end of Year 6 and had to learn English at the academy.

Martina said: “I couldn’t have worked harder, so I am happy that what I put in, I got out. It was more relaxing as we knew Martin and I would be stressing about exams, but we would be stressing together. I think it brought us closer.”

And Martin said: “Doing mock exams helped, and once I had finished I felt relief and pride in myself for finishing my GCSEs, the biggest exams of life so far.”

Westminster Academy’s new headteacher, Numera Anwar, who joined the school at the beginning of the month said: “It is clear that these students have worked tremendously hard, and I feel proud to be working with such dedicated students and staff.”

There were smiles at St Marylebone C of E School where across all subjects 47 per cent of grades achieved were grades 9-7. Headteacher Kat Pugh said: “We are delighted to celebrate a brilliant set of results for this Year 11 cohort. They worked really hard and had a really positive attitude to their learning, despite the difficulties and disruptions of the pandemic.

“Our teachers put so much into enabling this success.”

Cllr Aicha Less, Westminster City Council deputy leader said: “A huge well done to pupils in Westminster who have taken a big step by completing their GCSEs.”