A teenager scored a string of top results and a place at a prestigious university- just three years after being told she couldn’t do A-levels because she had been home-schooled.

Kasablanca Adu-Odonkor, 18, from Croydon, was turned down places at a number of sixth form colleges because she didn’t have GCSEs.

But the brainy teen was given the chance of a place at La Retraite in Clapham.

She passed her GCSEs with flying colours scoring top grades in every subject before taking A Levels in art and design, history and English literature.

Today she discovered she had scored an A* and two As in her exams, enough to secure place to study English Literature at St Andrews University.

Her mum decided to home school her for ten years through primary and secondary school because she did not like any of the school in their local area of Croydon.

She was 15 when she came to La Retraite where she took her GCSE in just one year before studying for A Levels in the school’s sixth form.

She said: “I have had amazing support at this college, a lot of places would not let me in to do A-Levels

“They would only allow me to do B-Techs because I had been home-schooled and I didn’t have my GCSEs.

“But staff here gave me the chance to pursue my dreams, they really pushed me. Kasablanca said she is delighted all her hard work has paid off.

She said: “My advice for other people is never to put limitations on your abilities. When I came here I did not have any GCSEs because I had been home-schooled.

“That meant that I was a bit behind and I had a lot of catching up to do. But getting these results has taught me that you should never let anything stop you in life.

“The teachers here have been brilliant. They are there for you when you need them, to help and answer questions. They pushed me and have given me chances.

They did not put any restrictions on what I could achieve. I am so excited about going to university and studying English. I would love to be a novelist one day.”

Head of Sixth Form Ruth Coyle said: “She has been turned down from other schools but we saw something in her and wanted to give her a chance.

“I said if you come here and get top grades on your GCSE you can go on to A Levels and today she is gone on to get top grades which is fantastic success.”