TWO former pupils from a school in Weston Rhyn have been honoured for their academic success in Oxford.

Selina Schoelles and Georgina Lang – who left Moreton Hall School in 2017 and 2018 respectively – have in their first year at the world's oldest English-speaking University, been made Oxford Scholars – a prestigious honour awarded to students achieving the highest academic success.

Both girls are quick to attribute part of their success at the famous University to their education at Moreton Hall.

"I was fascinated by the city of dreaming spires from a fairly young age," said Selina. "Mainly because of its seeming otherworldliness and impenetrability.

"However, my attitude was somewhat changed shortly after I arrived at Moreton Hall aged thirteen and realised fairly quickly that girls – particularly Moreton girls – can do anything!

"Thanks to the Dennisons and Mr Reffell I developed a keen interest in history and by the time I took my GCSEs I was set on reading history at Oxford.

"After two further years during which I discovered the delights of eighteenth-century Britain, and was able to indulge my keen interest in the Suffragette Movement on several occasions, I left Moreton in 2017 far better equipped than I realised to apply to Oxford."

Georgina, who began her journey in Moreton First and is now reading Computer Science and Philosophy in Oxford, added: "Embarking on a degree containing two subjects I had never formally studied felt slightly daunting at first but I quickly realised I was more than prepared for the challenges both subjects could throw at me.

"Mr Dennison’s Oxbridge preparation sessions and the endless hours of individual support which the STEM department unfailingly provided, prepared me perfectly for the tutorial environment which Oxford so uniquely offers.

"Mrs Halsall-Williams’ years of Spoken English lessons left me with the confidence to discuss my ideas and remove any nerves I may have felt so I had time to simply enjoy the subjects which I have so fallen in love with."

And speaking of the honour of being made a scholar after achieving a first class mark in her exams, Selina added: "Coming within the top ten percent of history students in my year across the university came as a total shock.

"I actually came out of my first exam in a near-hysterical state convinced that I had blown it completely!

"I have also received the Alyson Bailes Prize awarded to the highest-scoring Somerville historian in first year exams, and am President of the Somerville History Society."

Georgina also completed her first year on a high.

"It was the icing on the cake to discover that, at the end of such an extraordinary year, I had been awarded a distinction in prelims (what would be called a First in finals)," she said.

"To celebrate this, those who achieve distinctions may wear scholars gowns throughout the rest of their degree rather than the usual undergraduate gowns. I feel incredibly honoured to be able to call myself an Oxford scholar and to continue to study at such an incredible institution."