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All for you mum
Jessica Bates
A BRAVE Horncastle schoolgirl has dedicated her outstanding GCSE results to her mother, who tragically died from cancer during the examinations.
Jessica Bates, aged 16, a pupil at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, achieved 13 GCSEs including five grade A*s and six As.
Her mother, Georgina, died just two days before Jessica was due to sit her drama exam.
Jessica admitted she was devastated and had considered quitting the exams.
She revealed support from family, friends and staff at the school had convinced her to carry on.
Jessica said she hoped her mother would have been proud of her results.
She also said she hoped other people would take inspiration from her remarkable success story.
Jessica told the News: “It was a very difficult time for everyone when mum died. I still miss her. I always will.
“I did think about not taking the exams but she would have wanted me to carry on. She was really brave herself, despite being so ill.
“I think the fact I carried on (with the exams) was a help. It gave me something else to think about.”
Amazingly, Jessica managed to focus on her exams and revision and was rewarded with an impressive set of results.
She added: “I just tried my best. I didn’t want to let mum down and I am really pleased with the results. I hope mum would be proud of me.
“She was an inspiration to everyone. Hopefully, what I’ve achieved shows that whatever setbacks you have in life, there is always something to look forward to.”
Jessica will stay on at QEGS and will enter the sixth form to study A-levels. She hopes to go on to secure a place at university.
She was full praise for staff at the school and, in particular, history teacher Mr Wright.
Jessica added: “It’s a brilliant school and I received a lot of help. Mr Wright really gave me huge support and made a big difference.”
Jessica’s A* grades came in chemistry, English literature, French, history and maths.
Her success completed a fantastic double for the family who live in a village between Horncastle and Wragby.
Not to be outdone, her older sister, Annabelle - head girl at QEGS last year - achieved three A* grades in her A-levels and will now study veterinary medicine at Cambridge University.
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Weather for Horncastle
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North west
