12-year-old girl's A-level results open the door to Oxford

A 12-year-old girl has had her place to read maths confirmed by Oxford University, after securing an A-grade in further maths A-level.

Sufiah Yusof (right) will begin her degree course this autumn at the university's last all-female college, St Hilda's.

She has matched the achievement of Ruth Lawrence, another child prodigy, who went up to Oxford at the age of 12 and graduated two years later with a First. She then received her doctorate at the age of 18. Sufiah heard on Thursday that she had been awarded the A-level grade she needed to follow in Ruth Lawrence's footsteps.

She lives in Northampton and is one of five children. Her younger brother, Iskander, aged 10, who did well in his maths and further maths A-level, also hopes to study at Oxford, where the family is moving to be near Sufiah.

Sufiah's father, Farook Yusof, a freelance researcher, is reported to be approaching Oxford colleges to see whether they are willing to take him this autumn, even though the university has filled all its places.

Iskander has already been offered places at several other universities. The family's oldest child, Abbi, aged 15, reached the quarter-finals of the British under-14 tennis championships last year.