Maths A-grades for nine-year-old twins

Two nine-year-olds today became the youngest twins to achieve A grades in A-level advanced maths.

Peter and Paula Imafidon got the highest grade in the University of Cambridge's Foundations of Advanced Mathematics paper - a rigorous exam sat by the top 20% of the country's 17 and 18-year-olds.

They are the youngest twins to get the highest grade in the same sitting.

The brainy infants from east London first hit the headlines at the age of six, when they became the youngest twins to pass their maths GCSEs.

The following year, aged seven, the so-called "wonder twins" were the youngest to pass advanced level maths.

Speaking after receiving his results today, Peter said: "I scored full marks during the practice exams and should have scored the same during the real exams. I guess it's the last few questions that let me down."

His sister, meanwhile, claimed her achievement as a feminist victory of sorts.

She said: "I am very happy with the grade because I thought my calculator was broken at the beginning of the paper. I managed to use my head until it started working again.

"This shows that boys are not better than girls."

The twins are students with an Excellence in Education programme that works with residents and students from inner-city London boroughs.

They have received all their education in a state school and have had no private tuition.

Their proud father Chris Imafidon said: "Every lecturer, teacher and parent must realise that there is a genius in every child, no matter the postcode and irrespective of what conventional wisdom states.

"It does not matter the social class, or background, every child will perform to their best ability and talent if given the right environment."

The twins hail from a family of prodigies that includes an older sister, Samantha, who at six years old became the youngest pupil to pass double GCSEs in maths, and their eldest sister Anne-Marie, 20, who recently became the youngest student to graduate from the University of Oxford with a masters degree in maths and computer science.

This year 12-year-old Samantha became one of the youngest students to pass A-level Information and Computer Technology. The exam is normally taken by 17 and 18-year-olds.

This autumn Peter and Paula will become the youngest twins to be admitted to secondary school.

And they have their sights set on achieving even more in the future - Peter wants to become a "successful" Prime Minister one day, while Paula wants to be a maths teacher.