Teenager Khuram Ali is setting his sights on a career in law after being nominated for national Student of the Year - just three years after failing his GCSEs.

The 19-year-old from Idle thought he had thrown away any chance of going to university when he found out his grades weren't good enough.

But after making a pact with Yorkshire Martyrs School sixth form head Martin Saunders, he decided to give education another try and has been singled out as one of the best GNVQ students in the country.

Khuram said: "When I got my GCSE results I lost complete hope in my education and all confidence. Since then I have listened to my teachers and parents."

In the last three years he has gained nine GCSEs, grade A to C, and a distinction in GNVQ business and finance. He has been offered a place at six universities to study law and will begin his degree at Leeds in September.

And he is one of only a handful of students to have been nominated for the EDEXCEL National Student of the Year award.

Khuram said: "I'm very proud and honoured to have been nominated.

"I owe a lot to staff at Yorkshire Martyrs and my family because they didn't write me off -- they encouraged me to go on. The motivation and dedication given to me by my father and Mr Saunders has enabled me to perform to my ultimate."

Mr Saunders, head of post-16 education at the Bradford school, says Khuram's success should be an example to all students who maybe don't get the right exam results first time around.

He said: "I think a lot of parents who studied for A-levels think their children should go down the same route. But sometimes you need to approach things from a different angle.

"In Khuram's case we needed to build up his confidence and convince him that a GNVQ was worth working towards. In terms of the progress shown by an individual, this is the best success Yorkshire Martyrs has ever had."

The results of the Student of the Year award will be announced later in the year and the overall winner could be presented with the prize - a cheque for £1,000 and £500 for their school - by Tony Blair.

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