STUDENTS at Abbeyfield School in Chippenham celebrated their exam success with an awards evening and special visit from a famous mountaineer, proving no summit is impossible to reach.

The school achieved its best ever GCSE results this year, with 77 per cent of students achieving five A*-C grades including English and maths.

Guests who attended the evening included councillor and deputy mayor of Chippenham, Mary Norton, MP James Gray and mountaineer Bonita Norris, who has climbed Mount Everest and skied to the North Pole.

She has visited hundreds of schools in her six years as a motivational speaker and also works alongside Ordnance Survey to inspire the nation to get outside.

Students were awarded prizes for achievement and progress made in their subjects, along with the special awards which recognise their academic achievement and contribution to the wider school community.

Notable winners included Lucy James, the most outstanding student, Jake Fitzwater for academic excellence and Harriet Edson for the Ashman award for endeavour.

Headteacher Ian Tucker said: “Bonita emphasized how important not giving up in life is, this is a quality that we aim to pass onto all our students.

“The achievements of our students endorsed all their hard work during their time at Abbeyfield.”