Elkie Ben Hur put her paintbrush down for the summer when she handed in her art GCSE project, but is looking forward to picking it up again when she takes on art A-level.

A pupil at Yavneh College, the Edgware teen impressed the examiners with her distinctive art GCSE, for which she painted a Manhattan skyline on the theme of "similarities and differences".

Her artistic success contributed towards a tally of 10 A* grades and an A. "I couldn't believe it," she said. "I'm in complete shock and I can't stop shaking. I was just hoping for the best."