The first pupil from Knightswood Secondary to go to Oxford is in the running for a top national award.

Rachel Sweeney started her chemistry course at the renowned university last month after securing a clean sweep of A grades in all of her SQA exams – and she has now been shortlisted for the SQA ‘school candidate of the year’ prize.

The winner will be revealed at the SQA Star Awards ceremony in November, which will be held at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.

Knightswood Secondary head teacher Kay Dingwall, who retired last week after 40 years in the profession and seven years leading the school, hailed Rachel for being an inspiration to current and future learners at the school.

She told the Post: “She is the first young person from Knightswood Secondary to secure a place at Oxford and the whole school community is incredibly proud of her.

“It is absolutely correct that Rachel’s ‘work hard, dream big’ approach, which resulted in every single qualification on her SQA certificate being an ‘A’ award, is recognised and celebrated at a national level through the SQA Star Awards.

“Rachel is already a winner to all who know her and everyone in Knightswood Secondary will be keeping everything crossed that her hard work and success is recognised at the awards evening in November.”

Rachel, who has ambitions to work in a career that will benefit the environment, received her exam results in August with her proud mum Karen – a cleaner at her former school – by her side.

She said: “My school linked me up with a mentor who helped. For other pupils thinking about Oxford or Cambridge, I’d tell them just to go for it.”

“You get five choices on your UCAS form so there’s no harm in putting one down and you never know where it will lead.”

Rachel’s mum Karen added: “I am extremely proud of her. She has settled into Oxford and is enjoying every moment she encounters.”