FIVE students from a Wirral school are off to study at Oxford and Cambridge Universities after a "challenging" application process.

Calday Grange Grammar School confirmed "with immense pride" that Advait Bavikatte, Zac Jackson, Alex Poulston, Siddharth Shivaram and George Gibb had been offered places.

They were among 17 Caldy scholars who embarked on the journey to apply to the globally renowned institutions, demonstrating "their unwavering pursuit of academic excellence and a deep passion for learning".

Advait has been offered a place at Cambridge to study medicine, Zac is set to study music at Cambridge, Alex has been accepted to study biology at Oxford, Siddharth will pursue medicine at Cambridge and George has secured a place at Oxford. George left Calday last year and applied this year, but had not updated the school on what he is studying yet. 

They were whittled down from nine students selected for interviews after what the school called "a rigorous selection process".

The statement continued: "This achievement not only highlights the talents and determination of our students but also showcases the high quality of education and guidance offered at Calday Grange Grammar School.

'Furthermore, we celebrate the recognition of one of our students who has been placed in the pool at Cambridge, highlighting their remarkable abilities in a highly competitive field.

'This serves as a testament to the extraordinary calibre of students we nurture and their readiness to excel at the highest levels of academia.'

Stephen Gray, headteacher at Calday Grange Grammar School, said "The success of our students in securing offers from Oxford and Cambridge is a proud moment for Calday Grange Grammar School.

"It reflects not only on the exceptional talent and hard work of the students themselves but also on the dedication of our staff who have supported them every step of the way.

"These achievements reinforce our commitment to fostering academic excellence and empowering our students to pursue their dreams with confidence."

"We extend our congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievements."

Mr Gray added: "Their success serves as an inspiration to their peers and stands as a proud testament to the quality and ethos of Calday Grange Grammar School.

"As we celebrate their accomplishments, we also look forward with anticipation to supporting them and future students on their academic journeys and beyond."