A TALENTED pupil at Stonar School at Atworth has received an award after being named as one of the country’s top young physicists.

Bella Harris-Johnstone, 16, from The Knoll in Westbury, was placed in the top seven of young physicists in the UK in the Royal Society’s Physics Olympiad this year.

She said: “I was so thrilled and happy to receive the award. I would like to thank my physics teacher David Wicks for all his hard work in helping me to prepare for the Olympiad.”

Bella, who is a full boarder at Stonar School, is studying nine GCSEs and is currently revising for her examinations in the summer.

She also loves horses, has two ponies and would like to study equine science at university after taking her GCSE A levels. Bella also represents West Wiltshire at the 1500 metres and is a cross-country runner.

Dr Sally Divall, Head of Stonar said: “This is an outstanding achievement and we are all very proud of Bella.”

Five thousand GCSE students from across the UK take part in the Physics Olympiad, which is a challenge based on real-life problem-solving.

Four Stonar pupils sat the paper and achieved a Gold Award in the challenge. The other three were Hermione Titcombe from Corsham, Genevieve Baller from Bradford on Avon and Hannah Coveney from Sutton Benger.

Mr Wicks, the school’s Head of Science, said the four pupils prepared for the Physics Olympiad alongside their GCSE work.

He added: “We have had pupils who have won Gold Awards in the challenge in the recent past but not one who has achieved what Bella has.”

As one of the top seven achievers in the challenge overall, Bella was invited to The Royal Society in London for a special presentation last week.

Guest speaker, Professor John Zarnecki, from The Open University and President of the Royal Astronomical Society, presented Bella with a certificate and a book, How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog.

Professor Zarnecki’s speech was about his 35-year career in Space Research, being involved with launching sound rockets into the Earth's orbit and missions of exploration to Halley’s Comet.