Joe Walker and Kimberley Clarkson celebrate their GCSE results at Hellesdon high. Photo: Bill Smith

A 16-year-old boy struck down by glandular fever last Christmas battled through to achieve an outstanding set of GCSE results.

Joe Walker, who collected his grades from Hellesdon High School yesterday, was delighted with his seven A* grades, one A and two Bs.

The results were doubly impressive since the teenager had been forced to miss large periods of schools due to illness.

He said: “I came down with glandular fever. I got really quite ill and began to struggle. It felt like I had flu and I was always really tired.”

The illness first began at Christmas but, having achieved well up until then, he was determined not to let standards slip.

He gave up the chance to go to India with fellow pupils as part of a World Challenge trip this summer to give himself a chance to rest. Joe has already given half of the insurance money from the cancelled trip to another student to help her go and plans to donate the rest to charity.

But Joe was not alone with his outstanding grades at Hellesdon High.

Kim Clarkson, 16, was described by headteacher Gerry Batty as a student who “worked her socks off”. Yesterday she discovered she had achieved seven A* grades and two A grades following this summer’s exams.

She said: “I’m really excited. It’s so nice to know all the hard work I have done has paid off. I’m really excited about next year and starting my A-levels.”