And Joseph Hales’ fantastic achievement has landed him a place at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, to read English.

His top-five place was confirmed in a letter from the AQA examination board.

Joseph is one of three young people from the borough studying at Wirral Grammar School for Boys whose A-levels marks have won them Oxbridge places.

Matthew Eccles of Neston is heading for Trinity Hall, Cambridge, to read history and Joseph Wilding-Steele of Willaston is to read earth sciences at Hertford College, Oxford.