A SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Brentwood School student is one step closer to her dream of becoming a physicist after winning a top award sponsored by the University of Cambridge.

Jess Chisholm, who is in the Lower Sixth, is the first Brentwood student to secure a Sapphire certificate given to the top 20 per cent of students who took part in the 2016 Senior Physics Challenge.

She received the accolade after successfully completing a set of ten online puzzles against the clock.

Jess is studying for A-levels in further mathematics, physics and chemistry, dreams of reading physics at Oxford, and a career in research.

Prof Lee Hubbard, who teaches physics and mathematics at the school, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Jess and acts as a stunning example to all our girls considering a future career in mathematical sciences and shows they can compete with the best in the country.