A Ballakermeen student who was unable to speak English when she moved to the island has achieved high grades in the language.

Originally from Poland, Weronika Kubica, aged 19, found it difficult to understand her schoolmates and teachers when she arrived here in 2014.

Four years on and she has the A-level grades to prove that language barriers can be overcome with hard work, as she has gained an A in religious education and in Polish, and a B grade in sociology and even one in English literature.

’It’s amazing! I didn’t expect it,’ she said.

’I didn’t speak to a lot of people in my first year here because I didn’t understand them.

’I was relying on my teachers a lot to help me and my additional language tutor in school, who is a Polish lady who taught me English.

’I really like the language and really like writing as it’s a good challenge for me.’

The student said that she would be studying business at the University College Isle of Man.

’It’s going to be difficult, but I really like hard work, so I’m very excited,’ she continued.

’I didn’t get a maintenance grant to get over to the UK for university, but I thought it would be easy to stay over here.

’It looks like a very good school.

’It has very small classrooms, so I chose it because I thought "I’m going to get more attention there".’

Head teacher Adrienne Burnette has congratulated Weronika following her results.

She said: ’Weronika’s A and B grades at A-level would be a tremendous achievement for any student, let alone someone who three years ago had very limited English.

’Weronika is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through dedication and hard work.

’Congratulations too, must be given to Mrs Kasia Kotze, our teacher for students with English as an additional language, who supports our young people so brilliantly.’

Weronika, who lives in Douglas, says that she is glad that she chose to study at Ballakermeen.