A MAGNIFICENT seven are leading high performing students at a South Yorkshire academy in securing offers from the country's top universities.
The sixth formers from Trinity Academy, in Thorne, are heading for Russell Group universities including Durham, Newcastle, and UCL, and one is heading for Cambridge University.
Some will be the first in their families to enter higher education as long as they meet expectations in achieving high grades in their A levels this summer.
Shannon Horner, 18, of Armthorpe, set her sights on Cambridge some years ago and was determined to secure a place.
"I love school and I've always had aspirations to go the best university. It was something I really wanted. With the grades I got at AS level I thought I might as well apply because if I got an interview I could really show them what I could do. Then, if I didn't get a place, at least I'd done my hardest to get in," she said.
Shannon, who joined Trinity in the sixth form and now has to get an A*, two As and a B from her psychology, sociology, history and biology courses, added: "I'm happy with the offer they've given me because it could have been four As, so the B takes the pressure off a little bit."
Sophie Bull, 17, of Moorends, said her offer to read English at Sheffield University was motivating her even more to succeed.
"I have to get at least three Bs, which gives me something to strive for. I know that if I put all my effort in I'll go somewhere good," said Sophie, who's studying A levels in applied ICT, English combined and health and social care.
Jodie Buckley, 17, of Thorne, is hoping to join Sophie at Sheffield, and the friends have applied for accommodation together.
The first in her family to go to university, Jodie is aiming for an A and two Bs in English, film studies and sociology.
"I want to be a teacher. I've got a very close relationship with my teachers at Trinity and they have been there to support me in everything I do. They've explained the path they took into teaching and I want to follow them so that I can do the same for other students in the future," she said.
Bradley Day, 18, of Thorne, will also be the first in his family to go to university based on his offer to read business management at Salford.
The other students with top university offers include Becky Leng, who is aiming to read mathematics at UCL, James Quean, who has an offer to study economics at East Anglia University, and Tristan Chung, who is hoping to go to Newcastle to read international business.
Director of sixth form at Trinity Academy Gemma Hirst said: "As well as setting high expectations for students at Trinity, we also encourage them to have high aspirations and we're delighted that's paid off with a string of offers for high quality courses at excellent universities.
"Our staff will be supporting students as much as they can as we get closer to the exams to ensure they are prepared as well as they can be and fulfill their true potential."
Seventy-seven students from Trinity Academy applied for university securing 300 offers, including 60 from Russell Group universities.