She arrived at school this morning to cheers and applause from her classmates.

But now Katherine Rednall, bowls world champion, is back at school concentrating on her A-levels.

The 18-year-old became the youngest-ever winner of the World Indoor Matchplay Ladies Singles on Thursday, broadcast live on BBC2.

However one late night and a giant glass trophy later Rednall was back behind a desk in double history at Stowmarket High School yesterday morning.

Although she may have been hoping to ease herself back into school life (she had free periods for the rest of the day), the teenager was kept busy talking about her success in several media interviews.

But once the attention has died down and things return to near normality, this world champion is happy to return to her studies.

“I was actually pleased to be coming back into school because I haven’t seen my friends for about a week now,” Rednall said yesterday.

“I’ve spoken to them but I haven’t actually seen them so it’s nice just to get back to normal and to be able to do some work.

“I’m getting on with all my exam revision and coursework and things. I think it’s going to be nice getting back to it in a way.

“I’ve had a whole week off at Potters and I’ve just been staying there watching bowls, practicing and playing my games, so I haven’t really done any work at all or even thought about school.

“I took some (work) with me intending to do a bit in between games but I never really had time. It was non-stop practice and games and watching other people so I didn’t have time, so I have got a bit of catching up to do.”

She’s not the only one – during Thursday’s title-deciding match pupils at the school were allowed to follow Rednall’s progress on classrooms’ interactive whiteboards.

“It was lovely to think all my friends here and people in my year were sat supporting me,” she said.

“It was brilliant of Mr Soanes (head of sixth form) and Mr Penn (head teacher) to let them all watch it instead of going to lessons.”

Rednall added although the return to the classroom was welcomed it was a little surreal.

She said: “I walked into my form room and everyone just started clapping which is a bit weird.

“My friends have been normal, they haven’t treated me any different, which is what I want.

“It’s been nice, I’ve had congratulations from a lot of my teachers and all my friends so it’s been really nice to see them and see how much they’ve supported me.”

When will it all sink in? “Probably when I go to bowls this weekend and people are talking to me about it.

“It’s different talking about bowls with my friends that don’t play and then my friends that do play. I think it’ll definitely be this weekend when I see all of them.”