A teenager from Witham has defied the odds by sitting and passing two GCSEs a year early while undergoing gruelling cancer treatment.

Charlie Corbett, 15, is a student at Maltings Academy and was diagnosed with leukaemia – blood cancer – in the middle of Year 10 after noticing pain in his jaw.

Knowing his treatment would last for some time, Charlie decided to take action and sit his GCSE English and maths exams a year early, despite missing months of school for chemotherapy.

Collecting his results yesterday, the teen amazed his mother and teachers by scoring a six in English and five in maths – both strong passes under the new grading system.

Lisa, Charlie’s mum, said: “Within two weeks of the diagnosis, he wanted to go back to school. As a family, we have stayed positive and his school work has helped him to have a focus.

“I have seen him be sick from the chemotherapy with his revision books around him. I’ve sat with him in hospital while he’s been having blood transfusions and worked on the laptop at the same time.

“To see him achieve those grades after all of that makes us so proud. I burst into tears when he opened his results.”

During his treatment, Charlie’s teachers sent him mock exam papers.

Lisa added: “Maltings have been brilliant; they have given him the best teaching possible and offered him great support.”

Charlie has already completed nine months of treatment and is now in the maintenance period having oral chemotherapy at night, a lumbar puncture every three weeks, and intravenous chemotherapy once a month.

Looking to the future, the youngster hopes to study computer game design at university.

He said: “I was not expecting to pass these exams as I have not been at school for so long. It was a big relief to open my results and it has taken some pressure off of next year.

“Revising has been something to take my mind off my illness. I’m looking forward to going back to school and getting back into the swing of things.”