Queen sends best wishes to student

Exams can be nerve racking for even the brainiest students, and a good luck boost never goes amiss, writes Kate Ferguson. But one lucky GCSE student at Claremont High School, in Claremont Avenue, Kingsbury, has gone one further – and received good luck c

Exams can be nerve racking for even the brainiest students, and a good luck boost never goes amiss, writes Kate Ferguson.

But one lucky GCSE student at Claremont High School, in Claremont Avenue, Kingsbury, has gone one further - and received good luck cards from many of the leading lights of entertainment, politics and sports.

The Queen, Gordon Brown, Michael Owen and Boris Johnson are among the famous figures who have written to Samira Khalil, wishing her all the best in her exams next month.

Samira, who is originally from Afghanistan, where young girls are routinely denied access to education, wrote to some of the country's most successful figures in a bid to show her classmates how important education is.

And she said she was thrilled to receive so many replies.

She said: "I was talking to a friend about our forthcoming exams and he said that he hadn't revised as he is sure he'll become a famous footballer and a millionaire without an education qualification.

"I wanted those who believe that they can breeze through life without exams to realise the true value of being educated.

"I hope that all the letters and autographs from the number of people who sent in their wishes will open many children's' eyes to the fact that the vast majority of successful people in life have a solid educated background.