A teenager who studied in Kenya for most of her school years has secured a place at a UK university to study medicine.

Ilhan Said, 18, attended an international secondary school in Nairobi before returning to her native England two years ago to take her A-levels at LaSWAP sixth-form consortium.

Ilhan, who achieved an A* and two As, said studying in Kenya and in Britain is very similar, save for a few small differences.

“The schools are quite small there, with only 40 in each year,” said Ilhan, who was based at Parliament Hill School, near Parliament Hill Fields. “Having smaller classes really made a difference.

“People here and people there also have different expectations. People in Kenya are more likely to know what they want to do in five years but back in the UK, they see what will happen tomorrow.”

Ilhan, of Tufnell Park, will read medicine at Imperial College London.