THRILLED students at a Rishton high school received awards for excellence at an awards ceremony.

Former students at Norden High School, in Stourton Street, who left earlier this year, heard a speech by Dr Danielle Gaynor, who attended the school in the 90s.

After leaving in 1995 disappointed with her results, she was told to give up her dream of ever becoming a doctor.

But she returned to Norden and met up with her old science teacher, Mrs Stanton, who helped her research a way of getting into university.

After accepting a place at Cardiff, Dr Gaynor went on to study at Warwick, and now works at Manchester Children’s Hospital.

She told the children at the ceremony to ‘follow their dreams, don’t let anyone tell you they are not possible. And if your path does seem blocked, take a diversion.’ Headteacher Tim Mitchell also told the award winners their success is ‘not only down to their hard work, but also the support and guidance from their families’.

SUBJECT PRIZEWINNER Art Eleanor Haben Biology Louise Taylor Chemistry Kyle Griffiths Child Dev Molly Hudson Dance Amy Ditchfield Drama Morgan Payne English Lang Lucy Nuttall English Lit Amber Forshaw French Ikra Saghir Food Tech Elizabeth Brennan Geography Amy Ditchfield History Charlie Feeney ICT Aliya Abbas Law Ikra Saghir Mathematics Chloe Steele PE BTECH Laura Conchie PE GCSE Marcus Robinson Physics Amy Ditchfield RE Lucy Nuttall Resistant Materials Robert Mather BTEC Science Jodie Minghella Dual Science Carmen Wong Spanish Lucy Nuttall Sportsman of the Year Daniel Smith Sportswoman of the Year Louise Taylor Matthew Smith Memorial Cup Robyn Ashfield Ian Kitchin Trophy Ryan Sharman Allan Critchlow Trophy Amy Ditchfield Roger Chippendale Shield Billy Hargreaves David Slynn Shield Amber Forshaw Denise Parkinson Memorial Award Sophie Chadwick Coun Barton Trophy Sadia Mir