Last week, Carfax pupil Margot received her AS results, and could not have been happier to see that she achieved three As, one A*, and one B.

Her three As are in English Literature, Art, and French, and her A* in EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). With three As in all her full A level subjects, Margot is on the right track to fulfilling her dream: studying History and Politics at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Whilst other A level pupils have slightly more time to prepare their university application, the UCAS deadline for Oxford and Cambridge is much earlier, already on October 15. Margot is therefore busy preparing her application and studying for Oxford's entrance exam in history, the HAT (History Aptitude Test).

Margot is one of the pupils so interesting they make you forget time - our informal interview for this post ended up lasting more than one hour. Of rare eloquence and depth, Margot looks forward to studying at Oxford, where she can explore her topics of interest: religion in society and the formation of national identities, particularly in the context of Ukraine's ethnic division. Herself strongly identifying as Ukrainian, but raised speaking Russian by a Polish grandmother, Margot is fascinated by the impact of empires on identities - not just the Russian and then the Soviet empires in Ukraine, but also other such forces in the wider global context.

At Carfax College, Margot spent her summer months revising intensely for the HAT exam, her A level subjects, and preparing for her Oxford interview. Not only did she love her courses here and worked very hard to the satisfaction of all tutors, but she also found time to finish a voluntary project on the crusades. The crusades are of great interest to her, because of the long-lasting impact on European and Middle Eastern imperial history.

Carfax is sad to see Margot return to her girls' boarding school this week, but is looking forward to welcoming her back later in the year, when she will continue her Oxford entrance preparation with us.