A HIGH-ACHIEVING teenager is juggling his studies with his passion for music.

Thomas Haigh, 16, from Silkstone Common, may be decorated with top grades and prestigious school badges - but his extracurricular activities require just as much of his dedication.

The Penistone Grammar School pupil has been nominated for a Young Champions award for his exceptional scholarly efforts in the Student of the Year category.

He said: “From year seven to year nine I was getting by, but I wasn’t going into school thinking I wanted to get all grade nines at the end of year 11.

“Going into year ten doing my GCSES, I thought I was doing okay, as in my mock results I got four grade nines and two grade sevens.

“I’m consistently getting the highest effort grades too.

“At the same time I applied to become deputy head boy and I thought that would be the perfect way to go into year 11.

“I would’ve loved to be head boy, but as it turns out it’s worked out better for me being deputy due to my cadets commitments.

“Outside school, I enjoy music and rock climbing and I think I’ve successfully found a balance between that and school.

“I’ve also been able to make studying feel enjoyable where I’ve been motivated to do it.

“With the big exams coming up I feel like getting the majority of grade nines, if not all is an achievable goal, which at the start of year seven I would have never believed.

“I’m a left-handed person so naturally writing is not my thing and I’ve had to put a lot of work in for English, but it feels like it’s paid off.

“I feel you have to have a genuine interest in your subjects, I love business and geography and those are subjects that are relatable to the real world.

“My time at Penistone has shaped me into a high-achieving person and I’ve become a better person overall.

“I enjoy learning about different countries and economic challenges.

“I’ve recently been accepted to continue studying here for my post-16 and I will be doing physics, chemistry, maths and further maths.

“I’m not sure yet whether I want to go to university yet, because music is a big part of who I am and I want to find balance.

“Music is genuinely my life, I’ve been playing piano for ten years and I’m working towards my grade eight in it now.

“Barnsley Town Concert Band, which I joined for their Paris trip, got my into the realm of percussion, like xylophone and glockenspiel and background percussion.

“That got me into Barnsley Metropolitan Band and my brother, Jack, is in the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and from that I’ve played a few gigs with them.

“I’m not sure what the future will bring but I know whatever I choose to do will be right for me.”