A student who was diagnosed with a rare cancer which derailed his school studies has secured top A-level grades and won a place at university to study medicine.

Adam Bennett, 18, who missed lengthy periods of school through treatment and then Covid lockdowns, received his results on Thursday and achieved A* in Biology and As in Chemistry and Maths.

He has accepted a coveted place to study medicine at Manchester University.

Adam said his choice of degree was inspired by the medics and nurses he encountered when he had stage four bone cancer at the age of 12.

In 2017 Adam felt pain in his leg and assumed it was just a sports injury, but he was shocked to be diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare tumour.

For the next eight months he endured chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Witney Gazette: Adam Bennett aged 12

He said: “When I was having chemo the Oxford Hospitals School would have teachers that would come in to the hospital. But I was 13 and I was, like, I really don’t want to have to do this.

"But afterwards I was really happy I had done it. I was at least doing the same stuff as my friends even if it was not in the same kind of detail."

At home recovering he managed to ‘attend’ lessons using pioneering technology where his robot double was sent into classes at Wood Green School in Witney, in what was thought to be a UK-first project led by the Oxfordshire Hospital School.

The clever piece of kit was effectively an iPad attached to a pole on wheels, which allowed students to see and hear a live video stream of Adam and he could sit in on classes, chat to friends and wheel around the school with them during breaks.

Adam, now 18 and cancer free, said: “It was effectively an early Face Time but I could move the iPad around. But it was more for the social aspect than the educational aspect as I wasn’t going out much.”

Adam’s mother Samantha said: “One of the biggest things for kids in his situation with a long break from school is the thought of going back having missed all that work - it can be terrifying.”

Following the cancer-related treatment, Adam then had to endure a series of gruelling operations to reconstruct his leg.

It meant using a wheelchair and then he developed scoliosis requiring spinal fusion surgery.

Witney Gazette: Adam Bennett 'attends' school using telepresence robot

He had only just recovered from that and gone back to school full-time for 18 months when Covid struck.

He said: “At the start school was a group chat on Teams and teachers would post work for us to upload. But by the end of the first lockdown we were doing lessons on Teams calls.

“The second lockdown was all Teams calls as we had got used to it.”

Adam admitted by then he was quite motivated to catch up and was helped by teachers who would give him one-to-one help after class or extra work.

Last week he discovered his hard work had paid off when he passed his A-levels with flying colours, fulfilling his dream of studying to become a doctor.

Adam, who lives with mum and dad, Jonathan and Samantha, and sister Leila, in Madley Park, said: "I was definitely kind of interested in being a doctor as a child but my experience and being impressed by all the doctors and nurses definitely inspired me to go into medicine.

"I would like to think it will make me better understand what your patients are going through.

"In the university interview they asked me, why would you make a good doctor? And I told them about my cancer and they liked that answer.

"I am hoping that having that perspective of knowing what patients are going through will make me a good doctor."

Adam’s mum Sam said: “I’m very proud. He’s worked incredibly hard and it’s not been easy obviously.”

Headteacher of Wood Green School Rob Shadbolt said Adam’s determination and perseverance are an example to others.

He said: “We are all proud of Adam and what he has achieved and I wish him every success in his medicine degree."

During Adam's illness the Bennett family raised money for Oxfordshire Hospital School (OHS), which supports youngsters whose education has been impacted by poor health, to fund more telepresence robots.

Mr Shadbolt added: "Whether it has been raising money while he was recovering, or keeping going with his studies, Adam has shown great resilience.

“His whole family have been amazing too. So many young people have had to cope with huge challenges and I hope that Adam’s story inspires others to follow their dreams and not give up."