This summer, 16-year-old Winnie received an extremely impressive three Grade 9s and ten A*s in her GCSEs. Alongside her school and teachers, Winnie credits her years spent studying with Kumon for helping her achieve these results.

Winnie said: "I was very proud and relieved to receive my GCSE results. Whilst I struggled with the expected stress these exams bring, the hard work really did pay off. Without Kumon, I don't think I'd have the stamina or perseverance I have now, so I am incredibly grateful for everything it has taught me."

Winnie has attended her local Kumon Sheffield, Crystal Peaks Study Centre since December 2012, studying on the maths programme, where she's now completing advanced calculus on the final level. We caught up with Winnie as she happily shared her Kumon experience:

"I can remember initially feeling apprehension about whether I would enjoy the daily work involved in Kumon; however, after a comfortable few weeks, I began feeling more confident in the skills Kumon was helping me develop, such as speed and accuracy in performing calculations, and I could see my progress accelerate which helped me better believe in my own ability.

"Now I am a more able mathematician as Kumon has taught me advanced skills and concepts but also perfected my fundamental skills i.e. addition and multiplication. This means I am able to solve complicated questions without dwelling on the simple calculations within them, so can reach the answer more quickly.

"I have also become a more independent learner who can apply previous knowledge to learn new concepts, rather than immediately seeking an explanation from somebody else. Regularly doing my corrections encouraged me to become more attentive, and I am generally more diligent and determined in all my school subjects.

"People would think completing work every day would be quite tedious, and at times I could feel the same, but persevering through these moments makes the achievements through Kumon seem even more worthwhile. So sometimes, the most enjoyable times are during your hardest, especially the moments where you finally reach the correct answer to a question you have been staring at hopelessly for what seems like hours."

Winnie concluded: "Students will have many different experiences with Kumon and even if you feel like you're unsuccessful at it, it's all part of the journey because the rewards for your hard work will be waiting at the end of each step. I would recommend anybody to try Kumon because it will help in more ways than you can imagine."

Congratulations to Winnie on her incredible and well-deserved exam results. We're sure with her continued commitment to her studies and strong work ethic, she'll go on to reach even greater heights!