National water polo player, Ben Alderson, from Newton Aycliffe, celebrated an outstanding set of A Level results.
The Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College (QE) student achieved A grades in A Level History and Law, as well as a Distinction * in Level 3 Extended Certificate in Sport and Leisure.
The 18 year old, who is on Great Britain’s U19 men’s water polo squad having previously competed for England at Junior U17 level, has already been awarded a water polo scholarship at Durham University, where he will take a BA in History.
“I’m absolutely delighted with my results and can’t wait to continue my studies” said Ben, who has played water polo since the age of 7 and is a volunteer coach at Sedgefield Water Polo Club and assistant coach to the North East Boys U15 Academy.
“It’s thanks to the teachers at QE that I was able to balance my studies with training and coaching – they have always been so understanding of my sporting commitments and done all they can to support my learning.”
Ben started playing for Sedgefield Water Polo Club at the age of 7 and now trains for up to 18 hours per week, both in the pool and at the gym, in preparation for his next international tournament in Barcelona next month.
While studying at QE, in Darlington, Ben twice competed for the England U17 squad and took a two-year Diploma in Sporting Excellence through British Swimming, which was worth 64 UCAS points.
He also completed a Level One Coaching Course in 2021 and has recently completed his Level Two qualification. The talented teenager – who is a volunteer coach for Sedgefield Water Polo Club – is also assistant coach on the North East Boys U15 Academy and has coached England U15 boys at their National Academy.
Ben will study History at Durham – ranked the 4th best university in the UK to study History in the 2024 Complete University Guide – and secured a water polo scholarship, allowing him to train with one of the strongest university water polo teams in the country.
QE Principal Tim Fisher said: “Ben embraced college life and remained focused on his studies while also dedicating hours of his time to water polo. He thoroughly deserves the excellent results he received and QE wishes him well in the future.”