A pupil from the City of Norwich School has become one of 100 students across the country to be shortlisted for the UBS Outstanding Student Award.

Sabrina Tan moved to Norwich last year from Malaysia, after her father secured a job at the Norfolk-based car manufacturer Lotus Cars.

After travelling over 6,000 miles to begin her new life in Norwich, Sabrina, 17, lost both her grandparents within the same year. Her personal losses would have made an initial struggle at her new school understandable, but instead Sabrina hit new heights – for which her efforts are being recognised on a national level.

Heading for straight 'A's at the City of Norwich School, alongside various voluntary roles, has led to acknowledgment from 'Pure Potential' – an organisation striving to raise the aspiration of sixth-formers. Pure Potential has shortlisted 100 sixth-form students across the country,including Sabrina, for the UBS Award for Outstanding Student.

'When the news came that I was nominated, it was really unexpected,' she said. 'It's good to be nominated for this award but I feel my fellow students have their own talents too.' Sabrina will be attending the awards ceremony in London on October 29th

Studying English language and literature, psychology, and maths with mechanics – all of which she achieved an A at As-level – Sabrina hopes to study psychology and linguistics at Oxford.

'There's a big difference in school from Malaysia,' she said. 'Over here the teachers challenge you to question them and I like the atmosphere and the way teachers teach.'

Sabrina regularly does voluntary work at Harford Hill Dementia Day Care Centre and the Norwich Family Life Church, who helped her through the loss of her grandparents. 'When you go to church you have a family there as well and they truly helped us and prayed for us'.

Sixth form administrator at the CNS School, Kym Blake, nominated Sabrina for the award: 'When I first met her she was an absolute dream of a student. Getting to know her, I saw she was very modest and it was obvious she was very hard-working.'