Beckfoot Upper Heaton pupil wins prestigious place with Aston Martin

Muhammed Subhani, 16, from Undercliffe, and a current Year 11 student at Beckfoot Upper Heaton, has secured a four-year design study with British sports car manufacturer Aston Martin at Gaydon, in Warwickshire, beating off fierce competition from 500 other hopefuls from around the country and negotiated a two-stage interview process.

Muhammed said after hearing of his success: “I am really excited at such a magnificent opportunity and am still taking it in.

“The support from the staff at Beckfoot Upper Heaton has been phenomenal and help has been readily offered and snapped up.

“Chris Hogan, Year 11 student manager, twice drove me all the way to Gaydon for my interviews.

“My family has been incredibly supportive knowing I will move away to Warwickshire in September. I am now focusing on my upcoming GCSE exams in May and June. My message to other young people is: work hard, aim high and never be afraid to try. You are all unique and have loads of potential so go out there and achieve your potential.”

Nazim Ali, Connexions Careers Advisor said: “I have had the pleasure to have worked closely with Muhammed preparing him for the assessment day and the final interview with Aston Martin. “He has impressed me with his maturity, commitment and dedication. He realises he is a role-model for his peers and the school have plans afoot for him to speak to and inspire his fellow peers with the message if he can do it then they too can. He is already a celebrity within the school community with everyone congratulating him.

“He has demonstrated that if you are ambitious, driven and inquisitive then the opportunities are there to be taken irrespective of your social or economic background. Hailing from a working class background and being of British Pakistani origin his effort to secure an apprenticeship with one of the premier British companies that is world renowned for striving for excellence is truly inspirational.”