THREE St Cyres pupils have been awarded prestigious scholarships in a unique triple success for the school.

Sam Berg, Rohaan Saleem and Rhys Palfrey, all 16, were handpicked by the school to apply for the Arkwright Scholarship - run by charitable organisation the Arkwright Trust, which encourages students who display outstanding ability to take up careers in design and engineering.

Following an initial aptitude test and a day-long interview process at Bath University, the boys were each awarded £1,000 covering their two years of A-Level studies.

School head Dr Jonathan Hicks said it was a ‘remarkable achievement’.

"We have had success from the scholarship before but never three pupils in the same year," he said.

"St Cyres is one of only a few state schools in Wales and the UK that has been selected to enter pupils for this scholarship and we are thrilled that all three of our candidates were successful. The school is incredibly proud."

The boys said they were surprised, but delighted with the news.

"It was a surprise but it’s great," said Sam.

Rohaan added: "We each worked really hard and the award could prove really helpful in the long run."

And Rhys said: "It was a long process, particularly going all the way to Bath, but it was a good experience and even better to find out we had all been awarded the scholarship."

Learning Coach to the trio, Sarah Walker said it would open up many opportunities for them.

"Each of the boys will now be assigned a company in their chosen field who will help nurture their talent and enthusiasm," she said.

"It’s a prestigious award and they have set themselves up incredibly well for university and beyond."

School head of technology, Damien Parker said the boys had proved themselves over five years.

"Their problem solving, maturity and work within design technology have set them apart and they fully deserve this opportunity," he added.

They will be awarded their scholarships later in the year at a ceremony at the Institute of Engineering and Technology in London.