TWO pupils from a Kidderminster school have not only been competing to claim the school’s best GCSE results, they’ve been competing to be the best pupil since they were two-years-old.

Elliott Cox and Grace Hogan, who attend Heathfield School, have spent most of their lives together at the independent school.

Since joining in April 2001, the pair have been in the same classes, achieved similar results and in the last year, Grace has been school captain with Elliott as her deputy.

The duo are close friends, but said there are times when they are also arch enemies.

Elliott said: “There’s always been competition between ourselves but I think the competition we have with each other is what spurs us on to be better.”

Continuing their rivalry into their GCSE results, both Grace and Elliott achieved nine A*s and an A grade, which they said they were expected to achieve.

Grace said: “We’ve always been about the same level, one of us is usually better at one subject compared to the other, but on the whole we’re pretty well matched.

“Throughout our school lives our results have usually evened each other out.”

Elliott said: “We knew we were going to get good grades, but because everyone was expecting us to get A*s we have been under a lot of pressure over the last few years.

“We’ve been so nervous but we’ve put the work in and are really happy with what we’ve achieved – it’s a big relief.”

Their competition could continue into their A levels as they both leave the school this summer to attend sixth form at King Edward VI College, in Stourbridge.

“We’re actually doing three of the same subjects there - we’re both doing maths, history and French, but Elliott is doing economics while I’m studying Spanish,” said Grace.

“So we’re still going to see a lot of each other.”

As they have spent most of their lives at the one school, Elliott feels moving away from the same environment will help them when they eventually go to university.

“The school is a family as we’ve grown up together and spent 13 years with the same people,” he said.

“We’re going to keep in touch with our friends but a large contingent of our year is actually going to King Edwards so it won’t be too much of a goodbye.”

Deputy headteacher of the school, Faith Wilson, said she was delighted that 86 per cent of pupils gained five or more A* to C grades.