Pamodh Yasawardene first came to Gateway Kids School of Computing 7 years ago as an enthusiastic 9 year old, to enrol in the computer classes. He was assessed and placed in Tier 4. Once he completed Tier 4, his teacher, realising his ability, gave him a double promotion and placed him at Tier 6. By the age of 13 Pamodh completed the highest Level possible, which is Tier 9, at the Computer Pioneers programme.

Pamodh

This is a very rare feat as students studying at this Tier are usually 15 years old and above. Pamodh's teacher realising his abilities, encouraged him to enter the Young Computer Scientist competition in the year 2007 and Pamodh was just 13 years old when he received a Merit award at this competition. The following year, he won the Gold Medal in the same competition. At the age of 15 years and 9 months, Pamodh is still a full time student of Royal College and is preparing to sit his Sri Lankan Ordinary Level examination in December.

Realising Pamodh's potential, he was encouraged both by his parents and teachers of Gateway to sit the London OL examination in May 2009 by studying at Gateway Institute of Advanced Studies at Rodney Street, Borella. He received 'A' grades (highest awarded for OL) in all 6 subjects. In addition, he took IGCSE IT and received an 'A*' grade (highest awarded in IGCSE). For his achievement he was recently recognised at the Edexcel International Awards ceremony.

Pamodh did not stop there. Within the last year he went on to do London AS and A2 examinations. Here too he received all As at AS level and all A*s at Advanced Level. Isn't this an exceptional performance? Here is a humble boy who has received the highest possible result in the London AL even before sitting for his Sri Lankan OL.

Gateway Graduate School is now assisting Pamodh to realize his ambition of being a Physician. Michael Dobson, the Head of Graduate School is in touch with the top group of UK Universities - the Russell Group - to try and get him into University next year, when he will be less than 17. Some of them, notably Bristol, Warwick and Cambridge as well as Kings London and UCL have responded favourably, so his mother and father are now putting him in for UCAS and also (via the British Council) the BMAT test that all applicants for medical degrees have to sit. In the meantime, he will study for the International Diploma in Computer Studies (the first year of a British IT Degree) at the Gateway Graduate School on a part-time basis until December 2010 when he sits the OLs in his school.