AN intrepid city school pupil will be taking a different route into higher education when she travels to Asia later this year.

While many of Fern Gwinnett's friends will be making the short trip from the Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School to the city's Sixth Form College in September, Fern will board a plane to India to undertake an International Baccalaureate - equivalent to A-levels.

"I am very excited but also very nervous at the same time," said Fern, from Little Birch.

The 16-year-old, currently head girl at Bishop's, completes her GCSEs this summer and came across the course while searching for sixth form ideas.

She discovered an organisation called United World Colleges, which has 12 colleges around the world, and decided to apply.

"I was really surprised I got in," said Fern. "I now have to raise more than £8,000 on top of the scholarship.

"My mum has increased her hours at work to help raise some of the money and we are looking into what grants are available," said the youngster, who is hoping to go into either languages or law and politics as a career.

She is one of two students from Britain who have been selected to go on the two-year course. And while lessons are taught in English, Fern will be expected to learn Hindi while there.

Students will also learn about global issues such as poverty and the environment, as well as contributing to the local community by working in local schools.

So how have her friends reacted to the news that Fern will leave the county to travel half-way across the world?

"They have been really supportive, although a lot of them have said they don't want me to go because they'll miss me," Fern said.

They will still have some time to catch up at school however, with Fern and friends approaching that dreaded time of the year - the small matter of coursework and sitting those GCSE exams.