ACADEMIC success and musical talent are being celebrated at Bournemouth School.

A level student Alexander Cox has won a place and financial aid package to study at Princeton, one of the top universities in the United States.

Trumpet player Joe Skypala has gained a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Polly Bartlett has been named as one of the five finalists in the woodwind category of the BBC Young Musician of the Year.

Alex, 18, will go to Princeton following his success in a programme run by the Sutton Trust and US-UK Fulbright Commission.

He said: "I was thrilled to gain acceptance to such a prestigious Ivy League university, and their generous funding makes me wonder why more people don’t try and apply to the US. It will be a challenge spending four years abroad, but the flexibility and depth of the degree courses offered there will ensure I always have something to do."

Alex is one of 43 students who have been selected under the early application deadline to US universities, and more students will be applying by the January deadline with results available later this spring.

Joe has recently been performing with the GB orchestra and has recently returned from his first residential session and concerts in Leeds and London over the Christmas break.

Polly, a talented oboe player, will be playing the recorder int he next round of the BBC Young Musician of the Year contest to be held in Cardiff in March.

Director of Music at the East Way grammar school, Clare Whitehead said: "We are very proud of their success at this level, and it is tribute to their hard work and determination that they have gained such recognition."