A Saffron Walden County High School pupil gained ­“invaluable experience” after completing a ­prestigious placement over the summer.

Joscelin Smith took part in a Nuffield Research Placement at Genzyme, one of the world’s leading ­biotechnology companies.

She worked alongside a STEM researcher and then presented her ­findings at an awards ceremony at ARU.

The AS student also won a Gold Award from the British Science Association for her report on her findings.

Joscelin said: “During my time there [Genzyme] I undertook a research project supervised by one of the senior technical team.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the professionals in the labs and was privileged to have use of Genzyme’s specialist equipment.”