Former Abbot's Hill pupil Zara Brownless is the winner of the BBC's Young Apprentice 2011.

Zara, who left the school last Summer, triumphed against 11 other hopefuls in a series of business challenges set by Lord Sugar which ranged from developing and selling a new brand of popcorn to creating a downloadable online game. Zara was praised for her calm and focused approach to the tasks and was described by Lord Sugar as being “one of the most eloquent people” he had seen in the boardroom. Her prize is a tailor-made fund of £25,000 to kick start her business career, which she plans to spend on film-making equipment for her fledgling production company.

Headmistress Mrs Kerstin Lewis said: “Zara was an outstanding pupil at Abbot's Hill and we are delighted at her success in Young Apprentice. The fact that we educate girls to age 16 offers pupils an opportunity to tackle responsibility at an earlier age than in many schools, allowing them to develop proficiency in management, organisation and leadership. Zara also took advantage of our extensive extracurricular opportunities to help develop her creative and presentation skills. We congratulate her on this excellent achievement and look forward to seeing how her career develops in the future.”