Alex Reddy scored top marks in his maths, computer science and Italian GCSEs – learning much from the ‘best teachers’ on YouTube

A BOY is looking to write a “climate change simulation” after scooping three perfect scores in his GCSEs aged 12.

Home-schooled Alex Reddy, who has just turned 13, got grade 9s in mathematics, computer science and Italian.

Proud dad Jason told the New Journal how his son had been inspired to get interested in artificial intelligence and computing programming courses at St John’s Wood Library.

He had learned so much by watching the “best teachers” on YouTube, his father said.

Mr Reddy, a computer programmer, said his son had gone to reception class at George Eliot primary school in Swiss Cottage but that he became “a bit bored” and “didn’t take to it too well”.

He said: “He thinks YouTube has the best teachers and that’s why he loves home-schooling because sitting in a classroom was a bit challenging for him.

“I think he didn’t understand why he needed to do it when he could be at home and teach himself, or actually we teach him and guide him. And then see his friends at the after-school clubs.”

Alex – whose hobbies include table tennis and reading – could complete a Rubik’s cube aged five after learning from YouTube.

Mr Reddy said: “So his policy is he works first and then he relaxes. His favourite activity is playing games with his friends online. So I mean they’re his physical friends that he sees, you know, a few times a week. But he likes to play games online with them, like Fortnite and Rocket League.”

Mr Reddy said that his son would not start A-levels in the next two years as he might get “out of step with his friends”, adding: “His plan to complete his GCSEs and then take a year or two to do something cool like write a climate-change simulation or a game engine”.

Mr Reddy said he had arrived in London as an immigrant from South Africa and his wife, Carmen, from Hungary.

“We left our families and friends and came here with dreams. And after all these years we’re so proud that our Alex will be able to succeed in Britain.”

One of Alex’s main inspirations had been a children’s programming class at St John’s Wood Library.

Mr Reddy said: “When he was about seven he went to a class in St John’s Wood Library that really made a big difference to him. We didn’t realise what an impact it had on him until a few years later when he said, ‘…you know, I really like programming because of Toufik Bakhti’. Toufik was his teacher at St John’s Wood.

“St John’s Wood Library used to have classes for kids. So maths, English, Lego-building, and programming. Toufik would give the kids toys and books as a reward for doing their work. As a parent you just drop him off and you pick him up an hour later, so we didn’t see what an impact Toufik was having.”

The all school club courses are no longer provided in St John’s Wood Library, which Mr Reddy said was “a real shame” and connected to “government cuts”.

The courses continue at Church Street Library, run by Westminster Council.

Alex loved to go to the adventure playground in St John’s Wood and the Otherwise Club in the Kilburn area, and also to run the junior Park Run at Paddington Recreation Ground.