Colchester mother and daughter both collect GCSE results on the same day

• Watch Andy Ward's report on GCSE Results Day 2022:

A mother who picked up her GCSE results alongside her teenager daughter has said it is "never too late to try again".

Amanda Rayner, 42, from Colchester in Essex, said she did not do well when she first sat her GCSE exams as a teenager because she was bullied at school, but decades later decided she wanted to resit them to boost her employment chances.

On GCSE results day, Ms Rayner and her teenage daughter Cherokee, who also sat her exams, found out how they had got on.

After a "nerve-wracking" wait, Ms Rayner said she had passed Higher Maths and did "very well" in English.

Now she is pursuing a career as a creative writer and is looking to continue her education through a creative writing course.

Ms Rayner was inspired to study at Adult Community Learning Essex after she received a leaflet in the post.

Meanwhile, Cherokee is starting a public services course at college.

Ms Rayner looked into re-taking her exams after she was rejected for a job with the fire service.

She was pregnant while preparing for the GCSEs, but got through them with the help of Cherokee, as they helped each other out.

Ms Rayner said: "I'm really proud of myself.

"Despite all the things that have been going on in my life lately, I've achieved it.

"It's never too late. Like I say to Cherokee: it doesn't matter what you've got now, it's never too late to try again.

"However your path pans out, you can always do what you want to do if you put your mind to it."

And it was not only a day of personal celebration for Cherokee, but one of celebrating her mum's success too.

Cherokee said: "I'm very proud of my mum.

"She's had to do a lot and it's pretty cool.

"Now we can go out and celebrate at the same time for the same reason."

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