THEY MUST have thought all their Christmases had come together when this sixth former sat down in class at their boys' school.

As the more sharp-eyed of you will have no doubt noticed, this Bournemouth School pupil is in no shape or form a boy.

Her name is Katharina Wehrhahn, aged 18, from Germany, studying at the East Way grammar school for six months.

In a school full of 1,020 boys, she is the only female pupil.

Assistant headmaster, Tony Jordan, said: "Katharina has joined Bournemouth School for a six-month course working alongside boys in the lower sixth.

"She is studying business studies, biology, geography and general studies as well as a course in A-level German to help her work on aspects of English."

Back home in Germany Katharina attends the Erich Kastner Gymnasium in Laatzen.

Here in Bournemouth she is staying with a local family.

"Katharina is the most recent of students to visit us from the Eric Kastner Gymnasium," Mr Jordan added.

"A school friend of hers, a young man, studied for a full academic year here, learning about the English education system and working on A-levels while at the same time improving his English.

"Katharina has adapted well to life within a boys' selective school." He added: "From time to time in the past there have been girls who have been admitted to the school and this visit is seen as a logical continuation of this tradition.

"We very much hope she will not be the last girl to study in the school."

Headteacher, John Granger, said: "Not many people realise that there's no reason why we cannot have girls here at the school. Legally we can accept up to 25 per cent of our sixth form intake as girls.

"We are delighted Katharina has chosen to come here."