A YEAR 11 pupil who missed out on her prom has returned from a successful football trip to Sweden representing England.

Birchwood High School Student, Poppy Lawson, from Fearnhead, played for her country in the Women's Under 16 Nordic Football Tournament.

She was sadly missed at her end-of-year prom by friends and teachers but the Football Association (FA) were full of praise for the teenager.

Sean England of the FA said: "Poppy has come into the event with a mature mind set.

"She is a strong character who has the ability to influence others and it is good to see that she is doing this in a positive way.

"Poppy is easy to talk to; you can tell that the pressure of exams has lifted, and she has been able to enjoy this experience.

"Poppy has raised her own personal bar over the past 10 days she should continue to set herself high personal standards."

During her time in Sweden, Poppy had the opportunity to watch the Women’s World Cup Semi-final and Final.

The team also had a number of training sessions and played three games, winning two.