A former Sussex schoolgirl is believed to have been awarded an out-of-court settlement over claims poor teaching damaged her future career.

Katherine Norfolk was paid a sum, reported to be up to £30,000, after her family took Hurstpierpoint College to the High Court.

They alleged that bad teaching led to her failing her Latin A-level exam, despite being consistently at the top of her class in the subject.

Her exam grade was elevated to an E on appeal but three others who sat the exam at the college also failed.

Miss Norfolk, now 20, also achieved an A in history and a B in French, enabling her to go on to Exeter University to study ancient and modern history.

Her father, Robert Norfolk, sued the school for £150,000 because he was concerned it would affect her future chances of getting a job as a commercial lawyer with a top law firm.

In one of the first cases of its kind, he issued a 16-page High Court writ claiming an inexperienced teacher failed to prepare Miss Norfolk properly for her exam.

The writ claimed damages for loss of earnings, the return of school fees and the mental anguish Miss Norfolk has suffered.

He alleged the low grade meant top London law firms would not shortlist her as an applicant.

At the time he issued the writ, Mr Norfolk, who lives in Ansty, near Haywards Heath, said: "It was her top subject. Four people took the exam and four people failed. A 100 per cent failure rate."

The school settled the matter out of court in what appears to be an attempt to avoid a test case.

It accepted there were problems in Miss Norfolk's first year of sixth form, when she was taught by a teacher qualified in ancient history but not Latin.

Headteacher Stephen Meek had earlier written to Exeter University admitting the teacher had not prepared students.

In a statement before the writ was issued he said: "Kate applied to university to read ancient and modern history and was offered a place at Exeter University conditional on receiving 24 points at A-level.

"In fact she received 18 points and achieved an N classification in Latin.

"Because we were concerned for Kate we explained to the university that her Latin had not been supported in a way that she and we would have expected and as a result I am pleased to say Exeter University allowed Kate to attend the course of her choice.

"The weakness in Kate's Latin teaching was a lapse. He was a young teacher who came to us with a good reference and experience of teaching Latin.

"We have of course taken steps to ensure such a lapse cannot occur again."

Mr Meek was unavailable for comment this morning.