Even after winning a Nobel peace prize, with glittering invitations to speak to presidents across the world, education activist Malala Yousafzai always had one priority: her schoolwork.

And the Pakistani pupil’s dedication to her studies has paid off, according to her father Ziauddin Yousafzai, who tweeted that the 18-year-old had achieved six A*s and four As when the GCSE results were released on Thursday.

My wife Toor Pekai and I are proud of Malala getting 6A*s and 4As. #education for every child. pic.twitter.com/lfoKBLMGYz — Ziauddin Yousafzai (@ZiauddinY) August 21, 2015

Malala has declined hundreds of speaking engagements and interviews in order not to miss a day of studying at her private girls’ school in Birmingham.

The family has set up home in the city since then 15-year-old Malala was treated at the city’s Queen Elizabeth hospital. She came to the UK after being shot in the head on her schoolbus, targeted by Taliban gunman for her activism on girls’ education, including a blog she wrote for BBC Urdu.

As well as studying core GCSE subjects at the independent Edgbaston high school for girls, Malala took an additional maths exam, and opted to study history, geography and religious studies. She achieved two A grades in English language and literature, her second language.

Edgbaston high school, where fees are £3,878 per term in the senior school, had a GCSE pass rate of 98.3%, and 28% of pupils achieved 9 or more A* grades.

Pakistani media has showered the teenager with praise for her excellent results. “Nothing that Malala Yousafzai achieves seems startling anymore but she continues to make Pakistan proud,” the Express Tribune wrote, with the Daily Pakistan website saying Malala “has made us proud once again”.

Among those in Pakistan congratulating Malala was her friend Aseefa Zadari, the sister of the Pakistan People’s party chair, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Just found out that my dear sister #Malala got her GCSE results and got 6 A* and 4 A's #SoProud #Education #PrideOfPakistan — Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) August 21, 2015

Malala previously told the Guardian she intended to study arts subjects at A-level, despite having suggested in the past she would like to pursue a career in medicine. “I will only miss school for an engagement if it is going to bring real change,” she said, adding that she realised that saying yes to too many invitations was affecting her schoolwork.

“That is the question I have to ask myself with each request and if the answer is yes, I say, ‘OK, I will sacrifice one day of my school for the education of millions of children who are out of school.’”

She plans to remain in the UK for the remainder of her education. “I want to get my education – a good university education. A lot of the politicians have studied in Oxford, like Benazir [Bhutto, who Malala states is her role model]. My dream is to empower myself with education, and then it is a weapon.”