The government U-turn on A level results has left local students with concerns about what the future holds.

The government has promised to reverse the standardisation process which saw an average of 37% of grades changed in the Harrogate district, and award the teachers’ assessed grades.

However, for students who lost their university place last week and will now have their grades increased, it could still be too late for them to access their chosen courses in September.

India Taylor, a former student of Harrogate Ladies’ College, said she received BCE on Thursday after Ofqual has changed her Spanish grade from a B to an E. She said:

“I felt completely broken when I received the email on Thursday morning. I had an unconditional offer to study psychology at Leeds Beckett but I was hoping to be able to ‘trade up’ and get into the University of Leeds. But none of the ones I wanted to go to said they would accept me with an E.

“I was planning on deferring a year in order to sort out the appeals process and potentially sit the exams but I am now waiting to hear back from universities following the announcement. I’m glad the government has decided they need a better method – it was unfair to judge people’s efforts based on those at the school before them.

“I think they still could have done more as many people were rejected by their firm choice university and have spent the days since Thursday panicking about the future.”

Student India Taylor is hopeful her teacher-assessed grades from Harroagte Ladies’ College will be good enough to get into her chosen university.

Mark Sellers, a retired teacher from Harrogate and a parent of an A-level student, has raised concerns for those students who had high predicted grades but the grades calculated by their teachers were much lower.

He said:

“My son’s school predicted him AAB but the centre assessed grade they sent to Ofqual was DCB. He can’t go to his favoured university in Newcastle but now he has to go back to study for exams in October.

“His school has now offered him support but others may not. Many modules weren’t finished and I am concerned that all those kids without the grades they wanted will struggle. They may fail again because they haven’t been given the help, they’re throwing them on the scrap heap.

“I sent a letter to my MP to let him know something has to be done, I want him to agree to raise it in the House of Commons for schools to provide the support to these kids. I believe schools have a moral obligation to help them; in a few years it’ll impact them and there will be mental health issues following this too.”

The Stray Ferret asked all local MPs for a comment, including Mr Sellers’ local MP Andrew Jones, but none had replied at the time of publication.

Students at Harrogate Ladies College have achieved over 50% more A* to A’s in their A-level results than previous year groups.

Further success was achieved with 85% of the girls achieving A* to C grades across all subjects.

Unlike other schools in the district, the pupils were invited to a socially distant celebration on the lawn after reading their results online this morning.

Sylvia Brett, principal of Harrogate Ladies’ College, said:

“We are enormously proud of the achievements of all our girls who have worked incredibly hard in these exceptional and challenging circumstances. As an all-girls school we make it our business to encourage the girls to be bold and brave in their subject choices away from fear of judgement or embarrassment.

“I’m delighted to see that so many of them have achieved so highly across such a breadth of subjects. The teaching staff at Harrogate Ladies’ College and I are extremely proud of them all.”

As with all schools, the college students were unable to take their exams this year due to coronavirus. The grades have been calculated using a range of factors and then standardised by government body Ofqual.

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• Colleges across the district release their results online.
• Ripon Grammar School students are jumping for joy after their A-level achievements.

Despite the disruption to the academic year caused by the covid 19 pandemic, the future is looking bright for Ripon Grammar School students celebrating outstanding A-level performances.

With 79% of grades awarded at A* to B, and more than half of all grades at A* or A, most students have secured their first or second choice of university on a diverse range of courses, from aeronautical engineering to fashion, medicine and philosophy.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“Results days are days of joy and celebration as examination results open up new pathways in life and new institutions of learning.

“While today has inevitably been like no other with grades awarded without examinations being sat, the achievements of students at RGS are real, valid and worthy of huge celebration.”

Eight students achieved a clean sweep of A*s with top performers Phoebe Hall and Tabitha Milton awarded four A*s in addition to an A* in their extended project qualifications, worth half an A-level.

Mr Webb emphasised that, while the school’s results had been adjusted down slightly, as they have been nationally, they remain, overall, consistent with previous years:

“I am delighted to say our results are as good as ever and the students, and staff who have supported them, are to be congratulated on another tremendous performance.

“Grades were rigorously assessed and awarded by teachers at RGS and then mathematically adjusted by Ofqual to reflect, it is hoped, the historic trends achieved by the school.”

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While there have been impressive performances across the board, with more than 20% of grades awarded at A*, Mr Webb stressed:

“We must focus on the process of learning as much as the end result, however arrived at. School is about learning, exploring new avenues and making real life choices. I am sure the lessons learnt will mean very bright futures for our leavers of 2020.”

The majority of the school’s 142 A-level students have secured places at Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge:

He added that the school’s sixth form team was working hard to support those students facing the process of clearing, contemplating gap years or seeking to adjust their offers upward:

“Inevitably amongst the many successes there are some who may be disappointed with how the process has worked for them. We will be guiding and supporting them and wish them all the best in their search.”

The school’s overall pass rate is 99.1%, with a total of 106 grades at A* and 147 at grade A.

A Ripon student literally has ambitions that are out of this world, as she plans to study aerospace engineering at the University of Manchester.

Layla Osman, from Ripon, wants to be an astronaut, but first hopes to become an RAF pilot before going into space.

The 17-year-old, who took maths, physics and chemistry A Levels at Ripon Grammar School, said:

“I have wanted to do this for a few years now due to my passion for maths and physics and love for space. The thought of being able to be even a small part of exploring it excites me tremendously. To become an astronaut is my dream job.”

Layla Osman, who has ambitions to be an astronaut

The school’s upper sixth form students, whose school lives came to an abrupt end in March, have secured offers and internships from a range of universities, art colleges, employers and voluntary organisations

A total of 167 have applied to university this year, alongside a significant number planning to take a year out, gaining industry insight and life experience.

Around 70 per cent of students plan to take up places at Russell Group universities – despite most universities planning to run their first terms online – with seven receiving Oxbridge offers, nine having offers to study medicine and one for veterinary medicine.

Head of sixth form Terry Fell said:

“These are among the most challenging applications students can put themselves through, and the most demanding of universities, and their success reflects a very bright year group indeed.”

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He added:

“But our students and staff are very clear that there is so much more depth and success to be celebrated in this year group than just these simple headline figures.”

The unique year group is setting off on a wide range of paths, with some pursuing their art and others gaining internships and undergraduate placements in industry. A number are looking forward to setting off on adventurous expeditions and volunteering projects, with two students choosing to study abroad, in New Zealand and the US.

Jack Ibbotson, 17, from Burton Leonard, who studied economics, history and geography at A-level, will be starting a deck officer cadetship, sponsored by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines at Glasgow College, where he will take a degree in nautical sciences and marine operations. He said:

“This is something I have always wanted to do, and it is a fantastic opportunity to travel the world for a living,”