Harrogate man Axel Brown will compete for the Trinidad & Tobago bobsleigh team in the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicks off today.

If you ask someone about bobsleigh, most people will recall the 1993 smash hit film Cool Runnings. It featured the trials and tribulations of the Jamaica team as it battled to compete in the Winter Olympics.

Brown was born and raised in Harrogate. He attended Harrogate Grammar School from 2003 to 2011 and excelled at American football and taekwondo before discovering bobsleigh in 2014.

He previously competed for Great Britain but qualified to switch to Trinidad & Tobago because his mum is from Pointe-a-Pierre in the country.

For the uninitiated, bobsleigh is a winter sport where teams barrel down an iced track in an aerodynamic sleigh while racing against the clock.

Brown has a crucial role as the pilot of the team, and sits in the sleigh to steer it along so it can produce the greatest speed.

The Caribbean country hasn’t competed in the games for 20 years, and Brown is hoping their efforts can inspire a new generation.

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Speaking to Trinidad & Tobago Newsday in December, Brown said:

“It is exciting that now all of a sudden the Trinidad & Tobago population is kind of embracing us and what we are able to do.

“Hopefully there are other Trinidad & Tobago teams that are inspired by what we are doing. I think we certainly have the athletic pool from which to choose great athletes from but also the four that we’ve got at the moment are doing incredibly well and I am really excited to see what they can do.”

The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 opening ceremony takes place today, where Brown will be cheered on from back home.

Brown is a supporter of Harrogate horticulture charity Horticap, which showed its support for him when some of its students held the Trinidad & Tobago flag.

A school bus was involved in a minor collision this morning in the Harrogate district.

The incident involving students from Harrogate Grammar School happened on the A658 Harrogate Road, close to Leathley Farm Shop and Cafe at about 8am.

No children were hurt.

The incident led to rush hour delays from Pool-in-Wharfedale to Huby.

A Harrogate Grammar School spokeswoman confirmed three children were on the bus at the time and that none sustained injuries.

The spokeswoman described the incident as a “mild shunt” and said the bus company acted promptly to get the children safely to school.

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The Stray Ferret understands the crash involved one other vehicle.

North Yorkshire Police said there were no reports of injuries but declined to give further details.

Harrogate headteachers say they are “nervous” about this week’s return to school as covid testing and face masks are reintroduced to minimise disruption during an expected rise in infections.

Secondary school pupils will now have to wear masks in class as well as in communal areas to help tackle the spread of the Omicron variant.

All students will also be expected to take an on-site test and complete twice-weekly testing from home under rules reintroduced by the government in response to surging cases.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said that although infections amongst staff and students were currently low, a rise was expected and this could lead to extra measures including entire year groups learning from home. He said:

“We have got seven staff who have tested positive, but this is not enough to significantly disrupt our provision.

“At this stage we are fine, but we are nervous and do have some trepidations about the term ahead.

“We had a point before Christmas where 30 staff members were off due to covid. We didn’t have to close year groups, but it was very tight.

“This is not new to us as for the past almost two years we have had significant disruptions.

“I’m confident we can continue to deal with this. Where I have a nervousness is if staff absences become so high we have to make a decision on whether it would be better to send a year group home.

“This is a decision I and many other headteachers may have to wrestle with in the coming weeks.”

Sylvia Brett, principal at Harrogate Ladies’ College, also said plans were in place to deal with any disruptions, including the recruitment of supply staff and combining classes. She said:

“We will do everything we possibly can to continue to deliver the high quality of education our pupils and families expect during these difficult times.”

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The return to school comes as there is a further push for staff and more young people to get vaccinated.

Latest figures show 77% of 16 to 17-year-olds and 58% of 12 to 15-year-olds in the Harrogate district have received vaccines which are being made available at sites including the Great Yorkshire Showground, Ripon Racecourse and local pharmacies.

Support to schools

After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the government is currently planning for exams to go ahead as normal this summer.

Stuart Carlton, corporate director of children and young people’s services at North Yorkshire County Council, said support would be offered to schools throughout the year and that the top priority was to ensure all students receive face-to-face education “where possible”. He said:

“Being educated in the classroom, among their friends and with the support of teaching staff, is the best place for pupils.

“Schools have worked hard to ensure they remain safe places and to minimise the spread of the virus, with the support of the council.

“We have provided updated risk assessment templates with the latest government guidance for education settings in the county.

“Schools have access to public health colleagues for advice and we are providing support and guidance in other areas such as health and safety, human resources and property issues.”

Nearly 700 secondary school places will be needed in Harrogate and Knaresborough by 2025/26 to keep up with demand caused by new housing.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed the shortfall in a report for its Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on Thursday.

The report says Harrogate and rural secondary schools had a shortfall of 156 places in 2020/21 while Knaresborough secondary schools had a surplus of 139 places.

However, by 2025/26 there is a projected shortfall of 623 places in Harrogate and rural secondary schools and a projected shortfall of 49 places in Knaresborough secondary schools.

Harrogate and rural secondary schools include Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett School, Harrogate High School, St John Fisher Catholic High School, St Aidan’s CE High School and Nidderdale High School.

Knaresborough secondary schools consists solely of King James’s School.

The county council said in the document that it was “carefully monitoring pupil numbers” across Harrogate and Knaresborough and highlighted plans for more housing in the west of Harrogate as the cause of the issue.

Primary schools fare better

Harrogate’s primary schools look set to fare better, with a surplus of 580 places forecast by 2025/26.

There is a projected shortfall of 156 primary school places in Knaresborough, where a new school with the capacity for 420 pupils is being built to accommodate people moving into Manse Farm and Highfield Farm.

Rossett School and Harrogate Grammar School built five additional classrooms as a result of discussions about pupil numbers in 2019, the report adds.

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The county council, which has a duty to provide enough spaces, says in the document that both Rossett School and Harrogate Grammar School “will assist to meet the expected rise in demand for places as a result of housing growth” but does not give further details.

‘Sufficient places’ at King James’s School

In Knaresborough, the county council said that there are currently “sufficient places for local children at King James’s School and a significant number of pupils from outside the catchment are able to secure places”.

The report says:

“The general picture across the whole of the county shows projected growth in the urban areas contrasting with declining numbers in rural locations.

“A falling birth rate combined with changing demographics means that a number of small schools are facing financial challenges associated with low numbers on roll.”

Harrogate Borough Council is due to publish a West Harrogate Parameters Plan this year, outlining the infrastructure requirements associated with the projected 4,000 new homes planned for the western side of Harrogate.

Residents and councillors have grown frustrated with delays about when the plan will be published.

The council initially said it would be published in October 2020, but this was delayed until March 2021, then September 2021. It now says a draft version will be published next month.

Since Pat Sowa’s son, Dom, died of suicide in 2017 she has dedicated her life to helping people who are struggling with their mental health.

The Sowa family has lived in Harrogate for 23 years. Dom, a student at Harrogate Grammar School, was just 17 when he died.

Mrs Sowa said friends described Dom as “giggly with the kindest heart”. He played the saxophone and loved to be outdoors.

Looking back, she says she could see he was struggling; he had been withdrawing from friends and saying he felt “very sad”. But she said without the training she’s had now she didn’t know how to ask the right questions and help.

“It breaks my heart that I didn’t know the signs. I always say ‘we do our best but when we know more we do better’.

“And it’s true. Instead of people crossing their fingers or depending on the system to take care of their loved ones, through training they have the skills to know what to do to help.”

Dom Sowa

After losing Dom, Mrs Sowa left her job as a primary school headteacher and trained as a mental health first aid trainer.

She now works with North Yorkshire County Council in its Headfirst programme, which offers free mental health and suicide prevention training for anyone living or working in North Yorkshire, alongside her other work.

She is determined for more people to train as mental health first aiders. She says it is important for anyone struggling to feel as if they have someone who is their safe space to talk to.

Her mantra is:

“Get trained, save lives and be kind.”

Losing Dom turned the family upside down and Ms Sowa finds her work to promote suicide prevention has helped her “work through the devastation”.

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Ms Sowa also works closely with Papyrus, a charity dedicated to the prevention of youth suicide. It offers a helpline to people, runs training programmes and campaigns to get people talking about mental health.

Next weekend, Ms Sowa will join Dom’s former school, Harrogate Grammar School, on its fourth Hopewalk. It is part of a Papyrus initiative that includes a month of walks across the country to get people out and talking about mental health.

The four-mile route around Fewston reservoir takes place on October 17 at 10am.

Ged Flynn, chief executive of Papyrus, said:

“We would like to say a big thank you to Pat Sowa and all those who will we supporting the Hopewalk in memory of her son Dom.

“Every year Hopewalks raise awareness of suicide prevention and help us to continue giving hope to young people who are struggling with life.

“Generous fundraising and donations help to pay for potentially life-saving calls, texts and emails to our confidential HOPELINEUK service, which offers support and advice to young people and anyone who is worried about a young person who may be having thoughts of suicide.

“We believe that many young suicides are preventable and together we can all help to keep our communities suicide-safe.”

If you need support:

• Papyrus HOPELINEUK service on 0800 068 4141 between 9am and midnight
• Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123

Harrogate Grammar School is inviting people to join a walk next week in memory of a student who died of suicide.

Dom Sowa died in 2017 aged 17.

The school is taking part in a month of walks in the UK called Hopewalk, which raises money in support of Papyrus — a charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.

Harrogate Grammar, which has been supporting Hopewalk for the last four years, is holding a four-mile walk around Fewston reservoir on October 17 at 10am.

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It is inviting others to join in and help raise awareness of suicide prevention.

A map of the walk can be found here. The school is asking walkers to meet in the car park at point 1.

The anxious wait is over for thousands of GCSE students in the Harrogate district who received their results this morning.

For the second year in a row, the results were based on teacher calculations due to the pandemic.

Our live blog will record all of today’s results as they come in.

Have you or someone you know received their results today? Let us know how it went. Call us on 01423 276197 or email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your grades and how you feel.

17.15pm – St Aidan’s headteacher thanks staff and students

Chris Burt, headteacher at St Aidan Church of England High School, Harrogate, thanked staff and students today after “difficult times” during covid.

Mr Burt added that year 11 pupils had shown “excellent attainment and progress”.

He said:

‘These results allow students to progress to the next stage of their educational journey.

“We are extremely proud of them all and are looking forward to welcoming many students back into the Associated Sixth Form in September as well as wishing others well in their new settings.”

4.55pm – Rossett School students “showed resilience” this year, says headteacher

Pupils at Rossett School showed resilience and hard work this year, says headteacher Helen Woodcock.

Students received their GCSE results from the school today. More than a quarter of the grades awarded were at levels 7,8 or 9 with 15% being at the higher end of this measure.

Meanwhile, 82% of students secured grades 9 to 4 in English and a third of grades in economics, sciences, languages, philosophy and ethics and food technology were at 8 or 9.

Ms Woodcock said:

14.25pm – Harrogate Ladies College principal: “I’m so proud of every single one of these pupils”

The principal of Harrogate Ladies College said she is proud of every single pupil at the school for their achievements on GCSE results day.

Overall a quarter of all grades at the school were at the highest level of grade 9; 62% were grades 9-7 grades, and 95% were 9 to 4 grades.

Sylvia Brett, principal of the school, said:

“I’m so proud of every single one of these pupils for the resilience and the determination they’ve shown in the face of so much uncertainty.

“They have been tested in ways they couldn’t have imagined and they all deserve to celebrate.”

Among those picking up their results today was Sophie McHugh, who received 10 grade 9s and one grade 8.

She said:

“I’m absolutely delighted with my results, I can’t quite believe it.

“It has been really challenging being in and out of school all the time and then not knowing whether we were going to be sitting exams or not, but I can’t wait to get back into school again in September and start to my A levels and hopefully have the full sixth form experience.”

14.05pm – Adult learners achieve 87% overall grade 9 to 4

Adult learners in North Yorkshire have also been picking up their GCSE results today.

This year, 87.5% of adult learners achieved a grade 9 to 4 overall.

It is the ninth year that North Yorkshire County Council’s Adult Learning and Skills Service has offered a range of GCSE English and maths courses.

In GCSE Maths 96% of learners achieved a grade 9 to 4 and results for GCSE English were very positive with 100% achieving a grade 9 to 4.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive county councillor for education and skills, said:

“Congratulations to all of our adult learners who achieved their goals; it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our students and staff during this very difficult period.

“Our aim is to help adults gain the skills and qualifications they need to be successful in employment. These recent results show it’s never too late to learn and improve your skills to get to where you want to be.”

13.55pm – Boroughbridge students “adapted quickly” to remote learning

The headteacher of Boroughbridge High School has said pupils adapted quickly to remote learning during the covid pandemic and can be proud of their achievements.

Among those pupils who got their GCSE results today were Ella Brophy and Martha Charlton who each achieved eight grade 9s and two grade 8s and Poppy Beasley who achieved seven grade 9s and three grade 8s. All are going on to study A Levels.

Kathryn Stephenson, headteacher of the school, said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure to congratulate students on their excellent achievements and we are very proud of the way in which they have approached the challenges of the last eighteen months, showing great resilience throughout.

“The results also reflect the commitment of the staff team, who have worked tirelessly, and the continued support of our parents, carers and governors.”

13.45pm – Nidderdale High School reports “outstanding achievements” by students

Nidderdale High School has said it is “very proud” of the achievements of its students on GCSE results day.

Students from the school are set to go onto take up A-levels at Harrogate and Ripon sixth forms, sports scholarships, high quality apprenticeships and college places in Harrogate, York and Askham Bryan College.

Among those who were high achieving include Rachael Hattan, who received 11 GCSEs which were all graded 9.

Meanwhile, Grace Pawson, Scarlet Wild, Mollie Wright and Jonathan Levy, are celebrating 36 grades at 7-9 between them.

Kath Jordan, the school’s headteacher, said:

“We are so very proud of all the work and achievements of our students, especially after such a difficult and disrupted year. They have worked with commitment and determination both in school and online during periods of school closure.

“Many of our young people have faced their own unique challenges, with health, family circumstances and facing uncertainty but they have shown strength of character and resilience.

“They and they families should be immensely proud of all they have achieved. Our whole staff team has worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to progress onto further education and study, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future.”

12.15pm – Queen Mary’s school congratulates “inspiring and industrious” students

Queen Mary’s School, near Topcliffe, has congratulated its students today after 40% of entries achieve the top grade.

Students at Queen Mary’s received their results this morning. 40% of entries were grades 9-8 (A*).

The school also congratulated long-standing pupils Arabella Jaques and Lilian Roberts. The girls have attended the school from 2-years-old and could today leave with top grades.

All the school’s pupils received offers to their first choice sixth forms.

11.20am – Harrogate Grammar School praises student for “exceptional hard work” despite pandemic

Harrogate Grammar School commended its students for their resilience today after “an experience like no other”.

Of all the grades awarded, 40% were at level 7, 8, or 9 (A* and A) with 10% achieving the highest grade of 9.

In addition, 86% of the students secured grades 9 to 4 (A* – C) in both English and maths and 64% obtained grades 9 to 5 (A – B) in both English and maths.

Headteacher Neil Renton said:

“This is a cohort of young people who have had an experience like no other. We celebrate the success of our students today and take great pride in their achievements. The majority of Year 11 students have chosen to progress to our sixth form.

“As today’s GCSE results show, the Harrogate Grammar School class of 2021 have a very bright future ahead of them.”

11am – 97.2% 9-5 (A-B) grades for Ripon Grammar

Ripon Grammar School has congratulated its students for a second time this week but after its Year 11 GCSE results were announced.

More than 70% of all grades awarded were 9-7s (the equivalent of A*-As) with 97% being 9-5 (A-Bs).

It also said that 46% of students collected nine or more grades 9-7(A*-A).

In total 661 9-8 (A*) grades were achieved between the 132 students in the year.

This included two pupils who scored 10 grade 9s and an 8, while seven achieved a clean sweep of 9-8(A*) grades.

Headteacher Mr Jonathan Webb said:

“It is important to stress that we need to see these results in their context.

“We feel our students have undertaken a rigorous and fair process of assessment at RGS and their grades represent an accurate reflection of abilities and efforts. As always, they have worked extremely hard and with great resilience.”

Ripon Grammar School student Sam Cann, with his GCSE results this morning

Neil Renton, the headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, was in Marks & Spencer in Leeds on his wedding anniversary one weekend recently when his phone rang.

He was told a student on a coach trip to Flamingo Land had tested positive for covid and a decision had to be made on which children should isolate the next day.

He called Dr Dora Machaira, a health improvement officer in North Yorkshire County Council‘s public health team, who has been the go-to woman for schools needing advice on covid, and, after numerous calls, made the necessary arrangements.

The episode sums up what life has been like running a school during the last 16 months. Face masks, lateral flow tests, bubbles, test and trace and isolate have become as much a part of the lexicon of education as maths, English and science.

The lowest point came just before Christmas: the second wave was taking off and the school received news of more infections, which meant closing an entire year group. Mr Renton recalls:

“On a Sunday night I was wondering ‘how are we going to tell 290 students that they are not coming in tomorrow?’ There’s nothing more painful than having to go to parents and say, ‘your child will have to isolate’.”

At the same time Kirsty Moat, the associate headteacher who Mr Renton describes as “my co-pilot”, tested positive and about 50 other staff, some of whom were badly affected by the disease, were also absent.

Attendance fell to 47 per cent

Mr Renton thinks about the current academic year in covid phases rather than terms.

During phase one, in September and October, case numbers were low.

“There was a feeling of confidence that we had reopened and things were back to normal.”

November to January was the second and most difficult phase. At one point pupil attendance fell to 47 per cent as more and more children isolated. All of years 11 and 13, which have about 300 students each, were closed at some points.

The January lockdown that followed, which was the third phase, was almost a relief because the school had learned from previous remote learning and felt confident it could cope, especially as every student has an iPad.

The return-to-school fourth phase in March was relatively smooth, with low case numbers. But the fifth phase since half-term has been almost as tough as pre-Christmas. He says:

“We haven’t had any year group closures in the latest phase but today we have 159 students isolating.”

‘Pushed to the limit’

Mr Renton is fulsome in his praise for North Yorkshire County Council’s public health team; but less so for the Department for Education, which he says has “pushed headteachers to the limits” with last minute, complex guidance and U-turns.

“We hear the PM announce something then guidance comes out two days later.”

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Harrogate Grammar, which is one of 13 schools in north and west Yorkshire belonging to Red Kite Learning Trust, is one of the largest schools in the north of England with 2,018 pupils.

Its size means it has been better able to assimilate the financial cost of covid than some smaller schools. It has employed extra cleaners, had to cover for absent teachers and even put up a marquee to improve social distancing.

The remarkable generation

Throughout it all not one child has been seriously ill. Mr Renton mentions several times during the interview how selfless and mature pupils have been in responding to a pandemic that doesn’t predominantly affect their generation.

“We should call them the remarkable generation, not the covid generation.”

He acknowledges, however, there is a “growing sense of frustration” among young people at the sacrifices they’re making, especially when they watch packed crowds at football matches.

Terms ends on Friday and, with covid infections rocketing, he admits the school is “limping” towards the finishing line.

He’s looking forward to a week away during the six-week holiday and, hopefully, a quieter 2021/22 school year when the NHS will assume responsibility from the school for pupil test and trace.

Mr Renton, who hasn’t had covid although his son in year 10 at the school had to isolate for 10 days, started as headteacher in September 2019 in what now seems like a golden bygone pre-covid era.

He chuckles at the memory of an early planning meeting to discuss arrangements for the Tour de Yorkshire.

“Now we look back at that time and laugh because every week we are dealing with much bigger and more complex logistical problems.

“My first two years of being a headteacher has been a crash course in leading through crisis and changing circumstances.”

Three equestrian teams from Harrogate Grammar School have reached the final of the national championships.

Two of the school’s dressage teams and one Jumping with Style team qualified for the final rounds of the event, and three students qualified individually.

They will now travel to the national championships at Addington Manor Equestrian Centre, Buckinghamshire, in October.

The event is run by the National Schools Equestrian Association.

Beth Harrison

Julie Curran, the biology teacher who runs the equestrian team, said:

“This is our best ever equestrian achievement as a school and I’m exceptionally proud.

“It’s a reflection of the dedication of our students, who ride every day in all weathers, and of their parents, who put in so much time and effort to support them.”

Headteacher Neil Renton added:

“Congratulations to our equestrian teams in qualifying to represent Harrogate Grammar School at a national level, and to Dr Curran for helping them fulfil their ambitions to achieve excellence.

“The school will be cheering them on as they compete at the national championships in October.”

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The dressage teams which qualified for the national championships are:

HGS Stripes — Sophie Harris (Year 9); Becky Weston (Year 10); Chloe Harris (Year 13)

HGS Red — Megan Harrison (Year 10); Becky Weston; Emily Gaskell (Year 11) and Beth Harrison (Year 11).

The 90/95cm Jumping with Style team is: Layla Brown (Year 9); Amelia Jesson (Year 10) and Becky Weston.

Emily Gaskell and Becky Weston also qualified as individual competitors in the dressage preliminary class, and Beth Harrison qualified as an individual competitor in the dressage novice class.

The successful dressage team of Emily Gaskell, Beth Harrison, Becky Weston and Megan Harrison

More than 200 students have completed outdoor sections of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award challenges at Harrogate Grammar School this month, in another sign of life getting back to normal.

Eighty year 11 students spent May Day bank holiday weekend completing the practice DofE bronze award expedition, which was called off when lockdown was imposed last year.

They then went straight on to the two-day expedition, which was the final challenge of the award that tests young people’s problem solving, life skills and resilience.

The next weekend an unprecedented 144 year 10 students completed training expedition walks aimed at developing their teamwork, communication and camping abilities ahead of their qualifying DofE bronze award expedition in June.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said:

“It’s wonderful to see our students getting back to normal school life, including the Duke of Edinburgh Award challenge.

“Learning is not just about being in the classroom, the skills they develop through our wide range of extra-curricular activities will serve them well for life.”

Teachers Jake Kempton and Laura Chesworth organised the expeditions and said students were delighted to be back outdoors.

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Mr Kempton said:

“Seeing the looks on students’ faces and receiving feedback from parents shows the scheme has had such a positive impact.

“It would have been easy to cancel the expeditions again this year but after the challenging 12 months these young people have had we thought it was massively important to go ahead.

“We were particularly proud to deliver the expeditions this year as it felt like a fitting tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. As teachers we take great joy in being out there with the students as part of an experience that creates lifelong memories.”

Ms Chesworth said it was crucial the year 11 students completed the outdoor expedition as they had spent the last two years completing the award’s other qualifying sections, which involve physical challenges, learning new skills and volunteering. She said:

“They’ve shown resilience, flexibility and worked hard to adapt their challenges to still meet the criteria during lockdown.

“We wanted to do them justice by seeing them complete the award as a whole.”

To satisfy the demand for DofE expedition places, extra staff volunteered to help supervise, and outdoor adventure organisers the Lupine Adventure Cooperative provided trained and qualified DofE expedition leaders.

Other school trips are now being planned as Harrogate Grammar School eases back towards normal teaching life.

Year 11 and year 13 are both having a day of fun at Flamingo Land next week.

Year 12s studying a BTEC in outdoor education have already resumed their practical studies and are taking part in their own expedition in Swaledale and Wensleydale.

Year 7 are looking forward to the humanities visit to Bolton Abbey and geography fieldwork trips are in the pipeline.

Plans are being made for a year 9 residential trip to the Lake District next spring.

PE fixtures have resumed for the summer term.