Students across the Harrogate district have been celebrating their GCSE results after the challenges they faced this year.

Year 11 students received their results by email, marking their achievements in similarly subdued style to the way the year ended.

Having not sat exams, the grades awarded were based on centre assessments. So far, there has been much less controversy over the results than last week, which saw more than a third of centre-assessed results in the Harrogate district downgraded by the government’s algorithm.

The process has since been reversed and assessed grades reinstated – but it has left many students still uncertain over their university places.

GCSE results from each school will be published below when released by schools across the Harrogate district.

Read more:

• Students receive A-level results online
• Harrogate students ‘panicking about the future’ despite grades U-turn

Ashville College

Two students achieved grade 9s across the board at Ashville College, as 25% of all students gained the top grades of 7s, 8s and 9s in all their results.

Three of those pupils were new to Ashville last September and have made significant progress since – despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The school described the pupils’ engagement with online lessons as ‘remarkable’. Acting head Elspeth Fisher said:

“Our Year 11 pupils have faced a challenging year with lockdown and a lack of opportunity to demonstrate their hard work over the preceding two years.

“We were therefore delighted that centre-assessed grades would be the basis of the grades awarded for GCSE pupils.

“We are very pleased with the commitment our pupils have demonstrated to their GCSE studies and also towards the transition lessons they have recently attended in preparation for A Level and BTEC courses and we look forward to welcoming them back in September.”

Harrogate Grammar School

Harrogate Grammar School has not published details of its students’ grades. Headteacher Neil Renton said:

“We are very pleased with the outcomes our students have achieved this year.  The outcomes reflect the high standards that we typically achieve along with our continued emphasis on providing a broad and balanced curriculum, meeting the differing needs, aspirations and interests of our learners.

“We are very proud of our year 11 students who embraced all the opportunities that the school offered them, not only in a broad curriculum in areas such as science, maths, languages, humanities and the arts, but also the wide range of extra-curricular activities such as sport, music and charities. We admire them for their commitment, sustained effort and for achieving their own excellence.”

Nidderdale High School

Students at Nidderdale High School received their GCSE results this week – though those who studied for BTECs are still awaiting results.

As well as traditional subjects, students were able to gain skills in other areas, including working alongside professional crafters at Number 6 Studio in Pateley Bridge in order to gain a GCSE in art, craft and design.

The school has not released statistics for the grades achieved by this year’s students.

Headteacher Kath Jordan said:

“Our Year 11 students are very much more than the grades they have achieved this year. Many of this talented year group have been involved in student leadership, charity fund raising, sport, music and drama extra curricular activities. They have been excellent role models for our younger students.

T”he grades our students have received today are a result of their hard work and commitment, the excellent support of their parents and other family members. They are also the product of the skill, expertise and professionalism of their teachers and other support staff.

“We wish our students all the very best of Team Nidderdale luck and success as they move onto Sixth Forms, Colleges and Apprenticeships.”

Outwood Academy Ripon

The schools is celebrating after 77.3% of students achieved a grade 4 or higher in both English and maths, along with 68% of combined science students achieving two grade 4s or higher.

Student Ryan Chandler was among the high achievers, gaining six grade 9s and two 8s. The school congratulated all those who are now able to move on to the next phase of their education and careers.

A spokesman for Outwood Academy Ripon said:

“It is wonderful to finally congratulate our students for the many fantastic outcomes of their hard work. This year 11 cohort have had to contend with some significant challenges and have done so admirably and without any loss of enthusiasm.

“Although they have missed seminal moments at the end of their final year with us we have no doubt that they will be successful in the next steps they take in education and employment.”

Ripon Grammar School

A total of 97.6% of grades awarded to the 131 students were 9-5s (equivalent to A*-B in the previous ratings system) and 67.7% were 9-7s (A*-A).

Seven students achieved 10 or more grade 9s, Lucy Cox, from Ripon, gained 11 grade 9s and an 8, while Eleanor Chaplin from Boorughbridge, Eloise Hopkings from Ripon and Sophie Pointon from Thirsk all achieved 11 grade 9s.

Chloe Stringwell, from Ripon, and Bertie Wood, from Brafferton, were both awarded ten grade 9s and two grade 8s. Bertie, an aspiring lawyer and keen sportsman, will return to RGS in September to study chemistry, history, maths and economics or business studies.

He will be joined by Henrietta Jarvis, from Roecliffe, whose eight 9s and three 8s have helped her take the first step towards a career as a vet.

Joel Wilson, meanwhile, will study A levels in psychology, history, English literature and chemistry as he pursues a career as a barrister. Already an accomplished fencer, he said his biggest challenge over the last two years has been balancing the sport with his academic studies.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“Without the opportunity of an examination, our departments worked hard to award grades which we believe were fair, valid and as accurate as possible in the situation.

“Consequently, I am extremely encouraged by our results today and am really looking forward to welcoming our new sixth formers back to school in September.”

Harrogate Grammar School A-level students received their grades this morning, with 35% of grades being changed.

It is estimated that 384 grades have been changed at the Harrogate Grammar School, with the majority of those changed achieving a grade lower than the school anticipated.

Due to coronavirus, the 2020 cohort of students have had their exam marks generated by the school, taking into account factors such as teachers’ expectations and mock exam results. This grade was then passed on to government body Ofqual for standardisation.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said:

“Our immediate priority today is to support our students to secure suitable progression routes. Our focus over the forthcoming days will be to further analyse and investigate the variation between grades and pursue subsequent appeals. We will pursue change through the appeals process as it is our view that the overall final grading of the cohort does not fully reflect what a typical cohort at our school would achieve.”

Read more:

• This list of the district school’s results will be updated throughout the day.
• Harrogate Ladies’ College students exceed previous year’s results today. 

The impact of this year’s grading system reflects a national picture of grade changes for many students.

The Harrogate Grammar School students received their results via an email due to social distancing restricting their ability to go onto school grounds.

A personal trainer from Harrogate has decided to end his classes after more than 30 years due to coronavirus restrictions.

Ray Thomson started Pulse Beats circuit training in 1989. He has taught thousands over the years and has done most of his classes in recent years at Harrogate Grammar School.

But with tough requirements on indoor exercise Mr Thomson does not believe that his classes are viable anymore. He will still continue with his sports and posture massages.

When Ray Thomson made the announcement he was inundated with messages of support and memories from his former students.

A fancy dress picture from the archives in the 1990s.

Mr Thomson said:

“I wanted to leave a legacy where people fondly remember the classes as a place where they had fun.

“Exercise should never be a chore, it should be something you enjoy.

“One of my favourite memories was when we had a noise complaint from one of our neighbours. We were whooping and hollering when he was watching Coronation Street.”

When the Stray Ferret asked Mr Thomson if he would ever start the classes again, he said “never say never” but added that now was not the time.

Read more:

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Mr Thomson also raised fears about Harrogate’s exercise industry after the news that one of his former colleagues was forced to put Gambaru fitness into liquidation.

He added that the exercise industry has been hit by coronavirus and there will be more closures to come but he believes that a resurgance will follow.

“Legendary” PE teacher Roy Mackay has retired from Harrogate Grammar School after 32 years.

During his career at the school, the Scotsman taught thousands of children sport — and is best known for his passion for rugby union.

He is a distinguished rugby coach, coaching countless teams of boys and girls at the school. He also coached North England, Scottish Exiles and Yorkshire junior sides.

Mr Mackay has coached thousands of students over more than three decades

Several of his former Harrogate Grammar School pupils have gone on to play the sport professionally, including Martyn Wood who represented England and played for Wasps and Bath.

Hundreds of pupils at the school have enjoyed the sports tours Roy has organised, to countries such as the Republic of Ireland, Holland, Canada, USA, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.

He was also pivotal in starting girls’ rugby at the school.

Read more:

• COLUMN: The head of Harrogate Grammar reflects on how “the world has changed”

• WATCH: Harrogate Rugby Club gets back to business

Richard Sheriff, CEO of the Red Kite Learning Trust, said:

“Roy is dedicated, charismatic, compassionate and utterly dedicated to supporting young people in taking an active part in the game.

“Over the last four decades Roy has volunteered many hours of his time which reflects the sheer selflessness and endless enthusiasm he has brought to Harrogate Grammar School and wider community. Roy has been a father figure to thousands of students.

“He works with the same enthusiasm with beginners in Year 7 as he does with the elite of the first 15 in the Sixth Form. He seeks no personal glory or attention but quietly goes about his business giving countless hours of his own time in the service of young people and rugby.”

More than 400 protective visors and 200 pairs of safety goggles have been delivered to key workers thanks to schools in Harrogate.

Harrogate Grammar School’s design department has created the visors in less than a week, delivering first to Mowbray Square Medical Centre and then to Harrogate District Hospital.

Meanwhile, Ashville College has raided the store cupboard in its science department and handed over goggles to be used on the front line.

Richard Marshall, Headmaster of Ashville College, said: “I’d much sooner they were being used, now, by staff in our local hospital, rather than being sat in a cupboard for the foreseeable future.

“Whilst Ashville may be physically closed, it doesn’t stop us from supporting the community that we have been proud to be a part of for over 140 years.”

At Harrogate Grammar School, production on the visors will continue at a rate of 200 per day for as long as they are needed. It has received requests from Yorkshire Ambulance Service, care homes and a consultant in Leeds.

To increase production, the school has now shared the 2D cutting file with Leeds-based schools in the Red Kite Learning Trust. Support has also been offered by the fire service to get as many visors out to where they are needed as possible, while staff at Harrogate District Hospital have sent a message of appreciation, pictured.

A spokesman for Harrogate Grammar School said: “The added benefit of these visors is that they are 100% plastic so can be cleaned and reused whereas others are disposable. They are also fully adjustable, allowing for no gaps around the head therefore heightening safety.

“Harrogate Grammar School are delighted to be able to support local critical workers and help save lives.”