King James's School Archives - Page 2 of 3

Ofsted says Boroughbridge High School ‘requires improvement’

Boroughbridge High School requires improvement, according to a report published by Ofsted today.

Government inspectors visited the school, which was previously rated ‘good’, on May 4 and 5 this year.

The 440-pupil school was assessed as ‘good’ for quality of education and personal development. But it received ‘required improvement’ ratings for behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management, as well as for its overall grading.

The report praises the “positive relationships between pupils and staff” and says most pupils enjoy attending.

It says “teachers have secure subject knowledge and apply this well in lessons” and the majority of staff are happy and proud to work at the school.

But it says some pupils are disruptive, some do not attend regularly enough and some teachers do not ensure all pupils are actively involved in lessons.

The report says:

“Not all teachers have high enough expectations of pupils’ behaviour and do not routinely challenge low-level disruption in classrooms.

“Although many pupils feel safe in school, some do not. Some pupils in lower year groups say they are worried or concerned about the behaviour and conduct of some older pupils.”

Inspectors also said some teachers “accept pupils shouting out answers” and therefore “too few pupils have their subject knowledge routinely checked”.

School behaviour is described as “not always calm and orderly” and inspectors said “a small proportion of staff do not feel well supported to manage behaviour”.

Headteacher Kathryn Stephenson said:

“We are pleased that inspectors recognised many strengths within our school including the positive relationships between staff and students, effective safeguarding and the high quality of education for all students.

“We are determined to ensure that all aspects of our school are of the highest standard and we look forward to working with our students and their families to achieve this.”

Boroughbridge High School is part of a federation with King James’s School in Knaresborough. The two schools have the same governing body.

The sixth form is currently suspended and a small number of students in Year 13, who are still on roll at Boroughbridge High School, travel to King James’s School for Year 13 lessons.

Students collect A-level results at Harrogate district schools

Hundreds of students across the Harrogate district have collected their A-level results this week.

The teenagers, whose education was severely disrupted by covid as they prepared for their GCSEs, are now preparing for the first steps in their careers, via further education or work.

Nationally, the number of the top A* and A grades have dropped after rising in the pandemic. However, 79% of students in the UK still got into their first choice of university.

At Rossett School this year, 38% of grades were A* to B, and 21% A* or A, while there was a 100% pass rate in BTEC subjects. of which 78% were graded ‘merit’ or above.

Newly-appointed headteacher Tim Milburn said:

“We’re seeing similar results to those of 2019, which reflects the national picture and is remarkable given what these students have faced over the last three-and-a-half years.

“We are so proud of all our students today. They have shown resilience and versatility in navigating the challenges of the last few years, and their fantastic results are thoroughly deserved.”

Among the outstanding individual results was Kenneth Burt achieved two A*s and two As in physics AS level.

Beth Cannings will use her three As and an A in the extended project qualification to study medicine at Lancaster University..

And Jamie Tucker is set to read biochemistry at Birmingham University after achieving an A* and two As.

Amy Beardmore, Beth Cannings and Jamie Tucker collect their A level results from Rossett School

Harrogate Ladies’ College today celebrated an increase in its top grades compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The percentage of A* and A grades was 41%, an increase of more than 17% compared to 2019.

More than half of the A* grades were in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

In five subjects, including further maths, students acheve a clean sweep of grades at A* to B.

Elsewhere, 75% of French grades were A*, 85* of geography grades were B or above, and in creative arts, 90% were A*-B.

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

“These are an exceptionally good set of results across a huge range of subjects and the class of 2023 should be so proud of everything they have achieved.

“They have shown a huge appetite for hard work and incredible resilience. It’s very rewarding to see them propelled into the next exciting stage of their lives.

“Today is about celebrating their personal achievements – however big or small. We have watched with pleasure as these incredible young women have fulfilled their potential in an inspiring and supportive environment.“

Among the high achievers was Sophie McHugh, who achieved an A* and three As, securing her place to study engineering at Durham University.

Eve Brasher’s A* and two As will see her go on to study law at the Newcastle University.

Exeter University is the chosen destination for Lucy Thomson, who also secured an A* and two As, and she will study international relations.

And Ukrainian twins who were separated from their family thanks to the war have gone on to achieve top grades, as reported earlier today by the Stray Ferret.

Ripon Grammar School, meanwhile, was celebrating after 82.5% of results for its 149 students were at A*-B.

That figure matches last year’s total, despite grades declining nationally, and there were a total of 98 A* grades across the year group.

Four students achieved four A* grades apiece, while Ben Statham was the top-performing pupil with five A*s.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“While the national figure for A*-A has fallen from 45% to 27%, RGS has maintained its high percentage of A*-A grades, which I think reflects the integrity of our procedures in previous years.”

At King James’s School in Knaresborough, 120 students collected their results, though the school has not published details of the grades achieved across the year group.

The school said 93% secured a place at university and the proportion getting their first choice was “in line with 2019”, with “only a handful” were waiting for places through the clearing process.

Harrogate Grammar School has not released details of its results, but said in a statement the current students “faced the pressure of taking formal exams for the very first time” after having GCSEs cancelled in 2021.

The school said 81% of students applied to university and 70% of those had achieved their first choice, with 91% getting a place somewhere.

St Aidan’s and St john Fisher Associated Sixth Form said around 90% of students had secured a place at their first or second choice university.

The sixth form has not published details of its results, but said in a statement they were “in line” with those achieved in 2019.

Five traffic lights stolen at roadworks in Knaresborough

Five sets of traffic lights have been stolen from one of the busiest junctions in Knaresborough.

The lights were taken from the junction of York Place and King James Road, close to King James’s School.

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out roadworks at the junction. Work is due to end on Friday next week.

The theft of the lights was not reported to police until at least 14 hours after it happened.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“The theft of five temporary traffic lights in Knaresborough was reported at 2.38pm on Monday.

“It happened on King James Road and York Place between 11am on Sunday, July 30 and midnight.”

The Stray Ferret asked how much the lights were worth. The spokesperson replied “thousands of pounds”.

Councillor Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said the theft was both unusual and unwelcome. He added:

“It has caused disruption, delays and additional costs to the works.

“I am working with officers on how repeat occurrences can be prevented and a reduction in the town’s vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”

Anyone with information can contact the police by dialling 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The police reference number is NYP-31072023-0313.

Drummer hopes to inspire young musicians at Knaresborough concert

A percussionist performing in Knaresborough next month is hoping to inspire other young women to follow in her footsteps.

Sophie Mullender is an accomplished musician and will be playing percussion with the Knaresborough Choral Society.

She hopes seeing her perform on the drums will help girls in the audience to realise that the instrument is open to everyone.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“I did try out pretty much every instrument. The reason I stuck with drums was because, growing up, I never saw anybody that looked like me playing drums.

“It was a bit of a duty to show it’s possible. Every time I perform, I think, ‘if one person looks at me and says, if she can, maybe I can, I’ve made a difference’.

“There are plenty of women out there doing it, it’s just finding ways for them to gain exposure. Social media has been great for that.

“We’re making progress, but I still think fundamentally there’s a lot of work to do.”

She only moved to Harrogate in 2021 and works for the Diocese of Leeds as a fundraiser and in its music department.

In her spare time, she often accompanies choirs at concerts – but the Knaresborough event on July 8 is particularly special.

She will be joining her boyfriend, conductor William Bruce, for the performance, and it will feature some of her favourite songs.

Under the title The Great American Songbook, the choir will perform songs by Duke Ellington, Rogers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and More.

Sophie said:

“I’m a jazz drummer by trade, but I also did quite a lot of musical theatre growing up. I haven’t had much opportunity to play it since moving to Harrogate.

“It’s a very varied, lively, upbeat programme. I think it will uplift everybody that comes to see it.”

Knaresborough Choral Society will perform The Great American Songbook at King James’s School on Saturday, July 8 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £12 for adults, and free for under 18s and essential companions and carers.

Knaresborough man wins Ivor Novello award

A man who grew up in Knaresborough was among the winners at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards, which honour the best in British songwriting and screen composition.

Composer and voice actor Grant Kirkhope was named alongside the likes of Harry Styles, Raye, Florence Welch and Sault as winners at London’s Grosvenor House,

Mr Kirkhope, Gareth Coker and Yoko Shimomura won best original video game score for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

The former local band member has created the soundtrack for video games that have sold in excess of 40 million copies.

He now lives in Los Angeles and has worked on major video game productions including Golden Eye 007 and Donkey Kong 64. But his formative years were in Knaresborough, where he lived from the ages of five to 33 and attended King James’s School.

Grant Kirkhope in his Knaresborough days

He talked to the Stray Ferret about his North Yorkshire upbringing and winning an Ivor Novello. He said:

“My music teacher at King James’s was Mr David Turmeau, who was an absolute legend and saw something in me that I didn’t.

“I didn’t work for any local firms as I played in bands from the age of 22 — after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in 1984 — to 32.”

Back in his band days

Mr Kirkhope enjoyed a successful music career before working on video games. He says:

“I played for York band Zoot and the Roots, who were a pretty big live band playing all over the country and Europe. Then later I played for Scarborough band, Little Angels.

“Little Angels had a number one album in the UK and did a lot of headline tours there. We also played as the opening act for Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Bryan Adams and ZZ Top, those tours were gigantic, playing arena shows to 70,000–90,000 people.

“I moved down to Ashby-de-la-Zouch to work at the video games’ company Rare Ltd in 1995, I still came back regularly as my mum was still there. I married my wife Suzanne in 2000 and she’s from Whitby.”

Mr Kirkhope’s brother Gary lives in Starbeck and he travels back to the UK each year to catch up with family.

Mr Kirkhope now lives in Los Angeles

He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a BAFTA, but last week’s Ivor Novello topped the lot. He says:

“I’m still on Cloud 9 really, there’s something very different about the Ivor Novello Awards compared to other awards.

“It’s very much about the actual art of song writing/composing. The panels who do the judging take a long time over it and really go over the music note by note.

“The ceremony itself is closed doors so the acceptance speeches are very personal, you really feel like it’s a room full of like-minded people who really want to hear about your experience as a composer/song writer.

“I don’t think I understood how prestigious it was until I got there, I don’t think I’m ever going to get over this one, it really is the highlight of my career so far!”

Knaresborough junction to be closed from this weekend

Four weeks of roadworks will begin in central Knaresborough this weekend as Northern Powergrid installs new electricity cables.

The work will take place on King James Road and York Place from Saturday, May 27.

With a trench set to be dug in the carriageway on King James Road, its junction with York Road will be closed until Monday, June 5.

Temporary three-way traffic lights will be installed, with a barrier around a temporary footpath, at the junction.

Work will also be carried out on the pavement between the pedestrian crossing and the footpath towards the cemetery.

From June 5, the junction will be reopened under four-way temporary lights until the expected completion date of Tuesday, June 20.

Northern Powergrid’s connections delivery project engineer Richard Appleyard said:

“Investment work is vital to connect customers to our network and although unavoidable, we do appreciate it can be very disruptive and every effort will be made to keep this disruption to a minimum.

“Our teams will endeavour to ensure access is maintained to properties in the area at all times and we thank local residents and the local community for their patience and co-operation whilst the connection work takes place.”

The company said it had notified nearby customers, including King James’s School and Knaresborough Swimming Pool, about the plans.

The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre is currently under construction adjacent to the existing swimming pool, with work expected to continue until its opening date in November. The old pool is set to be closed in September for the final phase of the project.

For more information about the road closures, contact Northern Powergrid on 0800 011 3332 or email generalenquiries@northernpowergrid.com.

Headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough leaves after 15 years

Carl Sugden, headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough, will leave tomorrow after 15 years in charge of the secondary school.

Mr Sugden first came to Knaresborough as deputy headteacher aged 33 in April 2000.

He left in 2005 before relinquishing his role as head of Sherburn High School, at Sherburn-in-Elmet to succeed David Hudson as headteacher of King James’s in 2008.

The 1,575-pupil Knaresborough school was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted this year.

Clare Martin, principal of Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, will succeed Mr Sugden as head at the start of the summer term on April 17.

Mr Sugden said he had totted up that he had done about 600 assemblies, 400 staff briefings, 13 founder’s says, 80 prize-givings and 2,500 bus duties, adding:

“And I even managed to keep teaching history until just about the end. That is what I will miss the most, being in the classroom with our young people.”

Mr Sugden said:

“The school is a great community and there is a special history and ethos here, which I have tried to nurture and to maintain.

“I’m immensely proud of what this school has achieved, with the support of many great colleagues, over the past few years. In particular the challenges of the pandemic, and the post pandemic, which stretched us to the limit.

“When you look back at the last three years it is incredible what we all dealt with; lockdown, key workers’ children supervision, online learning, lateral flow tests, bubbles, centre assessed grades, masks and vaccinations.”

He said that for all the challenges, he didn’t regret a moment:

“It has been fulfilling and I am grateful to have worked in such a vibrant education community. I am not retiring, I will continue to work in education, but I plan to have a little more time to do some of the things I enjoy.”

Mr Sugden praised colleagues for “doing a pretty amazing job, going above and beyond to deliver a very high quality of education and enrichment opportunities” despite “extreme funding pressures”.

He wished Ms Martin well.

“Clare and I worked together back in the early 2000s, when she was, like me, a young teacher at King James’s.

“She has a strong track record as a deputy head and headteacher in schools in Leeds and Bradford. I wish her all the very best in the new role.”

Knaresborough teacher assault: all 4 girls arrested released without charge

All four girls arrested after a teacher was assaulted at King James’ School in Knaresborough have now been released without charge.

North Yorkshire Police said in an update today a 16-year-old who was arrested several hours after the incident on suspicion of affray had now been released on bail.

Police previously said a teenage girl arrested for an alleged assault on a female member of staff and criminal damage shortly after the incident had already been released on bail.

They also revealed two other teenage girls arrested for breach of the peace had been “de-arrested and taken home”.

None of the girls who were arrested is from King James’ School.

Police were called to the school at 3.10pm on Monday when a gang of girls from another school caused a disturbance.

Today’s update said investigations were continuing.

Headteacher Carl Sugden (pictured above) wrote to parents after the incident saying the girls “came onto the school site with the clear intention of causing trouble”.

Mr Sugden added:

“Our staff were on hand to stop them, they did not gain access to the building, but unfortunately we needed some police support to remove them.

“There were a number of police vans on site at the end of school and this caused some disruption to the end of the day.

“I can assure you that none of our pupils were involved in this poor behaviour and these young people are not known to us.”

Knaresborough teacher assault: fourth girl arrested but still no charges

A fourth girl has been arrested following yesterday’s assault on a teacher at King James’s School in Knaresborough.

Police were called at 3.10pm yesterday when a gang of girls from another school caused a disturbance.

A teenage girl was arrested for an alleged assault on a female member of staff and criminal damage but in an update this morning, North Yorkshire Police said she had since been released on bail.

Two other teenage girls who were arrested for breach of the peace had been “de-arrested and taken home” and would be “interviewed at a later date”, police said.

Today’s update also said a 16-year-old girl was arrested last night, several hours after the incident, on suspicion of affray and remained in police custody.

None of the girls who were arrested is from King James’ School.

Carl Sugden King James' School headteacher

Headteacher Carl Sugden (pictured above) wrote to parents yesterday saying the gang of girls were “not connected to King James’s School” and “came onto the school site with the clear intention of causing trouble”.

Mr Sugden added:

“Our staff were on hand to stop them, they did not gain access to the building, but unfortunately we needed some police support to remove them.

“There were a number of police vans on site at the end of school and this caused some disruption to the end of the day.

“I can assure you that none of our pupils were involved in this poor behaviour and these young people are not known to us.”

Police enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information can make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101, option 1.

The crime reference is 12230050161.

Teenage girl arrested after teacher assaulted at Knaresborough school

A teenage girl has been arrested for an alleged assault on a female member of staff at King James’s School in Knaresborough this afternoon.

The girl is also being questioned by officers about criminal damage following today’s incident.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:

“Police were called to King James’s School, King James Road, Knaresborough, at 3.10pm on Monday (20 March 2023) following reports of a disturbance involving a group of youths.

“Officers attended and arrested a teenage girl for an alleged assault on a female member of staff and criminal damage. She has been taken into custody for questioning.

“Two other teenage girls were arrested to prevent a breach of the peace.

“None of those arrested attend King James’s School.”

Carl Sugden, headteacher at the 1,575-pupil school, also told the Stray Ferret he could categorically say none of the pupils involved in the incident was from King James’ School.

In a letter to parents, Mr Sugden said:

A group of young people, who are not connected to King James’s School, came onto the school site with the clear intention of causing trouble.

“Our staff were on hand to stop them, they did not gain access to the building, but unfortunately we needed some police support to remove them.”

The police statement said “enquiries are ongoing to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the incident” and urged anyone with information to get in touch on the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101 and selecting option 1.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Quote reference 12230050161.

King James’ School, which has 1,575 pupils, is federated with Boroughbridge High School.

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