STUDENTS from Northallerton School and Sixth Form College have their sights set on a wide variety of careers, including medicine, dentistry and the media after posting strong A-level results.

Interim Principal Vicki Rahn said: “The A-level pass rate in 2019 remains high, continuing the strong exam performance from 2018.

“All of our students who studied vocational subjects achieved at least a Level 3 pass, with the vast majority achieving distinctions and distinction stars.

“We are extremely proud of the students’ conduct and work ethic this year and they have been rewarded with these excellent results. I would also like to pay tribute to the staff for their continued hard work, and the Sixth Form team for the strength of their relentless pastoral care.”

Kathryn Redpath, Head of Sixth Form, added: “They have been a really committed, hard-working group this year and got the excellent results they deserved.”

Young sportsman Henry Grainge has enjoyed an unbeaten season with his local cricket club – and he was bowled over with his A-level results.

Henry, 18, who lives in West Rounton and is an all-rounder for East Harlsey Cricket Club, got three A* grades in Maths, Further Maths and Physics.

His grades have earned him a “scholarship of excellence” at Manchester University to study Maths.

“My target was three A’s so this is better than I hoped,” said Henry, whose family run Whitegates Nursery.

Head Girl Laura West, 18, has starred in pantomime with the Northallerton Amateur Dramatics Company, and she performed brilliantly in her A-levels with four A’s in English Language, English Literature, History, and the Extended Project Qualification.

Laura, who lives in Romanby, was part of a comedy duo in Jack and The Beanstalk, and she was all smiles after landing a place at York University to study history.

“It’s been a tough year because my dad moved abroad with work, but I’ve had so much support from my teachers,” she said.

Harvey Bramley, 18, of Northallerton, is heading for a career in medicine after achieving two A’s in Biology and Chemistry and a B in Maths.

“I’ve done better than I thought and the support I’ve had from the teachers has been great,” said Harvey, who will be studying at Lancaster University.

Ehsaan Hameed, 18, of Northallerton, is the son of a doctor but he’s chosen dentistry as a career.

Ehsaan got three A’s in Biology, Chemistry and Maths and will be studying at Plymouth University.

“I also have a side interest in business, so my ambition is to have my own dentistry practice one day,” he said.

Meanwhile, Frankie Baszynski, 18, of Northallerton, hopes to work in the media after performing with real distinction. Frankie got a Double Distinction* in Health Studies and a Distinction in Media Studies.

“The media really interests me but I’m going to take a gap year before deciding what I want to do,” she said.

Students at Richmond Sixth Form College are celebrating excellent A-level exam results which are leading to a significant group of this year’s leavers heading off to esteemed Russell Group Universities including Oxford, Durham, Warwick, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.

With an overall pass rate of 99.3% there were numerous standout performers across a wide range of subjects. Students are set to embark on further studies from economics, engineering and maths to nursing, veterinary science and sport.

Taking up a prestigious place at Oxford, to study English Literature and English Language, Rosie Collier-Gent is delighted with her three A* grades in English Literature, French and Geography as well as an A* in her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Rosie said: “I am so relieved and incredibly excited that I have secured my place at Oxford. Once I have completed my degree I hope to study there for a Masters in English.”

With Maths recently acknowledged as one of the most-difficult subjects and witnessing a significant reduction in students taking the A-level nationally, Richmond has bucked the trend with 22% of students achieving A* and a further 25% an A grade in the OCR examinations. Maths whizz Matthew Masterman has a double celebration after gaining an A* in Maths and an A in Further Maths, as well as an A* in Computer Studies and an A in Physics. He is looking forward to going to Warwick to read Maths and continuing to a Masters. Other outstanding, high-achieving subjects include Biology, Geography, History and Psychology.

Emily Hughes is heading to the highly-regarded Royal Veterinary College in London to pursue her dream of becoming a vet. Achieving A* in Maths and As in Biology and Chemistry, Emily cannot wait to start her studies, saying: “Being a vet is all I have ever wanted to do and I can’t put into words how excited I am that it is going to happen. I could not have done this without the support of my amazing teachers and my family.”

There have been exceptional results across the College’s Sport and Health and Social Care vocational courses. In both subjects nearly all students achieved Distinction or Distinction* grades with the majority of them securing university places to further their studies in sport and the health profession. Libby Richardson, who achieved double Distinction*in Health and Social Care has secured her first-choice place of Childhood and Early Years Studies at Northumbria University.

Joining Libby at Northumbria is Emily Davies who is looking forward to applying her creative talents and her A* in Art to study fashion design. Emily said: “I am so passionate about fashion and my aim is to be a fashion designer. I can’t thank the staff at Richmond Sixth Form enough for all the support they have given me.” Emily has a fabulous blog www.mysilvershoes.com which highlights some of her favourite styles.

Jenna Potter, Headteacher, said: “Our results are testament to the hard work and dedication of students and staff alike, as well as the support of parents and carers. I’m delighted to hear that the vast majority of our students have secured places at their chosen universities. Ensuring we achieve the best-possible outcomes for our students is at the heart of what we do and we look forward to continuing to give our students the best possible opportunities in our Sixth Form.”

THE hard work of Ripon Grammar students has ranked them, once again, among the best in the country.

More than 76 per cent of students gained A*-B grades, with 13 students achieving a clean sweep of A*s.

Overall the school, which consistently gains the best A-level results in North Yorkshire, saw its 137 students receive a total of 109 A*s, with nearly half of all grades awarded A* and As.

Ten top-performing students secured places at Oxford and Cambridge universities, with 12 now heading to study medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, traditionally the most competitive courses to be accepted on.

The school’s top performer Marcus Tomlinson, 17, who took his A-levels a year early to achieve straight A*s in maths, further maths, physics and chemistry, plus an A in his extended project qualification (EPQ), will now take up a place at Cambridge University to read natural sciences.

Others have been accepted on a wide range of degree courses at prestigious universities, from art and ecology to physics, fashion management, nuclear engineering and nursing. Some students will be taking up apprenticeships, working in conservation and volunteering in China, Nepal, Thailand and Africa during a gap year.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said: “It was a delight this morning to see so many happy faces as students secured the grades and places at their chosen institutions.

“Results this year were excellent once again, helping to maintain the school’s reputation for excellence, which stretches back centuries. Such outstanding outcomes are a real credit to the hard work of the students and the support they received from our dedicated teaching staff.”

The school’s overall pass rate was 98.9%, with 20 per cent of all grades, not including EPQ, at A*. The total number of A grades, including EPQ, was 146.

TWIN brothers will be going their separate ways as one takes up a university place at Oxford and the other at Cambridge after both achieved a clean sweep of top grades at A-level.

Harry and Alex Edwards, who live in Ripon, will be joined by eight fellow Ripon Grammar School students who will also be studying at Oxbridge as the school’s results once again rank it among the best in the country.

The 18-year-old brothers, who also attended Holy Trinity primary school in Ripon together, said they were excited but also daunted at the thought of embarking on the next stage of their education apart.

Alex, the oldest by 20 minutes, said: “Everyone is going to university on their own for the first time, but being a twin means we have something extra to deal with. It will be strange.”

He gained A*s in economics, English and history and will be taking up his place to read law at Cambridge: “I did better than I was expecting. I think being a twin made us both quite competitive, which helped us in our studies.”

Harry, who achieved A* in maths and As in religious education and economics, and will now study politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Oxford said: “We deliberately studied separately as we distract each other, but we enjoy debating with each other. Having good natured arguments about various topics definitely helped us hone our skills.”

Harry, who, like Alex, has been heavily involved in school drama and choral performances, has won a prestigious choral scholarship at Oriel College, Oxford, which means he will enjoy singing lessons, plus a small stipend.

The talented pair, whose parents Gill and Simon Edwards run The Little Ripon Bookshop, say they didn’t sleep much last night: “I was up all night, I couldn’t sleep,” said Harry, who discovered he had got on his university course online at 7.30am, before he picked up his A-level results.

“I am really pleased with my results. Oxford is going to be amazing, I am really excited.”

Alex added: “My results are better than I was expecting. This is the first time we are going to be apart. I don’t think, until it happens, we will fully know what it means.”