A RECORD number of students at the North’s top-performing state school are celebrating offers of places at the most prestigious universities in the country.

Twelve Ripon Grammar School students are heading for Oxbridge and 19 are set to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, with more than 67 per cent of the school’s sixth form receiving offers from the elite Russell Group of universities.

High-flying students throughout the sixth form have secured places on a wide range of courses, from airline pilot studies, astronomy and physics to ecology and conservation.

One student’s desire to study medicine was reinforced after her father, Chris, died of cancer nearly two years ago.

Louise Taylor from Grewelthorpe, who will be the first in her family to go to university, said: “It gave me that personal connection. When my dad was ill, I was really impressed by how he was cared for.

"I really want to help people now if I can.”

The 18-year-old now needs to achieve three A grades in chemistry, biology and Spanish to take up her place studying medicine and surgery at Newcastle University in September.

Another student who is aiming high is Ralph Lockey, 18, from Kirkby Malzeard, who is embarking on a pilot training course at a renowned aviation academy in Spain.

He had to undergo six hours of rigorous assessments, to win his place on the Flight Training Europe course.