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.

Read more:

• Ukrainian twin sisters in Harrogate excel in A levels
• Harrogate autism school could save £4m a year

This story is sponsored by Wolseley.

Ripon brothers Andy and Rich Hudson love working at Wolseley’s distribution centre in Melmerby.

Between them they have clocked up almost 40 years of service at the plumbing and heating merchants, which has its UK headquarters in Ripon and Warwick.

In fact it has been somewhat of a family affair, with their father and aunt also working for the firm until retirement.

Andy said:

“My Auntie Connie was with Wolseley for most of her working life and is still the telephone answer service when you ring head office.”

The company, which has a £1.8bn turnover, employs almost 5,000 staff in the UK, of which 270 are based in Ripon and 150 at the distribution centre in Melmerby.

It is Melmerby, a short ten-minute drive from Ripon, where the two brothers are based.

Twenty years of service

Andy said:

“I’m coming up to 20 years service. I started off as a general picker, packer.

“The advantage of working at Wolseley is there is always the opportunity to work somewhere new within the distribution centre and expand your knowledge base.

“I excelled at what I was doing in one area and then I moved into a different area.

“I’ve been trained on various manual handling equipment, fork trucks and more. There are about six or seven trucks I’m actually trained on. So Wolseley invest heavily in their employees to get the best out of them.”

Safety is key.

Varied work

Andy, who is currently working in the stock team, credits his long service to the variety of work.

He said:

“There are always different areas you can work in and different ways you can advance through the company.

“I’ve done various qualifications with Wolseley. I’ve done an NVQ in warehousing. I’ve also just completed a Wolseley Talent Booster and I’m about to start another course shortly through our Wolseley Talent Guild.

“This is in-house training and they have recently invested in the training suite at Ripon head office. So anybody can be put forward for this training by their manager. I’ve completed the training booster for Team Leader and I’m about to start training for manager level.”

Andy said there is always scope for growth at Wolseley.

Wolseley’s award-winning Talent Guild includes apprenticeship programmes, talent boosters and career ladders, right through to more technical qualifications and higher education programmes.

Wolseley is currently training more than 130 apprentices across the UK and boosting the skills of more than 150 existing employees.

Andy added:

“All the way through there is training and support from your managers. Everybody wants the best out of you.

“I feel very valued and it’s such a nice atmosphere to work in.

“Every day is different. There are no two days the same.”

How it began

Wolseley started life in a very different form in 1887, moving into the heating space in the 1960s. Wolseley moved into Ripon in 1971 as The Wolseley Hughes Group.

It was based on Boroughbridge Road, where it remains to this day, and was made up of three companies OBC, Yorkshire Heating Supplies and Granville Controls.

In 1985, the company expanded its site and by 1996 was known as Wolseley Centres.

Wolseley is a leading specialist provider of plumbing, heating, cooling, and utility products to trade customers. Trading under a number of leading brands including Wolseley Plumb & Parts, Wolseley Pipe, Wolseley Climate, William Wilson, Jointing Tech, Burdens, and Fusion Utilities. It has over 560 branches nationally, three centres of excellence in the utilities space, support centres in Warwick and Ripon, and four distribution centres.

Rich Hudson has worked for Wolseley for almost 18 years and is currently the warehouse Team Leader at Melmerby.

He said:

“There is plenty of variety and plenty of opportunities to keep you interested.

“There are different machines to learn to operate and different departments you can move into – it never gets stale.

“There are also a lot of learning opportunities. Wolseley is currently putting me through an NVQ qualification in leadership and management. They offer qualifications for any area you want to go into.

“I met my lovely wife, who also worked for Wolseley, so they must be doing something right!”

Now is the time to join Wolseley’s distribution centre in Melmerby as a Warehouse Operative. Earn up to £24,211 per annum with generous benefits. Apply today by clicking or tapping here.

This article is sponsored by Wolseley.

Beth Stephenson has become a rising star at Wolseley in just ten months with the Ripon company’s award-winning Talent Guild.

The Loughborough University student, who is reading accounting and financial management, was debating where to go for her placement year when she found the perfect fit in Wolseley.

Wolseley is the UK’s leading plumbing, heating and cooling specialist with 560 branches across the UK and its headquarters in Ripon.

The company employs more than 320 people in the city and recently completed a £500,000 refurbishment of the Ripon office.

So this is an exciting time to join the team and there’s no better way to get your foot in the door than through the Wolseley Talent Guild.

A taste of different career paths

The opportunity to move around and learn in different parts of the business through the Wolseley Talent Guild was a major draw for Beth, who is originally from York.

She started in August 2021 with the transactional input team but she has also worked with the tax and treasury teams. Beth, 22, said:

“That experience with different departments has meant it is much easier for me to understand the whole business and piece it altogether.

“It seemed daunting at first but I had heard from other people that they had gone to a business and stayed in one department the entire time – sometimes it’s an area they don’t like.

“Now I know which areas I like so when I progress, I can start my career in the area I like. It’s beneficial for my career but also for Wolseley as I have been able to connect the different teams.

“Ripon is lovely. I am from York so Ripon is similar to York but smaller so it’s a very nice place.

“There are lots of lovely places to walk and lots of independent shops. There’s a new vintage shop that has just opened up too which I am excited about.”

Beth is a student at Loughborough University.

Why join Wolseley?

Wolseley’s award-winning Talent Guild is a great way for employees to ensure progression and realise career goals. This industry-leading approach received formal recognition in December 2021, when Wolseley scooped the HR Excellence Award for Talent Management Strategy of the Year.

It includes apprenticeship programmes, talent boosters and career ladders, right through to more technical qualifications and higher education programmes.

Wolseley is currently training more than 130 apprentices across the UK and boosting the skills of more than 150 existing employees.

When employees progress they will notice that Wolseley strives to do the right thing – whether that is in the way they treat customers, suppliers or employees.

Wolseley knows how to attract, develop and retain the best people. The company offers competitive salary, holiday entitlement, a fantastic pension scheme, life insurance and much more.

Would you like to join Wolseley and unlock your potential with the Talent Guild? Click or tap here to find out more information.

This article is sponsored by Wolseley.

The UK’s largest plumbing and heating merchant, Wolseley, is recruiting to fill a number of roles in its Ripon support centre and store branches.

The firm specialises in bathrooms and heating as well as infrastructure solutions and cooling products.

Wolseley offers great benefits to all of its staff, with life insurance, an employee assistance programme (including counselling) and flexible working options, on top of the competitive salary, great holiday entitlement, and fantastic pension contribution scheme you’d expect.

Michelle Henstock has worked at the Ripon support centre for more than forty years, and is now payroll and benefits manager. She recalls starting work there in 1981:

“Wolseley, or Yorkshire Heating as it was, was the employer of choice in the Ripon area at the time – everyone wanted to get a foot in the door. Whenever a vacancy cropped up, you wanted to grab it!”

She added that those in her team have always felt like family:

“I think I’ve been really blessed in that respect. I’ve always worked in good teams and with good colleagues that have worked well together and got on. I’ve remained friends with many former colleagues, and I’ve gained new ones too.”

Supporting your wellbeing

The company places a family ethos at the heart of its culture, and wellbeing is a priority. With trained mental health first aiders across the business, there’s always someone there to support you.

Colleagues can also sign up to the special ‘Wolseley Wellbeing programme’, a comprehensive 12-week course that covers exercise, nutrition, sleep, positive psychology, and stress management.

Wolseley recognises how important staff engagement is to wellbeing, so you’ll be able to have your say on how the company is doing and where it’s going.

Pay matters

When you’re looking for work, pay is important. Wolseley wants to attract the very best talent, and pays people a wage that means they want to stick around.

Wolseley always pays above the National Living Wage; what they call the Wolseley Wage is well over £500 more per year than the Living Wage for those aged 23 years and over. The gap is even wider if you’re under 23 years old (where the recommended pay is lower), as they don’t believe someone’s wage should be determined by their age.

To see the roles currently on offer at Wolseley, visit www.wolseleycareers.co.uk

Ripon Grammar School has been named the top grammar school in the north of England.

The school, which was founded in 1555, received the accolade from Corporate Vision magazine’s national awards.

The awards highlight educators who are considered to be leaders in their field.

Chloe Smart, education and training awards coordinator at Corporate Vision, said:

“Skills, personality, outlook, ethos, drive, hobbies and ambition, are all rooted in early life.

“The role of an educator is utterly fundamental to the fabric of our society.”

Read more:

• Why is former Ripon school facing the wrecking ball?
• Rising demand for hedgehog rescue in Ripon

The Corporate Vision education and training awards were open to organisations including boarding schools, independent schools, early education organisations, adult education institutions, training centres, vocational schools and grammar schools.

Ms Smart said:

“The education and training awards were launched to spotlight the paragons of education and training and we have endeavoured to showcase those that have truly come to define the sector they work in.”

Despite the disruption to the academic year caused by the covid 19 pandemic, the future is looking bright for Ripon Grammar School students celebrating outstanding A-level performances.

With 79% of grades awarded at A* to B, and more than half of all grades at A* or A, most students have secured their first or second choice of university on a diverse range of courses, from aeronautical engineering to fashion, medicine and philosophy.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“Results days are days of joy and celebration as examination results open up new pathways in life and new institutions of learning.

“While today has inevitably been like no other with grades awarded without examinations being sat, the achievements of students at RGS are real, valid and worthy of huge celebration.”

Eight students achieved a clean sweep of A*s with top performers Phoebe Hall and Tabitha Milton awarded four A*s in addition to an A* in their extended project qualifications, worth half an A-level.

Mr Webb emphasised that, while the school’s results had been adjusted down slightly, as they have been nationally, they remain, overall, consistent with previous years:

“I am delighted to say our results are as good as ever and the students, and staff who have supported them, are to be congratulated on another tremendous performance.

“Grades were rigorously assessed and awarded by teachers at RGS and then mathematically adjusted by Ofqual to reflect, it is hoped, the historic trends achieved by the school.”

Read more:

• Major restaurant chain will bring jobs to Ripon
• See how a Ripon entrepreneur’s dreams are coming true

While there have been impressive performances across the board, with more than 20% of grades awarded at A*, Mr Webb stressed:

“We must focus on the process of learning as much as the end result, however arrived at. School is about learning, exploring new avenues and making real life choices. I am sure the lessons learnt will mean very bright futures for our leavers of 2020.”

The majority of the school’s 142 A-level students have secured places at Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge:

He added that the school’s sixth form team was working hard to support those students facing the process of clearing, contemplating gap years or seeking to adjust their offers upward:

“Inevitably amongst the many successes there are some who may be disappointed with how the process has worked for them. We will be guiding and supporting them and wish them all the best in their search.”

The school’s overall pass rate is 99.1%, with a total of 106 grades at A* and 147 at grade A.