However, the report acknowledges new school leaders understood the problems and their actions “have secured improvements in the quality of education”.

It also says arrangements for safeguarding are effective, staff are well trained and leaders have developed an “ambitious curriculum”, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities – and that pupils with additional needs are “well supported in lessons”.

Two-day Ofsted visit

Harrogate High, which was founded in 1973 as Harrogate Granby High School, has more than 700 pupils.  It is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust – a partnership of nine schools across Harrogate, Skipton and Keighley. Ofsted visited the school on April 25 and 26.

The report, which the school has released but has not yet been uploaded onto Ofsted’s website, gave it an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ and awarded the same grade for all four sub-categories assessed: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

The school’s last full inspection was 10 years ago, when it was rated ‘good’ overall. It retained the grading following a short inspection in 2017.

‘Good’ is the second highest of four possible ratings; ‘requires improvement’ is the third highest.

The report says leaders have prioritised improving the curriculum and changed the subjects pupils study at key stage 4 to offer a more broad and balanced curriculum. But it adds “the academic experiences that pupils receive continue to be mixed” and goes on to say:

‘Exciting time for Harrogate High’

Sukhraj Gill

Responding to the report, headteacher Sukhraj Gill said:

“This is an exciting time for Harrogate High School. Inspectors have recognised the improvements we have already made and confirmed that we are on the right track to make Harrogate High a great school. We have achieved a great deal at Harrogate High School – with a lot more to do.

“We will continue our relentless drive to make Harrogate High the best school it can be for all the young people that we educate.

“We’re especially pleased that inspectors recognised that we provide good support for pupils with additional needs. We value every young person in our school, whatever their needs. Ofsted’s findings are a vindication of our values as a truly inclusive school.”

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Jenn Plews

Jenn Plews, chief executive of Northern Star Academies Trust, said:

A Harrogate man has been knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Dr Richard John Mantle, general director of Leeds-based Opera North, has been recognised for his services to opera.

He was made an OBE 10 years ago in the late Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to music, and has served as a deputy lord lieutenant in West Yorkshire since 2012.

Dr Mantle sits on the board of the National Opera Studio, as well as being a member of the advisory council of the music department of York University, a fellow of Leeds College of Music and a fellow of the Royal College of Arts.

He announced last year that he intends to retire from his role with Opera North at the end of 2023, after being involved with it since 1994.

At the time, Dr Mantle – now Sir Richard Mantle – said:

“I have led Opera North for almost 30 years, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have held one of the best opera jobs in the UK and further afield, and to have worked with so many talented, valued and inspiring colleagues.

“It has been a hugely fulfilling experience.”

Opera North’s chair of trustees Paul Lee said:

“All of us who have worked with Richard over the years will feel a profound sense of gratitude for his immense service to the company’s staff and the countless guest artists whose careers Opera North has done so much to nurture and develop, and, above all, audiences and communities throughout the North and beyond.”

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• Five Harrogate district recipients on King’s first honours list
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Also on the first birthday honours list of King Charles III is Ripon man Dr Peter Liddle, who is made an OBE for services to heritage and public understanding of the world wars.

A military historian, Dr Liddle founded the University of Leeds’s Liddle Collection, an archive of first-hand accounts of people who lived through either of the world wars.

He is also patron of the Halifax Great War Heritage Society and life president of the Second World War Experience Centre.

Harrogate resident Susan Soroczan is also made an OBE for public service in her role as group director at the Department for Work and Pensions.

The leader of Northern Star Academies Trust, which includes Harrogate High School, has been made an OBE for services to education.

Jennifer Spencer-Plews is chief executive of the trust, which also includes Hookstone Chase, New Park, Starbeck and Willow Tree primary schools in Harrogate among its members.

Ripon Farm Services managing director Geoff Brown, pictured above, is made an MBE for services to the rural economy in the list, published this evening.

There is also one recipient of the British Empire Medal from the Harrogate district.

Sgt Paul Cording of North Yorkshire Police has been recognised for his service as a police officer as well as his charity work.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, he described the recognition as “bonkers”, as well as “humbling”.

See the Stray Ferret tomorrow morning for a full interview with Sgt Cording.

Harrogate is to hold its first Polish Heritage Day tomorrow.

The free event, which is open to everyone, aims to encourage people from different backgrounds to integrate.

It will take place at Harrogate High School from 10am to 2pm, beginning with a Poland vs England football match.

There will also be children’s activities, food, music and numerous stalls.

Aleksandra Timberlake, a teacher at the Polish Saturday School based in Harrogate High School, said this would be the first major Polish event in Harrogate, although smaller events have taken place previously.

Ms Timberlake said:

“The event is for everyone, not just for Polish-speaking people. We would love people in Harrogate to realise how big the Polish community is in this town.

“Our aim is to make sure we all integrate in a community spirit, no matter our national background.

“We want to show that we can all live together and we all can learn something from each other.”

The Polish school meets every other Saturday

There will be violinists, guitarists and pianists as well as singers, along with Polish folk dance, a health check corner and classic cars, including the iconic Fiat 126p — a symbol of communist era Poland.

Polish-born Ms Timberlake, who has lived in Harrogate for about 15 years, said there are four Polish shops in Harrogate and some 60 students.

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Teachers across the Harrogate district left the classrooms today as part of a series of national strikes organised by the National Education Union.

This morning, picket lines were seen outside schools including Harrogate High and Springwater in Starbeck.

Teachers from Rossett Acre Primary School formed a picket on Pannal Ash Road and received support from several passing motorists.

Year 6 teacher Timothy Marshall told the Stray Ferret the North Yorkshire secretary of the NEU had joined the picket first thing, and all the teachers were going to an official march in Leeds this afternoon.

He said:

“We were all a bit scared to be here at first, but we’re proud of what we do. We love our jobs and work incredibly hard.

“If you don’t pay teachers fairly, you have over-worked, unhappy teachers.

“I scrape to the end of the month every month, and my partner and I work full-time. I’m in a respected profession.

“Strike action is the last resort. Nobody wants to strike. I can’d afford to lose £300 this month, but that’s why I’m striking.”

A picket line outside Harrogate High School today

Mr Marshall said two non-union teachers had refused to cross the picket line this morning and five members of school support staff had joined the protest in solidarity as well.

He said he and his colleagues were striking not just to protest against a real-terms pay cut of up to 10% in recent years, but also to call for better working conditions and funding for schools.

Asked whether the strike action was justified when it resulted in more disruption for children’s education, he said:

“I would say taking the money out of school budgets impacts them more.

“I’m a teacher who needs resources. If we have to sit in assembly with the lights off, which we do, and in the staff room with the lights off, which we do, you can’t tell me this action is what is impacting schools.”

Rossett Acre Primary School is part of the Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust with 13 member schools across North and West Yorkshire.

Its chief executive, Richard Sheriff, said many schools were taking steps to cut their fuel consumption and reduce bills, which he viewed as a sensible move amid a cost-of-living crisis. He said:

“No doubt schools are making every effort both in our trust and in every single part of the country to reduce bills.

“It’s good to hear they are making every effort to not use lights unnecessarily – the same as I do in my office.”

As a former president of the Association of School and College Leaders, he said he worked closely with unions to ensure conditions and benefits for staff were the best they could be.

However, he said, issues of funding for education were for the treasury and department for education. He added, as leader of RKLT, he was doing all he could to push the government for “fair and better funding for schools and our young people”.

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Schools across the Harrogate district are supporting pupils following the death of the Queen.

Many have spent the day commemorating the life of her Majesty and have paid tribute to the “constant in all our lives”.

At Ripon Grammar School there was a sad, sombre atmosphere in school as students reflected.

Silences were held in assembly and tutor groups, while classes engaged in discussions about the significance of the Queen’s death.

Addressing students this morning, headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“As a school we will reflect on how we can commemorate the life and work of Elizabeth II as we enter now a period of 10 days official national mourning.”

In a letter to parents David Thornton, headteacher at St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate, said:

“Our thoughts and prayers go to the Royal Family and everyone in our community as we process this news.

“As a school we have an important role to play in reassuring and supporting our students at times of sadness, particularly when caused by significant national and global events.

“Staff at St Aidan’s will be available to support the school community over the coming days. Our students will be offered the opportunity to reflect on the life and significance of Her Majesty the Queen in assembly and during tutor periods.”

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• LIVE: Bells to toll at midday across the district to mark the Queen’s death
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Amy Ross, headteacher at Hampsthwaite Primary School, said the main priority would be to continue to support children and the wider community through this “upsetting and difficult time”.

She said:

“We will be spending time reflecting on and paying tribute to Her Majesty the Queen, both in class and as a whole school.”

A statement on Harrogate’s Ashville College website said:

“Everyone in Ashville’s community will share the sadness at the news of the death of the Queen. Her Majesty has been a constant in all our lives and very few of us will have known any other monarch. Our thoughts and prayers are with our new King, Charles III, and all the Royal Family.”

“Our school community is saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and we join with people across the UK and around the world in offering our condolences to the Royal Family.”

Hookstone Chase Primary School in Harrogate is set to welcome a new headteacher this term.

Joe Cooper joins from All Saints’ Primary School in Ilkley where he spent three years as deputy headteacher.

Mr Cooper settled in Harrogate in 2005 from London. He has since developed his career in North Yorkshire, with short periods teaching in New Zealand and as a music specialist.

Mr Cooper said:

“It is a great privilege to have been asked to lead Hookstone Chase Primary School.  We have a proud history as an inclusive school for all children – with space for everyone to grow and develop their knowledge, skills and abilities.

“Straight away this term we will be opening a brand new outdoor play and learning area for our youngest children who are just joining us. We are a school that is investing in the future.”

Mr Cooper shares a ukulele lesson with pupils. Pic: John Furlong

Hookstone Chase is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust, which includes four other Harrogate schools, as well as schools in Skipton and Keighley.

Its other Harrogate schools are Harrogate High School, New Park Primary Academy School, Starbeck Primary Academy and Willow Tree Community Primary School.

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Craig Goold, chair of Hookstone Chase’s local governing body, said:

“Joe has hit the ground running.  It’s going to be a busy year ahead.  Joe has a huge amount of energy and drive. We are definitely a school that is going places in 2023.”

Jenn Plews, chief executive at Northern Star Academies Trust, said:

“It is great to have Joe on board. Joe has really embraced our trust’s deep commitment to sustainability, the environment and outdoor learning. He is just the kind of creative leader that schools need to bring education to life”.

A thrash metal band founded by schoolmates in Harrogate more than 30 years ago is enjoying a renaissance in the digital era.

Acid Reign was set up in the mid-1980s by Howard ‘H’ Smith, Mark Ramsey Wharton, Garry Jennings and Ian Gangwer. 

All pupils at Granby High School, they would rehearse every Sunday at Calcutt Village Hall. Because of its remote location, their classmates rarely visited to listen in and the band didn’t develop much of a following. 

However, Howard said this allowed them to hone their craft – later joined by Kev Papworth and Adam Lehan – and ultimately led to them getting a record deal with Metallica’s former record label, Music For Nations, after sending out their second demo tape. 

Their first and only gig in Harrogate followed shortly after, at the Lounge Hall – now Wetherspoons on Parliament Street – before they went on to record two studio albums, touring the UK and Europe. 

Stand-up comedy

When the band members went their separate ways in 1991, Howard moved north to Newcastle and joined another band. He had an urge to try his hand at stand-up comedy and applied for a course in London. 

The morning after his new band broke up, Howard received a letter confirming he had a place on the six-week comedy course. However, after several years of success on bills with the likes of Al Murray, Catherine Tate and Jimmy Carr, he began to feel differently about the job. 

“I just wasn’t enjoying it. I failed to find my voice. I was getting lots of laughs and bookings, but I thought, ‘I wouldn’t pay to see me’.  

“Eventually I realised, despite the fact that it’s a cool job, if you aren’t happy, it doesn’t matter what job it is.” 

The next few years were spent writing, including for BBC Choice. Then, with the break-up of a long-term relationship, Howard returned to stand-up – and inspiration struck. 

“I was on a trip to France, in a beautiful patisserie. The three of us were going ‘look at that!’ at all the incredible, delicate creations.  

“I just put this voice on and said, ‘I bet they haven’t got any pasties, have they?’” 

A new comedy character, Keith Platt, Professional Yorkshireman, was born. A charity shop raid created his costume and, at his first gig, Howard even impressed comedy legend Frank Skinner. 

For the last 16 years, he has continued to perform as Keith, having finally found his comedy voice. Unexpectedly, the character brought him back into the metal scene: he performed stand-up at the Download festival in 2014, where he closed his set with a cover of Pantera’s Walk, complete with a plastic guitar to smash up. 

Reforming Acid Reign

There was talk of a reunion in 2015 to mark 25 years since their final album. However, now each had their own lives and commitments, the band members struggled to find time to rehearse and drifted apart again.  

Members of the original Acid Reign line-up, formed at Granby High School: Mark Wharton, Adam Lehan, Ian MacDonald, Howard Smith and Kev Papworth

Howard invited friends – all former fans – to join him for some rehearsals and soon realised he could bring Acid Reign back in a new form for a new era. 

Now made up of members from around the UK, the band put out a new album in 2019 and Howard said it was a completely different experience. 

“Originally, when you put something out, if the critics didn’t like it you had no real way of knowing what the fans thought. Now, because of social media, they tell us directly. It’s great – you feel much more connected to what they think and how your album is being received.” 

Covid put paid to hopes of a tour of South America, but Howard said the first festival they played last summer, Bloodstock, was an incredible experience. They are now lined up to play Dominion Festival in July and are looking forward to writing and recording their next album. 

The sudden death of original band member Ian Gangwer last year was “devastating” for Howard, bringing back memories of how close they all were in their teens and early 20s. However, he has taken comfort in seeing the impact he has on other people, whether they know Acid Reign from the early days or a new fans. 

“Nothing will ever touch that kind of feeling when people come up and stop me and say, ‘I just want to say thank you for doing this and making me feel 16 again’. My response is always, ‘thanks for coming and making me feel 16 again too’.”

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The Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama is set to return this year after a break due to covid.

The festival, which featured nearly 2,000 competitors when it was last held in full in 2019, will run over three weekends in March. The deadline for submitting entries is this Saturday.

Previous winners have gone on to perform in West End shows and compete in BBC Young Musician and BBC Radio 2 Chorister of the Year.

This year, young champions of music, speech and drama have the added incentive of a £250 prize and an invitation to a residential course in their respective disciplines.

The competition was cut short in 2020 by the first national lockdown and was cancelled in 2021.

With nearly 200 different categories to enter, festival chairman Paul Dutton hopes there is something for everyone this year:

“We have missed being part of Harrogate’s cultural legacy, it is one of the most prestigious arts events in Harrogate but, this year we are back with a bang. We really don’t want people to miss this opportunity to be part of our amazing festival.”

Paul Dutton

The festival began in 1936 as a music competition run by the borough council and a voluntary committee. Since then, the categories have expanded into speech and drama and the festival is now run entirely by volunteers as a registered charity.

The festival will take place at Harrogate High School over the first three weekends of March.

Further information is available here and hard copies of the syllabus can be found at local music shops and libraries.

Harrogate High School told all Year 10 students not to attend school yesterday because it was unable to find enough teachers to cover classes.

The school tweeted to say a combination of staff illness and difficulty recruiting supply had prompted it to make the decision to close to Year 10 students.

The Stray Ferret contacted the school today it said it didn’t want to comment further but agreed recruiting supply staff was a problem.

Year group closure Thursday 9th Dec
Unfortunately, due to high levels of staff absence as a result of illness and a widespread issue with recruiting supply teachers, we have taken the decision to close to Year 10 students (Thursday 9th).
Please check your email for full details.

— HarrogateHighSchool (@HarrogateHigh) December 9, 2021

It also said no more days such as these were planned for any year group.

The independent academy school caters for about 600 students aged 11-19 and is based on Ainsty Road.

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Over 10,000 children across the Harrogate District did not travel to school by car on Friday for the second-ever Harrogate District Walk to School Day.

Instead of their usual drive to school, pupils were encouraged to walk, cycle, scoot or take public transport.

Zero Carbon Harrogate, the charity that coordinated the day, said 44 primary and secondary schools signed up to take their stand against the climate emergency.

This is a 42% increase in uptake since the first Walk to School Day in June this year.

Birstwith Church of England Primary School was the district’s ‘Zero Hero’ primary school winners with 91% of children taking part.

Harrogate High School won the secondary school prize, with 85% participation.

Find the full results table here: https://www.zerocarbonharrogate.org.uk/school-leaderboard.

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Jill Collins, headteacher of St. Robert’s Catholic Primary School said:

“The children and families in school are good walkers anyway, but when it comes to Walk to School Day they always make an extra effort walking, scooting, biking, even jogging in and the dog sometimes comes too.

“The children are so enthusiastic about helping the environment and know that we can all make a difference, even by taking simple steps such as walking to school.”

Fiona Jones, events manager for Zero Carbon Harrogate, added:

“This is the first Walk to School event exclusively for our district’s community and it has had a huge impact from being a co-ordinated effort – streets were noticeably quieter during the school run on Friday. The enthusiasm and positivity from schools, especially the children, has been fantastic.

“As regular half-termly events, these are not just about a single day in time, but about building positive transport habits that become a daily occurrence. These are the significant changes that will really make a difference.”