Students and staff at Ripon Grammar School marked National Tree Week with an ambitious 3,000-sapling hedge-planting drive.

Hundreds of students gathered in the school grounds last week to plant the first 2,000 trees over two days.

The project was made possible by The Tree Council’s branching out fund, which supports schools and others across the UK to plant trees, hedges and orchards as National Tree Week inspires people to get outdoors and get planting in the first week of December.

Ava Edwards, who worked with Year 7 students on their massive planting project, in addition to digging in with fellow sixth formers throughout the week, said:

“The tree planting has provided fantastic opportunities for us all to get involved in regenerating the environment on school grounds.”

RGS gardening and wildlife champion, teacher David Bruce, who has been working with student volunteers from other year groups during lunchtime breaks, said:

“This year’s National Tree Week is more important than ever as we work together to tackle the climate and nature crises.

“Trees and hedgerows store carbon, reduce flood risks and improve our air quality, and by planting more we can help grow a greener future. The young people in our community are an amazing force for nature and by planting these new hedgerows they are helping to create a nature-filled legacy for all of us.

“We managed to get around two thirds of our trees planted so far, with the remaining 1,000 set to be planted at a more leisurely pace over the next couple of weeks. Although the planting is almost done, it’s not over because sustaining the growth of the young trees and maintaining them in a wildlife-friendly way is going to be an ongoing project.”

Ripon Grammar School has been named as the top performing state school in the north of England by The Sunday Times for the ninth year running.

The school, which ranked 53rd nationally, was the only school in the Harrogate district to make the top 10 in the north. Skipton Girls’ High School was second and Ermysted’s Grammar School, also in Skipton, was third.

The results are contained in the 29th edition of The Sunday Times Parent Power tables, which identify the highest achieving schools in the UK, ranked by their examination results from 2017-19. A total of 78 per cent of Ripon Grammar School pupils achieved A-level grades A to B during this period.

Jonathan Webb (pictured above with students), headmaster of Ripon Grammar school, said the accolade was a tribute to the efforts of staff and pupils during the pandemic. He added:

“After a truly difficult 18 months this will give our students and everyone who works at the school a real boost.

“We offer an exceptional all-round, holistic education, with music, drama and sport also thriving.

“Staff have created recently a pioneering new student development programme as now, more than ever, we need to ensure students gain the valuable skills, qualifications and experience outside the classroom which will prepare them well for life beyond school.”

The Plus One programme will be showcased at the school’s sixth form open evening on January 17.

Alastair McCall, editor of Parent Power, said the need for clarity about school examination performance had never been greater, following two years of centre- and teacher-assessed grades, during which the numbers of top grades had increased dramatically.

Mr McCall, said:

“At a time when some schools are making it hard to substantiate claims of academic prowess based on outcomes from 2021 and 2020, we believe these rankings – and all the additional information on offer in Parent Power – provide parents with a more reliable guide to academic achievement in schools today.”

A Ripon Grammar School student has been selected to compete in next year’s BMX cycling world championships.

Elite Cruiser rider Jodie Musgrove, ranked number four in the UK, is now preparing to represent Team GB in Nantes, France.

The 16-year-old, who plans to study veterinary medicine at university, has been riding since she was 11 years old, having taken up the sport after watching her first race with her father James, a former BMX rider.

For the past five years, she has been competing at the highest level, travelling all over the UK to race:

She said:

“Getting into the world championships is a dream I have had since I started, and it’s fantastic to see all my hard work and training at last paying off.”

Jodie in action

Jodie now hopes she can make an impact at the 2022 contest, where the world’s top riders will be coming together to compete between July 26 and 31.

Her inspiration is gold medallist Beth Shriever, who became Britain’s first BMX racing Olympic champion in Tokyo this summer.

It was the adrenaline rush of off-road dirt racing which first got Jodie hooked on the sport:

She pointed out:

“Most sprint races last no longer than a minute, on purpose-built off-road, single-lap racetracks, made up of various jumps and rollers. So, it’s a very fast-paced, high-intensity sport.”

It can also be dangerous, with one crash in Manchester in 2018 resulting in Jodie needing stitches for a gash in her arm, knocking her out of racing for six weeks.

Jodie took on top competitors all over the UK in a challenging series of races throughout the year to qualify for the world championships on her 24-inch wheel, large-framed cruiser bike, taking the final Team GB spot in the 17 to 29-year-old female category.

Studying for A-levels in maths, chemistry, biology and psychology, she says she enjoys being a part of the BMX community, training with the North-East BMX Club in Hartlepool and travelling to Manchester’s indoor racing track at weekends in winter.

In addition to bringing back medals from Nantes, her ambition is to qualify for the World Championships again in 2023 in Glasgow and hopes she might get the chance to compete at the Olympics one day.

A Ripon Grammar School student with ambitions of flying Apache helicopters has earned a place at a leading military school.

Marcus Bartlem, 17, has won an army scholarship worth up to £18,000, which will help fund him through university and guarantee a place to train as an officer at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

He was chosen out of thousands of young men and women from all over the country to get one of the 100 annual scholarships available.

Sandhurst’s alumni includes Winston Churchill and both Prince William and Prince Harry. Foreign monarchs, such as King Hussein of Jordan and the Sultan of Brunei, were also trained there.

Marcus said:

“I was extremely happy but also relieved when I heard that I had obtained the scholarship, as it was a long and tough process.

“I am very grateful to have been selected.”

Studying history, economics and chemistry at A-level, he will now benefit from army funding of £3,000 through his final school year and £2,000 for each year he is at university, where he will also be eligible for further army bursaries.

The Year 13 student added that he was looking forward to the leadership opportunities, alongside the prospects of adventure training and travel which army life offers.

Read more:

• Councillors keep options open over Ripon’s Spa Baths
• Poet Laureate stars at Ripon festival

The application process took place over nine months. Following medical assessments, virtual interviews and cognitive tests, Marcus, whose father served as an RAF fighter pilot, was invited to the final army officer selection board, which took place over two days.

Fascinated by flying

Marcus completed a series of demanding interviews, planning exercises, cognitive and written tasks, leadership challenges and fitness tests including an obstacle course.

But it was all worth it when he was informed, three weeks later, that he had been successful:

He said:

“I’ve always been interested in the military, most likely as a result of my dad’s involvement in the RAF. I hope to join the Army Air Corps as an Apache pilot as flying has fascinated me for a long time.” 

Planning to study history at university, his sporting achievements helped in the selection process.

As well as representing his school and local club in rugby, he enjoys biking and walking expeditions and is completing his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

Simon Armitage summed up the power of poetry when he read a selection of his works to a packed audience in Ripon on Saturday.

The Poet Laureate, whose poems brought laughter and sadness to 200 people at Ripon Grammar School, said words on a page take on a different character when spoken.

Armitage, who was the star attraction at the fourth Ripon Poetry Festival, described verse as having ‘a kind of primitive magic”.

The West Yorkshire-born and bred poet told the Stray Ferret he was delighted to perform at the four-day festival, where he brought some of his own primitive magic and talked about his local connections.

He said:

“My auntie lives in Ripon and I have many memories of visiting here and going to the cathedral and seeing the hornblower.”

The festival anthology of poems (left) and programme.

Poetry boom

Talking about lockdown, he said:

“Sales of poetry books have done well during the pandemic, as people have had more time to reflect.

“Many recalibrated their lives and decided they were not  going back to the way things were before.”

Lockdown also gave Armitage, who was appointed to the 10-year office of Poet Laureate in May 2019, the opportunity to focus on his work.

He said:

“It gave me the time to complete my translation of the long medieval poem The Owl and the Nightingale.”

Saturday evening’s audience was given a taste of the epic poem, which focuses on the quarrelsome conversation between the two birds, as they show their mutual dislike.

The newly-published work featured recently on BBC Radio 4’s hit podcast, The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed.

There were also readings from Magnetic Field: The Marsden Poems, a collection that provides a guided tour in verse of the village where Armitage grew up.

Ripon festival success

His lines, which paint a picture of home-town life and experiences, were very much in keeping with the theme of the festival.

Andy Croft, who was one of the organisers of the four-day event, that included 17 sessions at venues across the city, said:

“We are pleased to report that we are now the biggest festival of its kind in Yorkshire.”

Testimony to the growing popularity of poetry was the fact that this year’s festival anthology, The Other Side of the Looking Glass, contains 92 poems covering a broad spectrum of styles and based on a wide range of subjects, including life in lockdown and the environment.

Mr Croft pointed out:

“It contains poems from people of all ages, who live locally and is the largest edition we have published.”

Former Ripon Grammar School student John Clark has completed a remarkable feat of endurance by finishing 48 marathons in 48 days in 48 English counties.

In doing so, he has so far raised almost £38,000 for children in food poverty. He aims to achieve £48,000 and donations can still be made through www.JustGiving.com/campaign/484848

Mr Clark’s own family struggled to survive on benefits after his father suffered life-changing injuries in a work accident.

His mighty marathon venture, which amounted to 1,248 miles, finished in Worcester.

John Clark during his school days at Ripon Grammar.

The 34-year-old, who left Ripon Grammar in 2003, said:

“The challenge was even more physically and mentally demanding as I expected but the support of so many people kept me moving forwards.

“From injuries, to blisters, to extreme wet weather conditions and heatwaves there were new and interesting challenges almost daily but each day, 26.2 miles got finished regardless.

“The 48/48/48 wasn’t just about raising funding but also raising awareness.

“Throughout the challenge so many conversations were had, radio, television airtime given and newspaper columns written about the crisis this country faces and the 48. It felt like we were genuinely making a difference.

“It was about planting seeds around the country with the ambassadors, runners and schools that support the project and our hope is that those that ran with me will go on to create their own Miles4Meals events in the future to continue the financial support and awareness raising that our nations foodbanks and charities need.”

Mr Clark, who has competed in international strongman events and now owns a chain of gyms, set up the charity Miles4Meals to help families facing the same issues that he did as a child.

His life changed when his father Alan, a roofer, broke his back and shattered his foot in a fall after scaffolding collapsed.

Mr Clark added:

“I understand the difficulties families face and the hard choices that need to be made with minimal budgets available for basic living expenses.

“I hope to make a difference, so others don’t have to experience the same as I did.”

The coronavirus pandemic has increased problems faced by families across the UK with an estimated 8.4 million people living in food poverty.

Read More:

• Ripon-based triathlon attracted 600 entries
• Commissioner says Ripon police has got a grip on crime

The anxious wait is over for thousands of GCSE students in the Harrogate district who received their results this morning.

For the second year in a row, the results were based on teacher calculations due to the pandemic.

Our live blog will record all of today’s results as they come in.

Have you or someone you know received their results today? Let us know how it went. Call us on 01423 276197 or email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your grades and how you feel.

17.15pm – St Aidan’s headteacher thanks staff and students

Chris Burt, headteacher at St Aidan Church of England High School, Harrogate, thanked staff and students today after “difficult times” during covid.

Mr Burt added that year 11 pupils had shown “excellent attainment and progress”.

He said:

‘These results allow students to progress to the next stage of their educational journey.

“We are extremely proud of them all and are looking forward to welcoming many students back into the Associated Sixth Form in September as well as wishing others well in their new settings.”

4.55pm – Rossett School students “showed resilience” this year, says headteacher

Pupils at Rossett School showed resilience and hard work this year, says headteacher Helen Woodcock.

Students received their GCSE results from the school today. More than a quarter of the grades awarded were at levels 7,8 or 9 with 15% being at the higher end of this measure.

Meanwhile, 82% of students secured grades 9 to 4 in English and a third of grades in economics, sciences, languages, philosophy and ethics and food technology were at 8 or 9.

Ms Woodcock said:

14.25pm – Harrogate Ladies College principal: “I’m so proud of every single one of these pupils”

The principal of Harrogate Ladies College said she is proud of every single pupil at the school for their achievements on GCSE results day.

Overall a quarter of all grades at the school were at the highest level of grade 9; 62% were grades 9-7 grades, and 95% were 9 to 4 grades.

Sylvia Brett, principal of the school, said:

“I’m so proud of every single one of these pupils for the resilience and the determination they’ve shown in the face of so much uncertainty.

“They have been tested in ways they couldn’t have imagined and they all deserve to celebrate.”

Among those picking up their results today was Sophie McHugh, who received 10 grade 9s and one grade 8.

She said:

“I’m absolutely delighted with my results, I can’t quite believe it.

“It has been really challenging being in and out of school all the time and then not knowing whether we were going to be sitting exams or not, but I can’t wait to get back into school again in September and start to my A levels and hopefully have the full sixth form experience.”

14.05pm – Adult learners achieve 87% overall grade 9 to 4

Adult learners in North Yorkshire have also been picking up their GCSE results today.

This year, 87.5% of adult learners achieved a grade 9 to 4 overall.

It is the ninth year that North Yorkshire County Council’s Adult Learning and Skills Service has offered a range of GCSE English and maths courses.

In GCSE Maths 96% of learners achieved a grade 9 to 4 and results for GCSE English were very positive with 100% achieving a grade 9 to 4.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive county councillor for education and skills, said:

“Congratulations to all of our adult learners who achieved their goals; it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our students and staff during this very difficult period.

“Our aim is to help adults gain the skills and qualifications they need to be successful in employment. These recent results show it’s never too late to learn and improve your skills to get to where you want to be.”

13.55pm – Boroughbridge students “adapted quickly” to remote learning

The headteacher of Boroughbridge High School has said pupils adapted quickly to remote learning during the covid pandemic and can be proud of their achievements.

Among those pupils who got their GCSE results today were Ella Brophy and Martha Charlton who each achieved eight grade 9s and two grade 8s and Poppy Beasley who achieved seven grade 9s and three grade 8s. All are going on to study A Levels.

Kathryn Stephenson, headteacher of the school, said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure to congratulate students on their excellent achievements and we are very proud of the way in which they have approached the challenges of the last eighteen months, showing great resilience throughout.

“The results also reflect the commitment of the staff team, who have worked tirelessly, and the continued support of our parents, carers and governors.”

13.45pm – Nidderdale High School reports “outstanding achievements” by students

Nidderdale High School has said it is “very proud” of the achievements of its students on GCSE results day.

Students from the school are set to go onto take up A-levels at Harrogate and Ripon sixth forms, sports scholarships, high quality apprenticeships and college places in Harrogate, York and Askham Bryan College.

Among those who were high achieving include Rachael Hattan, who received 11 GCSEs which were all graded 9.

Meanwhile, Grace Pawson, Scarlet Wild, Mollie Wright and Jonathan Levy, are celebrating 36 grades at 7-9 between them.

Kath Jordan, the school’s headteacher, said:

“We are so very proud of all the work and achievements of our students, especially after such a difficult and disrupted year. They have worked with commitment and determination both in school and online during periods of school closure.

“Many of our young people have faced their own unique challenges, with health, family circumstances and facing uncertainty but they have shown strength of character and resilience.

“They and they families should be immensely proud of all they have achieved. Our whole staff team has worked tirelessly to ensure students are all able to progress onto further education and study, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future.”

12.15pm – Queen Mary’s school congratulates “inspiring and industrious” students

Queen Mary’s School, near Topcliffe, has congratulated its students today after 40% of entries achieve the top grade.

Students at Queen Mary’s received their results this morning. 40% of entries were grades 9-8 (A*).

The school also congratulated long-standing pupils Arabella Jaques and Lilian Roberts. The girls have attended the school from 2-years-old and could today leave with top grades.

All the school’s pupils received offers to their first choice sixth forms.

11.20am – Harrogate Grammar School praises student for “exceptional hard work” despite pandemic

Harrogate Grammar School commended its students for their resilience today after “an experience like no other”.

Of all the grades awarded, 40% were at level 7, 8, or 9 (A* and A) with 10% achieving the highest grade of 9.

In addition, 86% of the students secured grades 9 to 4 (A* – C) in both English and maths and 64% obtained grades 9 to 5 (A – B) in both English and maths.

Headteacher Neil Renton said:

“This is a cohort of young people who have had an experience like no other. We celebrate the success of our students today and take great pride in their achievements. The majority of Year 11 students have chosen to progress to our sixth form.

“As today’s GCSE results show, the Harrogate Grammar School class of 2021 have a very bright future ahead of them.”

11am – 97.2% 9-5 (A-B) grades for Ripon Grammar

Ripon Grammar School has congratulated its students for a second time this week but after its Year 11 GCSE results were announced.

More than 70% of all grades awarded were 9-7s (the equivalent of A*-As) with 97% being 9-5 (A-Bs).

It also said that 46% of students collected nine or more grades 9-7(A*-A).

In total 661 9-8 (A*) grades were achieved between the 132 students in the year.

This included two pupils who scored 10 grade 9s and an 8, while seven achieved a clean sweep of 9-8(A*) grades.

Headteacher Mr Jonathan Webb said:

“It is important to stress that we need to see these results in their context.

“We feel our students have undertaken a rigorous and fair process of assessment at RGS and their grades represent an accurate reflection of abilities and efforts. As always, they have worked extremely hard and with great resilience.”

Ripon Grammar School student Sam Cann, with his GCSE results this morning

Jack Laugher is bidding for further Olympic glory this morning.

A superb series of six dives took him into the men’s individual three-metre springboard final, which can be seen live on BBC TV from 7am.

The former Ripon Grammar School student, whose family home is in Littlethorpe, finished in third position behind China’s XIE Siyi and Wang Zongyuan in today’s semi-final.

Early-bird television viewers, who tuned in a 2am UK time, saw Laugher score 514.75 points in a stylish and controlled performance at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

It all started here – Spa Baths, Ripon where Jack Laugher was taught to swim at the age of 3 by Sylvia Grice MBE

If he can repeat the highly-disciplined display of diving excellence that he achieved in the semi-final, he has an outstanding opportunity to add to the Gold and Silver medals that saw him make history five years ago.

He and then partner Chris Mears, became the first-ever GB diving medallists, when they fought off a challenge from China to claim Olympic Gold at the Rio 2016 games.

Six days later, Laugher added Silver in the men’s individual springboard event, finishing behind China’s Yuan Cao.

The challenge from the Chinese pair of XIE Siyi and Wang Zongyuan, cannot be under-estimated, but it’s all to play for when the 12 finalists take to the springboard in Tokyo.

Read more:

• Littlethorpe’s local hero
• Ripon families revel in a weekend of free entertainment

Carys Peedell is following in the footsteps of leading British actors by winning a place on the National Youth Theatre summer course.

The Ripon Grammar School sixth form student will be treading the boards where the likes of Dame Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig and Orlando Bloom developed their acting talent.

Carys, 17, won the highly-prized place following a two-stage virtual audition.

As well as entitling her to become a member of the National Youth Theatre company until she is 25, attendance on the course will open the door to casting auditions and opportunities for productions up and down the country.

Carys Peedell plans a career in acting

Carys has dreamt of being a star of stage and screen from an early age.

She said:

“I’ve loved acting for as long as I can remember – when I was little, I would constantly dress up and make films with my sister.”

Being a quiet child, she was only offered minor parts in primary school productions but she confesses she wrote her own version of a play at nine years old to guarantee a leading role.

Through performing, Carys has conquered her shyness. She said:

“I found I could be loud and confident when playing someone else. People saw me in a different light and that’s when I decided I wanted to be an actor.”

The National Youth Theatre now beckons. She said:

“It’s an amazing opportunity and has been the launch pad for many successful acting careers.”

Carys, who studied acting, dance, singing and musical theatre with Upstage Academy in Ripon, achieved distinctions in all her London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art exams, including grade eights in solo acting, duo devising drama and group acting.

One of the highlights of her acting career so far has been, along with acting partner Alfie Davies, winning at the Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama last year.

A regular in Upstage Academy’s Harrogate theatre summer musicals, Carys most recently played the part of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and is now preparing to film High School Musical, in which she is to play Sharpay Evans.

Read more:

• Ripon roads are in need of repair
• Trustees sought for Harrogate district youth service

She is also working on a production of Two by Jim Cartwright with a cast of keen Ripon Grammar School actors, to be performed at Ripon Grammar School on July 19.

Previous school roles include parts in Toy Story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Oliver and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for which she also won awards.

A former Ripon Grammar School student is to run 48 marathons in 48 days to raise £48,000 for children in food poverty.

John Clark’s own family struggled to survive on benefits, after his father suffered life-changing injuries in a work accident.

The 34-year-old will attempt to run the 48 marathons in a different county every day for a grand total of 1,248 miles.

John Clark from his school days at Ripon Grammar.

Former international strongman Mr Clark set up the charity Miles4Meals to help families facing the same issues that he did as a child.

He explained why he is attempting the extreme feat of endurance:

“I grew up in a household with a disabled father and a mother who was his full-time carer.

“We lived in food poverty, reliant on government support to make ends meet.”

His life changed when his father Alan, a roofer, broke his back and shattered his foot in a fall after scaffolding collapsed.

Mr Clark said:

“I understand the difficulties families face and the hard choices that need to be made with minimal budgets available for basic living expenses.

“I hope to make a difference, so others don’t have to experience the same as I did.”

The coronavirus pandemic has increased problems faced by families across the UK with an estimated 8.4 million people living in food poverty.

Mr Clark, who left Ripon Grammar in 2003, owns and operates a chain of gyms.

He is appealing for volunteers and supporters to help him along the way in their local county, starting in Northumberland on July 5. reaching North Yorkshire on July 16 and eventually finishing in Worcestershire on August 21.

After leaving Ripon Grammar, Mr Clark studied sports and exercise science at university and took up strongman competitions after breaking his neck in a scrum collapse, which left him unable to play rugby.

Read more:

• How Olympic Gold hero Jack Laugher has stayed loyal to his Ripon roots
• Advance warning of delays for Ripon bypass motorists

Now living in Worcester, he was crowned Britain’s Natural Strongest Man in 2015 and 2016, and when further injury curtailed his strongman career, the former Malvern Rugby Union player took up triathlon.

The Miles4Meals charity, which he set up in May, also works with the Trussell Trust, which campaigns to end hunger and destitution by supporting more than 1,200 food banks in the UK.

For more information visit: www.miles4meals.co.uk/484848. You can follow Mr Clark’s journey on Instagram www.instagram.com/_john.clark