Ripon Grammar School student Izzy Kirby has won a place at a leading musical theatre college.

The 16-year-old was among the youngest students to gain a place on the highly acclaimed three-year musical theatre course at SLP (Studios La Pointe) College in Leeds.

The course, equivalent to a higher education degree, usually attracts 18-year-olds who have already achieved a foundation course qualification in technique and performance.

Izzy, who will play the role of Babette in next month’s RGS production of Beauty and the Beast, has worked hard to reach the required entry level, beginning her training at The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in Darlington seven years ago.

For the past four years, she has attended Ripon’s Upstage Academy outside school and will play the starring role of Tracy in the performing arts school’s summer production of Hairspray.

Izzy, said:

“My first love is acting but I know that training as an all-round performer is crucial nowadays and a place at SLP will be a great grounding for a career in this industry.”

Her audition consisted of solo singing, dance classes and acting workshops.

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She was expecting to hear back two-weeks later, but received an email the next day offering her a place on the three-year diploma course.

Izzy, who is currently working towards her London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art grades 6, 7 and 8 acting qualifications, says her dream roles include Sophie in Mamma Mia, Velma in Chicago or the title role of Mary Poppins in the musical.

As well as receiving one-to-one singing lessons at SLP, she will have the opportunity to work with guest teachers, directors and choreographers.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in musicals including Wicked, Beautiful, The Lion King and Bat Out of Hell.

Ripon Leisure Centre is set to become the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in honour of the local Olympic hero.

Jack Laugher’s family home is in Littlethorpe, near Ripon. He attended Ripon Grammar School and learned to dive with the Harrogate and District Diving Club.

He became Great Britain’s first Olympic champion in diving alongside his partner Chris Mears at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He followed it up with an individual silver to become the most successful British diver ever.

In the years that followed he achieved three gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a bronze and silver medal in the 3m individual and synchro springboard events respectively at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju and a bronze medal in the 3m springboard at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The council has said the new six-lane 25 metre pool at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre is now set to open “early in the new year” after a number of delays due to problems in construction.

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Jack Laugher said:

“I’m truly honoured that Harrogate Borough Council have named the new facility in Ripon the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.

“As a city I grew-up in and a district where I learned to swim and dive, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would have a facility named after me.

“I hope this new pool and the diving facilities in Harrogate encourage others to follow their dreams like I have.”

Councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“The addition of the new swimming pool is a major development for Ripon and shows our commitment to providing modern and fit-for-purpose leisure facilities.

“Jack may not have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for his perseverance and determination, and the leisure facilities available across the Harrogate district. I am therefore delighted that we have named the new facility after him.

“The pool will open early in the new year and I hope everyone, irrespective of disability, gender, age, race, sexual orientation or religion use this fantastic new facility.”

Powerchair football star Ellie Renton, has won a Northern Children of Courage award for her achievements in the fast-paced sport.

The 11-year-old Ripon Grammar School student, whose rare genetic condition means she is unable to walk, was also praised for being a brilliant role model at an awards ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead.

Powerchair football allows people with physical disabilities to play football. Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club first team winger Ellie, from Kirkby Malzeard, is one of the youngest players competing in the national league.

She was diagnosed at 18 months old with type two spinal muscular atrophy, a slow progressive muscle wasting condition which has left her with weak arms and legs and prone to potentially life-threatening chest infections and pneumonia.

The awards, organised by The St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation, celebrate the achievements of young people who have overcome barriers, achieved something extraordinary or helped and supported others.

Coach Carolyn Bean, who nominated Ellie, praised her achievements:

She said:

“She has worked her way up through the teams and has improved so much. She is a joy to coach, listens and tries her hardest absolutely all the time.

“Ellie often comes to training early to help out during our lower-level training, at such a young age I find this pretty amazing. She has such a natural understanding of what other players need and is already a brilliant role model, even to those older than her.

“Ellie holds her own during matches, playing against other teams with players of all ages, which can sometimes be quite scary.”

Ellie, pictured in the foreground, playing powerchair football.

The year seven pupil, who plans to study marine biology at university, said the award came as a huge surprise as she didn’t know she had been nominated. She said:

“I feel grateful, happy and honoured, when I play powerchair football it feels normal, like a normal sport as this is something I can do with my abilities.”

Her mother, Yvonne, added:

“When Ellie was five and first got into a powerchair for football, we were told she would go far. Within two to three years, she had achieved national status, the youngest player to reach that level in the UK.”

Ellie also enjoys music, art, science and maths.

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Her father, Martin, said:

“We would like to thank her coach who nominated her without us knowing – it was a huge surprise when we heard Ellie had won. We are extremely happy and over the moon for her, to receive such an award and to be recognised for her abilities in powerchair football.”

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.

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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.

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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