Teachers at schools across the Harrogate district will not be in the classrooms tomorrow in the first of a series of days of industrial action.

The strike has been called by the National Education Union (NEU) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The union argues a 5% pay rise in 2022 was insufficient to combat the impact of inflation at 10%, leaving many teachers effectively facing a pay cut.

It argues low pay has been a significant factor in many teachers choosing to leave the profession, and has deterred others from joining it. The result, the NEU says, is more pressure on those who remain, particularly since the pandemic.

The union’s points were supported yesterday by Harrogate Grammar School headteacer Neil Renton, who appeared on BBC News to discuss the situation.

He said he was “torn between [his] head and heart”, seeing the difficulties faced by teachers while also wanting to keep the school gates open for pupils.

The issues the NEU raised, he said, affected schools directly too: a recent advert for an English teacher at HGS attracted just one applicant. He added:

“If this continues and we are not able to work with government and ministers to create an education for the future I would, as an educator, want to take steps to make sure we make a much brighter education for our children.”

Read more:

• Why are Harrogate district teachers going on strike?
• Harrogate train passengers braced for further strikes next week

The following schools across the Harrogate district have confirmed some of their teachers will be on strike and released details of how they will operate tomorrow.

Harrogate Grammar School

The school said it is prioritising students taking exams this summer, and those identified as vulnerable.

Years 11 and 13 will be in school, along with children from other year groups who have been contacted individually.

Remote learning from home will be offered to years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Some live lessons will be led by teachers who are not on strike.

King James’s High School, Knaresborough

The school will be open to pupils in years 11, 12 and 13. Other year groups will be provided with online learning.

The school said it would liaise directly with parents of students with an EHCP about the possibility of provision in school.

Outwood Academy Ripon

The school will be open to year 11 and vulnerable students, while all other year groups learn from home.

Ripon Grammar School

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, but students are advised to bring additional work and reading material in case lessons cannot be taught by the subject teacher.

Students in years 8,9, 10 and 12 will learn from home, including some online lessons with teachers who are not on strike.

Year 13 students will be able to work in school if they wish, or revise and join live online lessons from home.

Any students with an EHCP, as well as boarders who can’t go home, can go into school as usual. There is also provision for students whose parents are critical workers.

Rossett School, Harrogate

The school is open to students in years 7, 11, 12 and 13.

Where usual subject teachers are on strike, younger students will have lessons covered by members of the school’s senior leadership team. Older students will carry out independent revision or private study in the sixth form centre.

Students in years 8,9 and 10 will have online lessons available to access from home.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend.

St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend and will spend the day doing activities to develop their social skills, life skills and wellbeing. The school said there may not be sufficient staff available to have one-to-one provision for all students.

Details of how other secondary schools are affected will be posted as we get them.

The next strike date to affect the Harrogate district will be at the end of February.

Ofsted has said Rossett School in Harrogate ‘requires improvement’ in a critical report published today.

High staff turnover, disruptive pupils and extremely high absence rates among disadvantaged students are among the concerns highlighted by the government schools inspector.

The report, which followed a two-day visit on November 22 and 23, acknowledges that for the most part the 1,200-pupil school “is a warm, friendly and welcoming school”. It adds:

“Leaders, governors and staff are deeply committed to the pupils who attend the school. A strong determination to be inclusive and supportive permeates the school.”

But it adds a “notable minority of pupils do not behave well” and “sometimes disrupt the smooth running of the school”.

It then details further behaviour concerns:

“Most pupils who communicated with inspectors feel safe at school, but the conduct of the minority makes some pupils feel unsafe at times.

“Some pupils’ conduct out of lessons is variable, with overly boisterous behaviour. Some pupils ignore staff requests and instructions. Some staff do not apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. A minority of pupils are regularly late to lessons, or have to be rounded up by leaders and escorted to class.”

Leaders, it said, were “taking action to improve the behaviour of the challenging minority of pupils” but “do not have an accurate picture of whether pupils are late, trying to avoid going to lessons, or both, and consequently this limits their ability to deal with the problem as sharply as required”.

‘Persistent absence’

Regarding attendance, the report said data showed that approaching half of all disadvantaged pupils were “persistently absent”.

The inspectors said leaders were following the school’s policy in attempting to improve this situation, but “it lacks the necessary drive and urgency to bring about the required step change in some pupils’ rate of attendance”.

The report said governors “do not have a fully accurate understanding of the school’s performance”, adding:

“They have a more positive view of behaviour than is the case. They have not been enabled by leaders to rigorously explore those aspects of pupils’ outcomes at key stage 4, which are less strong than others.”

The school, which is part of the Red Kite Alliance collaborative partnership of schools and a university across Yorkshire, was previously rated ‘requires improvement’ at its last full inspection in 2019. Today’s report said:

“Since the previous inspection, there has been a substantial turnover of staff, with 20 new staff joining the school in September 2022.”

The school was rated ‘good’ for quality of education, personal development and sixth-form provision and ‘requires improvement’ for behaviour and attitude, and leadership and management.

But the overall rating was ‘requires improvement’, which is worse than ‘outstanding’ and ‘good’ but better than ‘inadequate’.

Read more:

• Ofsted paves way for new Harrogate school offering additional support
• ‘Kind and caring’ staff draw Ofsted praise for Harrogate nursery

‘We are incredibly disappointed’

The school issued the following statement by John Hesketh, chair of governors, in response to the report.

“We are incredibly disappointed by the overall judgment, particularly after being upgraded to ‘good’ in the areas of quality of education and personal development, as well as maintaining the ‘good’ rating for our sixth form provision.

“We are delighted with these improved gradings which recognise the progress we have made since our last inspection and reflect the hard work and commitment from our leaders and all our staff. We will continue to build on all our strengths as we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do.

“We immediately remedied some areas for improvement such as the management of sixth form absence, inconsistencies in school uniform, and the reporting process for staff should they have any concerns. We are reviewing all other areas for improvement and are currently formulating an Ofsted action plan.

“We are pleased the inspectors recognised many positives that reflect the strength of our education provision, our values and ambitions, and the commitment and support we provide to our students and their families.

“There is much to be proud of in the report. Inspectors highlighted our warm, welcoming atmosphere, the breadth and ambition of our curriculum, and the fact that our students move on to positive next steps in education, employment or training at the end of their time with us.

“We received praise for the good, polite behaviour of our students, the commitment of our leaders and governors, our effective safeguarding, and our strength in teaching inclusivity, tolerance and respect.

“We’d like to thank all of Rossett School’s leaders and staff, parents, carers and our whole school community who continue to support us to provide the very best education and positive outcomes for all our students.”

A community-led plan could see five schools in the west of Harrogate involved in a pilot scheme to encourage pupils to walk and cycle.

Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett School and Ashville College, along with Rossett Acre and Western primary schools, would all be covered by a 20mph zone with supporting infrastructure, such as safe crossing points.

Jenny Marks presented the proposal to North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee this morning.

It follows extensive work done by Dr Marks, Ruth Lily and other members of the community to engage with schools, parents and community groups to assess potential support for the scheme. Dr Marks told the meeting:

“We are speaking from a position of significant collective concern for the safety of nearly 5,000 schoolchildren and for all of those who use the network of roads around these schools on a daly basis, including residents and users of Rossett and Ashville sports centre, Busy Bees nursery and Rossett Nature Reserve.

“We’re speaking from a strong position of local knowledge and support, having spent the last 18 months consulting schools, local residents and other stakeholders in order to better understand their needs.”

Dr Marks said the extensive consultation had enabled the group to formulate a detailed plan for the area which would help to make walking and cycling safer, encouraging people out of their cars.

She said the changes would be increasingly important as more and more homes were built in the area, increasing the number of children travelling to local schools.

She received support from across the chamber for the plan, which followed the committee voting to support 20mph zones around schools at its previous meeting last month.

Read more:

• 20mph speed limits to be investigated in Harrogate and Knaresborough
• Pannal Ash residents call for 20mph zone for four schools

Councillors praised the work the group had done to engage with the local community, including speaking at Harrogate and Pannal Ash Residents Association’s AGM.

Cllr Michael Schofield (pictured above), whose Harlow and St George’s division includes three of the five schools involved, said:

“I was fortunate enough to grow up in my division and attend two of the schools, as did my wife. The schools then were very safe to walk to, very safe to cycle to.

“My two children have been to three of the schools – one Rossett Acre and Rossett High, one Rossett Acre and the grammar school. The traffic now is absolutely atrocious.

“Because of the lack of a safe active travel scheme round there, it’s turning into a bit of a self-destruction merry-go-round.

“Parents feel that the roads aren’t safe enough for their children to cycle on to school, so they then jump in the car and take them to school, adding to the problem.”

Highways department to decide

The proposal for the zone will be submitted to North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department, which will consider whether the 20mph zone could be introduced. Highways officers are expected to report back to the area committee at a future meeting.

However, Cllr Pat Marsh, who represents the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division, said a 20mph limit had been outside Hookstone Chase Primary School for 15 years but was ignored. She added:

“I think we are all supportive — it’s not that we’re negative at all, because we do want to protect particularly schools, our children, and encourage them to get out of cars onto bikes or walking.

“We have got to go through the due process and for me, I want the police here, I want the police to monitor them, because without that we’re lost.

“We can have all the signs we want, but until somebody starts to fine the people who abuse it, we don’t go anywhere.”

Schools across the Harrogate district are handing out GCSE results to their Year 11 students this morning.

After a tumultuous two years in their education, the 15 and 16-year-olds sat formal exams for the first time earlier in the summer.

Today’s results will confirm whether they can go on to their planned next steps in education or training.

Keep checking our live blog for the latest news and results from schools across the Harrogate district.

5.10pm Harrogate Grammar School celebrates results

HGS headteacher Neil Renton praised students and teachers for their hard work over the last two years.

92% of students at the school secured grades 9 to 4 in both English and maths. Almost half of all grades were at 7, 8 or 9, with students in biology, chemistry, computer science, product design, music, and physics achieving between 20% and 35% of grades at the top level 9.

Mr Renton said:

“These exceptional results reflect the tenacity of our students and their own unique story during the pandemic. We would like to thank our teachers, who have worked tirelessly during such an exceptional time, and fully appreciate the support that parents have provided during their children’s time with us. It is this partnership between home and school which continues to be the foundation for our success at HGS.”

Stan Gambrill

Alesha Ndikumana

Mia Felstead and Baha Sabet

5.07pm Outwood Academy in Ripon celebrates ‘inspirational’ students

4.01pm Photos: Rossett School

Another selection of happy faces on GCSE results day – this time from Rossett School.

George Papadopoullos and Matthew Jarvis

Patrick Fleming

Yael and Matan Braunstein with their parents and, right, Rossett headteacher Helen Woodcock

3.44pm Young actress heads for stage school after GCSE results

Talented young actress Izzy Kirby will be heading to the prestigious Tring Park Performing Arts School in London after collecting her exam results today.

The Ripon Grammar School boarding student has her sights set on becoming a stage star, and scored a 9, three 8s, a 7 and five 6s to send her there.

Izzy has already starred as Tracy Turnblad in Upstage Academy’s hit musical Hairspray at Harrogate Theatre, as well as taking the role of Babette in her school’s production of Beauty and the Beast. She said:

“I am so happy with my results, especially my 9 in art and 8 in music. I sing but I don’t play an instrument so music was a challenge to begin with, but I have learnt so much.

“I am so excited now to be pursuing my dream of a career as an actress and learning all the skills required for performing in musical theatre, hopefully eventually on the West End and, if I am very lucky, Broadway.

“My dream roles include Sophie in Mamma Mia, Velma in Chicago or the title role of Mary Poppins in the musical.”

Having trained with Upstage for the last four years, Izzy was offered places with three other drama schools but chose Tring as her preferred destination. Its past pupils include actress Lily James, singer Ella Henderson, and Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley.

3.28pm Photos: Ashville College

Harriet Sammon with her parents

Luca Issacs

Lucy Parkinson

Seb Bate

3.21pm Adult learners also collecting results today

Adult learners across North Yorkshire have also been collecting their GCSE results today.

North Yorkshire County Council’s adult learning and skills service offers English and maths courses to help adults improve their key skills.

In maths, 85% of students achieved grade 9-4 and in English language, the results were 100% at grade 4 or above.

North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for education and skills, Amanda Newbold, said: “Congratulations to all young people and adult learners in North Yorkshire receiving their GCSE and equivalent results today.

“Students, adult learners and teaching staff should be very proud of their achievements today. I would especially like to thank our schools, colleges and adult learning providers for their outstanding commitment and support to this cohort of students during what has been a very difficult time.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, executive member for education and skills, added:

“Huge congratulations to all young people in North Yorkshire receiving their GCSE and equivalent results today.

“I have been very impressed by their resilience, hard work and commitment to their studies throughout the ongoing challenges brought by pandemic, their achievements today are well deserved. Good luck in whatever you choose to do next and well done!”

3.07pm ‘Success for everyone’ at Rossett results day

The headteacher of Rossett School in Harrogate has highlighted the achievements of all students, not just those scoring the top grades.

Helen Woodcock said the “many, many individual success stories” should all be recognised in the wake of two years of covid disruption.

She added:

“Each student has had their own individual experience of working towards their GCSEs through the pandemic.

“They have had to be self-disciplined, deal with anxieties, and rebuild their resilience. Some have also had to navigate bereavement, personal medical challenges and changes in family circumstances.

“And yet, they returned to school and exam preparation with real commitment for study and for being involved in wider activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, clubs and competitions.

“We are unbelievably proud of them all.”

Although it has not released statistics, the school said its results are “significantly higher” than the national average across all measures, including the number of grades 9-7 awarded to its students.

Among those to have scored particularly well were Yael Braunstein and George Papadopoullos, who achieved 13 grade 9s and 10 grade 9s respectively. The results – some of which were awarded in previous years, place them in the top 0.1% in the country.

Yael, whose younger brother Matan has just achieved a grade 8 in GCSE Latin at the end of year 9, has received a scholarship to study maths, history, chemistry and further maths.

Patrick Fleming achieved grades 9 and 8 across all his subjects and will return to Rossett’s sixth form next month to study maths, physics, computer science and further maths. Lucie Cliff, meanwhile, will use her four grade 9s, four 8s and one 6 to study sciences and psychology as she aims to get a place on a medical degree.

Deputy head Peter Saunders, who is in charge of quality of education, said:

“This year’s fantastic results fulfil the school’s aim of ‘success for everyone’, which we achieve through the strength of our tailored curriculum that allows students to develop their own individual strengths and talents.

“We are absolutely delighted for all our students. Their achievements in the light of the particular impact of covid on their studies makes their results today all the more remarkable.”

2.44pm Photos: Harrogate Ladies’ College

A few more photos now – these from Harrogate Ladies’ College, where students were greeted by delighted principal Sylvia Brett.

Ilene Andisheh-Tadbir and Beatrice Nolan

Principal Sylvia Brett with delighted GCSE students

2.39pm Top results shared by students at Borougbridge High School

Two students shared the honours of top results at Boroughbridge High School today.

Toby Naish and Melody Neale each achieved eight grade 9s and one grade 8 in their GCSE results.

Headteacher Kathryn Stephenson said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure to congratulate students today on their excellent achievements.

“We are incredibly proud of the way in which they have approached the challenges of the last couple of years, showing great resilience throughout.”

2.12pm Strong performance in key subjects at St John Fisher

The core subjects of English and maths showed great results at St John Fisher Catholic High School today.

Across the year group, 86% of students secured at least grade 4 in both subjects.

The school said the results showed the students’ “diligence, commitment and tenacity”. Headteacher Steve Mort said:

“It is a privilege to work with young people who have such high aspirations, and it is wonderful to see them excelling academically as well as witnessing their spiritual and personal growth during their time with us.

“We now look forward to welcoming the majority of them back into our excellent Associated Sixth Form. For those students who are moving on to other post -16 establishments we wish them the very best with their future endeavours and thank them for their contributions to life at St John Fisher school.

“My thanks to our dedicated teaching and support staff. They have worked incredibly hard, under unprecedented circumstances, to enable our students to progress on to their post-16 studies.

“The support of our parents and carers has been crucial too. They have worked in close partnership with the school to enable us to provide high quality learning and pastoral care during the pandemic.”

St John Fisher student Archie Gray, who has been in the Leeds United first team squad while studying for his GCSEs, is also reported to have done well. The club posted on its Twitter account today:

https://twitter.com/LUFC/status/1562787833261133824?s=20&t=_905is3jWHLGkJ6O1TCq3Q

2.04pm Top results at Harrogate’s Ashville College

More than half of the students at Ashville College achieved grades 9 to 7 in today’s results.

A third of them achieved the top two grades, while the school said its ‘value added’ measure of progress over the last two years showed a score of 0.8 per grade, per subject.

Headteacher Rhiannon Wilkinson said:

“We are delighted with the excellent results our Year 11 pupils attained, and I congratulate them on their success.

“They rose admirably to the challenges of the last two years, and their hard work and determination has certainly paid off with over half our results attaining the top grades of 9 to 7.

“Ashville pupils, families and staff are celebrating the fact that in 2022 we have seen the best ever progress made by GCSE pupils in GCSE examinations.”

Among those scoring highly was Annie Meehan, one of just 188 students across the country to achieve eleven 9s, who will go on to the school’s sixth form as she prepares for a medical degree.

Seb Bate scored nine 9s and two 8s, Lucy Parkinson got nine 9s alongside and 8 and a 7, Ethan Marshall achieved eight 9s, two 8s and a 7, Anna Jackson got four 9s, five 8s and a 7 and Luca Issacs scored six 9s, three 8s and a 7.

For Harriet Sammon, who has dyslexia, support from the school’s learning support team helped to achieve a 9, four 8s, two 7s and a 6, along with a value added score of just over two grades per subject. She said:

“They have been amazing and thanks to them I never gave up. I’m really pleased with my results and can’t wait to start sixth form.”

Lucy added:

“I’m absolutely delighted with my results, and one has come as a real shock – In my mocks I got a 6 in physics and I have passed it with a 9!

“I’m really looking forward to my A levels, studying the subjects I love in more depth, and then hopefully going on to university.”

1.38pm Pictures: Results day at St Aidan’s

Some photographs of delighted students collecting their results at St Aidan’s today.

1.24pm Results at St Aidan’s ‘over and above’ expectations

Students at St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate are celebrating their GCSE results today.

The school said its pupils’ progress was “over and above expectations” and that they had achieved “remarkably well” in today’s results.

Acting headteacher Chris Ives said:

”These results are testament to the fantastic group of students we have had in Year 11. For the last two years they have not only had to embrace the demands of their GCSE courses, but also handle the uncertainty and pressures of the pandemic.

“We are immensely proud of each and every one of them. They have been there and supported one another through a great deal.

“After not being able to have students pick up their results up in person for the last two years, it is truly amazing to see them celebrate together as a community today.

“Our staff have also given so much of their time to help and support these young people – using their knowledge and expertise in their subjects, and providing assurance and guidance through an examination process that these students will not have seen their peers go through over the last few years.

“The support we have all felt from our parents and carers has also been incredibly heartening.”

The school has not released any statistics publicly, but said a “large number” of students would return to sixth form in September.

12.11pm Top grades set young farmer on path to future career

A young farmer has scored top grades in his GCSE results despite juggling the challenges of school with his work on a local farm.

Despite getting up before dawn and going to bed long after sunset, Will Jarvis managed to achieve nine grade 9s and two 8s.

The Roecliffe teenager, who attends Ripon Grammar School, is also a keen Yorkshire Academy rugby player and trombone player in the school brass ensemble. He said:

“I choose to work long hours, alongside my school life, because I have always had a huge passion to educate people where their food comes from, as well as produce the food they are about to eat.

“Farming is more of a way of life than a career, whether it be through the constant work required to keep livestock fed, watered, bedded, and healthy and happy too, or the working of land to prepare, plant, and maintain healthy growth of crops that will then be used the following year.

“I love my job because it varies hugely, no two days are the same, even if I am driving the same tractor or working with the same cows and calves.”

Will plans to return to school in September to study A levels in biology, chemistry, maths and geography, before taking a gap year to work as a cattle rancher in Australia then silaging and large-scale harvesting in New Zealand and America, before beginning university.

11.28am Hundreds of top grades for Ripon Grammar School students

More than 600 top grades have been handed to students at Ripon Grammar School today.

The GCSE students achieved a total of 601 grades 8 and 9 in their results, with 69.9% of all grades being 9-7 and 94.5% being 9-5 – equivalent to a B or above under the old system.

Among the highest achieving were five students who achieved 10 or more grade 9s.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said:

“We are delighted for our GCSE students who have worked so hard during two years of disrupted education and I would like to congratulate also the teaching staff who supported students through the lockdowns with an effective online programme which left them well-placed for exams this summer.”

11.11am Nidderdale High School sends students on to next steps in education

Nidderdale High School is singing the praises of its students, who have overcome the challenges of the last few years to achieve their GCSE and BTEC results.

Across all subjects, a third of students achieved at least one top grade of 9, 8 or 7.

Among those celebrating top results are Jeevan Shergill, whose 11 results were all graded 9-7, and Martha Wood who achieved 10 out of 11 results at grades 9-7.

Ethan May had nine 9-7 grades, while Elspeth Raw and Dylan Sawyer both achieved eight grades 9-7. All four will now study A levels in local sixth forms.

Across the year group, students are also going on to sports scholarships, apprenticeships and college places.

Headteacher Kath Jordan said:

“It is difficult to put into words just how challenging the past few years have been for this year group, from choosing their options during live online lessons, to returning to school with limited movement around the building, weekly lateral flow tests, disruption to internal mock exams and periods of absence for students and staff.

“This coupled with the uncertainty about what would be tested, how much information would be released to support preparation and how exams would be graded, has required the very highest levels of determination, resilience, flexibility and commitment from students.

“It has also seen exceptional levels of support from staff and families. We are proud of everything our school community has done to overcome the many obstacles and ensure success for our students and help them to take their next steps towards their future studies and careers.

“Many of our Year 11s have been role models for the kindness and respect that is so important to who we are as a school. We hope that they have felt that both when things are going right and in times of difficulty, we have been there for them and now we wish them all the very best for their future.”

9.52am Promising athlete achieves top grades despite dad’s cancer diagnosis

A high-flying athlete whose father was diagnosed with cancer six weeks before he sat his GCSEs is celebrating top results today.

Isaac Henson achieved five grade 9s, three 8s and three 7s, having also competed in the Yorkshire track and field championships while preparing for his exams.

His father Ant was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April, just before the exam period began at Ripon Grammar School. Isaac said:

“My dad being poorly really put things in perspective for me, and spending many hours a week training for athletics has made me determined to do my best.

“But it’s been hard work and I could not have done this without the dedication of my teachers. They are passionate about their subjects, which really helps.”

Isaac was crowned triple Yorkshire champion in shot put, discus and 100m hurdles, winning silver in javelin and pole vaulting too. Since sitting the exams, he has won the Northern regional javelin competition, as well as silvers in pole vault and discus.

He now plans to study A levels in art, biology, chemistry and maths, before applying for sporting scholarships to study chemistry in the USA.

Mum Fiona said:

“We are over the moon with all his achievements and are so proud. We can’t thank the school enough for all their help and guidance.”

Alongside his studies, Isaac continues with his sports, including being selected for the School Games national finals at Loughborough University next week, with the national pole vault and octathlon championships later this year.

Having been the North Yorkshire U15 indoor pentathlon champion, he’s now working towards competing in the decathlon.

Although he only took up pole vaulting recently, he is currently placed sixth in the country in his age group.

Isaac, who received his results on his phone while working at a local cattery and kennels, added:

“I can’t thank my English teacher Miss Levhan enough for helping me get grade 7s as I struggle with it so much; she has been a fantastic teacher.

‘Chemistry is my favourite subject as my teacher Dr Grime has drummed into me that it’s the best subject in the world!”

9.48am Top results for Harrogate Ladies’ College pupils

Results at Harrogate Ladies’ College today are the best achieved by the school since the new GCSE grading system began five years ago.

The number of top grades of 9-7 – equivalent to A**-A in the old system – increased to 64%, with 24% of all grades achieving the highest possible score of 9. In six subject areas, all of the grades were 9-7.

School principal Sylvia Brett said:

“Once again these are a fantastic set of results which reflect our talented and hard-working pupils.

“These are the highest set of grades we have seen since the new national grades were introduced 5 years ago, and we have incredible success across a huge range of subjects including languages, creative arts and sciences.

“I was particularly pleased to see how well the girls have performed in the sciences, but equally that pupils who opted for languages and humanities have performed so well.

“They should all be very proud of their success today.”

Among those celebrating is Ilene Andisheh-Tadbir, who achieved seven grade 9s and four grade 8s, and Beatrice Nolan who achieved five grade 9s, three 8s and a 7.

Emily Walker scored five grade 9s, two 8s and three 7s, while Harrogate’s Emily Reid achieve five grade 8s and four 7s.

Ilene said:

“I’m thrilled with my results and feel overjoyed at the thought of coming back to school in a few weeks to start my A levels and then think about university choices. I’m really, really pleased with the results.”

Beatrice added:

“I’m really delighted with today’s results and want to thank everyone at school who supported me and now I can’t wait to start the next chapter at school and think about what my future holds.”

Organisations across Harrogate have been giving their congratulations to England football star Rachel Daly today, after she helped the team to a historic victory in the European Championships.

The Lioness, who grew up in Harrogate, spent the day at Trafalgar Square where a victory parade was held in front of thousands of fans — but her home town was keen to ensure she received its best wishes too.

The messages were led by Rossett School, which Rachel attended as a teenager, becoming a star in its football teams. Headteacher Helen Woodcock said:

“Rachel Daly and the Lionesses have brought a real sense of national achievement and pride to the world of English football. We are so proud of her, here at Rossett!

“We have a long tradition of sporting excellence at Rossett – especially in football – with our young women and men going on to football scholarships both here and abroad. Most recently we have cemented our relationship with the sport in beginning a partnership with Harrogate Town, providing a home for their academy training.

“We are immensely proud of Rachel Daly; her work ethic, her resilience and her longevity in the game. All Rossett students and staff were shouting themselves hoarse in encouragement and then in celebration as she tackled and defended as part of the amazing team effort against a strong German side on Sunday.

“Rossett School are looking forward to preparing the next generation of young women and men heading towards sporting excellence as part of its school and community football programmes.

“We hope to welcome Rachel to the school soon to inspire our young women to look at taking their skills a step further, realising a career in the sport at local, national and international level.”

Read more:

• ‘That was for you’ – Harrogate Lioness’s tribute to late dad
• ‘Play like the star you are’: Harrogate gets behind Rachel Daly ahead of Euro final

Community football teams were also singing her praises:

you were simply amazing @RachelDaly3 and all the @Lionesses https://t.co/FB28hVSrWG

— FDS Harrogate Soccer School (@FDSHarrogate1) July 31, 2022

Among those sending their congratulations was a parent of a young player at Killinghall Nomads, where Daly used to play as a child.

As the Mum of a Killinghall Nomads JFC girl, you and the lionesses have inspired a generation of young girls ⚽️❤️ and so much more. Congratulations and thank you! @RachelDaly3

— Alexandra Vere (@alexsvere) August 1, 2022

Tweets were also posted by local organisations, including Visit Harrogate:

https://twitter.com/VisitHarrogate/status/1554044676717613057

There have been calls in Scarborough to give their local Lioness, Beth Mead, the freedom of the town.

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council if there were any plans to mark Daly’s achievement or put on a homecoming parade, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

However, the authority did share a tribute on Twitter:

Congratulations to @RachelDaly3 and all the @Lionesses on such an incredible achievement!#̵I̵t̵s̵C̵o̵m̵i̵n̵g̵H̵o̵m̵e̵ #ItsHome https://t.co/5X7XzdMTxs

— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) August 1, 2022

Rachel Daly’s former football coach has said he’s never seen a better female footballer as the England international heads into tonight’s crunch Euro semi-final.

Daly, who went to Saltergate and Rossett schools in Harrogate, will be among the squad who will go head-to-head with Sweden for a place in the final at Wembley on Sunday.

She started at full-back in the Lionesses’ dramatic 2-1 quarter-final win over Spain last Wednesday to book the Linonesses in tonight’s game.

Mike Sweetman, who coached Daly at Rossett school, said he was not surprised at her success on the pitch.

He said:

“She was just head and shoulders above any other girl footballer at the time, she played with the boys and she wanted to play with the boys. The boys were very good with her and they just treated her as one of the lads, she was very popular and they basically just played football at any opportunity they had.

“I have so many memories and stories but I just always remember opposition players knowing how good she was and trying to mark her but she was just too good.

“We got to the north of England final at Turf Moor, she was outstanding, we played a team from Liverpool, they had three or four players who just followed her all around the pitch.”

Read more:

• ‘She’s just my daughter!’: Rachel Daly’s dad’s pride at Olympics star
• Local Lioness leads by example in the Women’s EUROs

Mr Sweetman, who has since retired from Rossett’s PE department after 27 years, has coached a number of students who have gone onto do well in the sport, including gaining scholarships to US universities.

But for him, Daly is among the best he has coached and it does not surprise him to see her doing well for the international side.

He said:

“I’m not surprised she has had more than 50 caps for England.

“In all my years teaching I had not seen a better female player, saying that, she struggled with a bad knee at school and you definitely need a lot of luck along with talent to cement your place in an England team.”

@Rossett @RachelDaly3 Fantastic to see this kid returning to school, 16 caps for England later. Saying I feel proud is the understatement of the year!!#Rachel Daly pic.twitter.com/0BUbmucFWC

— michael sweetman (@Mike_Sweetman) December 19, 2018

As for Daly’s and the Lionesses’ chances of reaching the final, Mr Sweetman feels England have a good chance tonight.

He added that the record crowd at Bramall Lane in Sheffield will help them get over the line.

“I think she is doing amazingly well in the tournament, she is playing in defence and she usually plays up front for Houston Dash but that really does illustrate well just how good she is when she can play left centre back or left back when she is predominantly a striker. 

“I think they could win tonight. Sweden are a very good team though, I think the crowd will really help England.”

Rossett School is planning to remove three tennis courts and replace them with a new artificial 3G football pitch.

The school has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council that would see football facilities improve at Rossett Sports Centre.

There is currently a high demand for 3G pitches in the area, particularly since Harrogate Town were forced to remove theirs after promotion to the English Football League two years ago.

Last year, the school raised £10,000 through a fundraiser to replace its current 3G pitch.

Read more:

• Royal visit caps sell-out first day at Great Yorkshire Show
• Harrogate and Knaresborough trains to Leeds to be reinstated in December

3G pitches are a way for schools to make extra income by hiring out the facility to local teams.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School has planning permission to build a new 3G pitch, which is set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.

St John Fisher Catholic High School also has a 3G pitch available for hire and Ashville College has an astroturf pitch.

The Stray Ferret asked Rossett for further details on its plans but a spokesperson declined to comment.

Read more:

• St Aidan’s new 3G pitch set to be open until 8pm

• Royal visit caps sell-out first day at Great Yorkshire Show

Rossett School has paid tribute to Harrogate man and former student Sam Gibson, who has died in a car crash.

Police officers responded to reports of a vehicle leaving the road on the A59 near Upper Poppleton, between the junctions of Newlands Lane and Hodgson Lane, at about 7am on Sunday.

They discovered Mr Gibson’s grey Peugeot 208 car, which had left the road and landed on its roof.

The 24-year-old was certified dead at the scene.

Rossett School described Mr Gibson as a popular student who was a regular in theatrical performances.

A school spokesperson said:

“Sam was a popular student in both the lower school and in the sixth form.  A leading light in the performing arts, he performed and supported other students in classic productions such as ‘Oliver!’ when he was here at Rossett.

“He will be remembered as someone who was a friend to many; a champion for those less fortunate than him and an active fundraiser for charity. The thoughts of the whole Rossett community are with Sam’s family at this difficult time.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Hydro set to close for nine months
• Harrogate council conservation officer ‘cannot support’ Debenhams demolition

Nearly 700 secondary school places will be needed in Harrogate and Knaresborough by 2025/26 to keep up with demand caused by new housing.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed the shortfall in a report for its Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on Thursday.

The report says Harrogate and rural secondary schools had a shortfall of 156 places in 2020/21 while Knaresborough secondary schools had a surplus of 139 places.

However, by 2025/26 there is a projected shortfall of 623 places in Harrogate and rural secondary schools and a projected shortfall of 49 places in Knaresborough secondary schools.

Harrogate and rural secondary schools include Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett School, Harrogate High School, St John Fisher Catholic High School, St Aidan’s CE High School and Nidderdale High School.

Knaresborough secondary schools consists solely of King James’s School.

The county council said in the document that it was “carefully monitoring pupil numbers” across Harrogate and Knaresborough and highlighted plans for more housing in the west of Harrogate as the cause of the issue.

Primary schools fare better

Harrogate’s primary schools look set to fare better, with a surplus of 580 places forecast by 2025/26.

There is a projected shortfall of 156 primary school places in Knaresborough, where a new school with the capacity for 420 pupils is being built to accommodate people moving into Manse Farm and Highfield Farm.

Rossett School and Harrogate Grammar School built five additional classrooms as a result of discussions about pupil numbers in 2019, the report adds.

Read more:

• Where is the infrastructure plan for 4,000 homes in west Harrogate?
• Plan for 256 Boroughbridge homes recommended for approval

The county council, which has a duty to provide enough spaces, says in the document that both Rossett School and Harrogate Grammar School “will assist to meet the expected rise in demand for places as a result of housing growth” but does not give further details.

‘Sufficient places’ at King James’s School

In Knaresborough, the county council said that there are currently “sufficient places for local children at King James’s School and a significant number of pupils from outside the catchment are able to secure places”.

The report says:

“The general picture across the whole of the county shows projected growth in the urban areas contrasting with declining numbers in rural locations.

“A falling birth rate combined with changing demographics means that a number of small schools are facing financial challenges associated with low numbers on roll.”

Harrogate Borough Council is due to publish a West Harrogate Parameters Plan this year, outlining the infrastructure requirements associated with the projected 4,000 new homes planned for the western side of Harrogate.

Residents and councillors have grown frustrated with delays about when the plan will be published.

The council initially said it would be published in October 2020, but this was delayed until March 2021, then September 2021. It now says a draft version will be published next month.

A 14-year-old carer from Harrogate spent a special day with her family at the Duchess of Cambridge’s Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

Jasmine Clark was among a group of community heroes invited to the service this month to thank them for their efforts during the pandemic.

Jasmine is a carer for her 15-year-old brother Dylan, who has Williams syndrome, a developmental disorder.  She has also helped her mum Sophia, who has suffered from mental health problems during the pandemic.

Sophia said the day was “so emotional and overwhelming”, adding:

“I was in tears all day, it was a very proud moment.”

Read more:

• ‘Terrifying but rewarding’: Harrogate home carer reflects on another covid year
• ‘It’s no longer all about the traditional turkey at Christmas’, says butcher

The family has been supported by the charity Action for Children.

Rossett School

Sophia said her daughter has been the “the rock between us all” during a difficult time.

“She’s been there in so many ways. I don’t know where we’d be without her.”

Jasmine, who is in year nine at Harrogate’s Rossett School, said “it felt amazing” to attend the service, which included performances from the Westminster Abbey choir, Leona Lewis and Ellie Goulding.

She added:

“I was so happy to get the opportunity to go and see Kate and William.”

The concert will be shown on ITV at 7:30pm tonight.