Farewell to our wonderful Class of 2025

Students hosted their own fun-filled but poignant Leavers' Awards ceremony, including speeches, musical performances and a leavers' video, as they marked the end of an era, their last day at Ripon Grammar School, while head of sixth form Terry Fell outlines where they're headed next

"IF there's one thing this place has taught me it's how to flip the script," said leaver Holly Maisey. "Take a failure and turn it into a lesson."

Dan MCClean reflected on the sound of silence that would fill the hall once his year group departed, soon to be replaced by others - part of the cyclical nature of life.

Kareem Said told how Ripon Grammar School felt like coming home after attending a number of schools in different countries. Welcomed into the community, he says he became 'himself', was challenged in the classroom and a whole world of opportunities opened up to him.

There was rousing applause for Eliza Polito and Will Bellaries, on piano, and Theo Kendrick and Jamie Tabor, who sang a duet.

Earlier, head of sixth form Terry Fell addressed the year group that RGS has seen flourish over the years into the people they are today: "Soon, you will leave us, stepping into your future beyond RGS.

"My job allows me the incredible privilege of being part of the planning process that lies behind that departure because an immense amount of thought and preparation has been undertaken.

"For some of our leavers, the planning has taken years as they have pursued a driving ambition while others are still shaping that  bright future and their departure is a brave step into a new world that still holds exciting mystery. They have all been forging the preparations that will see them soar into the flight of the rest of their lives.

"As ever, the majority of students aim to pursue study at the highest level in universities across the country.  Let's start with the artists and creators, designers and dreamers of dreams - this year, we say farewell to two fine artists, one fine artist with a foundation year and two architects, a graphic and communications designer, a product designer, a materials scientist and a product designer for stage and screen, as well as a student of film studies and the history of art.

"We also celebrate a prospective student of composition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, three students of English literature and two of English as well as one of English and linguistics and a student of liberal arts, as well as two classicists.

"Three lawyers are joined by a bachelor of law in global league studies.

"We have two students of theology, religion and the philosophy of religion, an astonishing 15 psychologists and a criminology and sociology student.

"Our sociology and anthropologist is. joined by five historians, two students of history and politics, one student of politics and international relations and two of politics, philosophy and economics, as well as two students of international relations.

"We are delighted to see two geographers, a geographer with a placement year, a student of human geography and environment and one of geography with business.

"It is a bumper year for students joining the caring professions with an incredible 11 medics, two students of medicine with surgery, one of medicinal chemistry, four pharmacists, three vets and a student of either equine vet nursing or equine management, as well as a medical engineer, a neuroscientist, a student of biological and medicinal chemistry, four students of biomedical science and a midwife.

"We also send off two students of early childcare education and care, two sport and exercise scientists and a student of sport science, coaching and PE with a placement year.

"Engineering is always a strong suit for RGS, covering land, sky and sea this year with a civil engineer, four mechanical engineers, two aerospace engineers, two students of automotive engineering with a placement year, a general engineer and agricultural engineer with a placement, an aerospace engineer with pilot studies, a student of mechanical engineering with an industrial placement, a naval architecture and marine engineer and two chemical engineers.

"Our physicist and physicist with astrophysics look to study at the very highest level alongside our computer scientist and student of computer science with mathematics. We also have a mathematics degree student, one of mathematics and statistics and one of mathematics, operational research, statistics and economics (MORSE).

"Science continues to shine in out two natural scientists, our environmental scientist, our three chemists out industrial chemist and out chemist with an integrated foundation year.

"Mr Demir, Miss Anderson and Mrs Nolan will be delighted to see their students go on to study for degrees in economics, economics and finance, two in marketing, two in accounting and finance, one in accounts and finance with a placement year, one in finance and investment management, one in business accountancy and finance, including a business placement. There is also a marketing and management student, four studying business management, one management with a placement year, one business and management with a placement year and one of finance, accounts and management with a placement year.

"Another student will attend university in France, another will undertake a degree apprenticeship in  land management at Harper Adams and another a degree apprenticeship with Grant Thornton and yet another a degree apprenticeship in accounts at Azets in Leeds.

"Other students have chosen to step away from further study for the time being in order to take gap years and travel, including one who will be travelling in Southern African and at least two in Southeast Asia, and a number who will spend next year in employment, building funds for the future.

"We also have a student joining the Armed Forces, one planning a year in France, one who will be a resident organ scholar and one student who can't bear to leave us and so will divide his time between employment and support for the RGS music department.

"So many amazing plans and wonderful career routes lie ahead of you all, and we know you will shine. You have put an incredible amount of work into achieving your dreams. It has taken immense effort, commitment and grit to bring yourselves to this point and we wish you all happiness and success in your journeys and adventures, very well prepared for all that lies ahead."

The best of luck to our wonderful Year 13 students in their exams and in their bright futures. We know how hard they've all worked. This is their chance to shine!