RGS A-level results among the best in the school's history

THERE were lots of happy faces at North Yorkshire’s leading state school as students’ hard work paid off with an outstanding set of A-level results, among the best in the history of the school.

The vast majority of students at Ripon Grammar School are celebrating securing their first-choice degree course places at some of the country’s most prestigious universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

This year’s cohort achieved remarkable results, with 81.1 per cent of grades awarded at A*/B and 52.5% per cent of all grades at A*/A.

Among the top performers are Will Bellaries, Elizabeth Bordewich and Henry Simpson, who achieved a clean sweep of four A* grades, with a fourth student, Leena Athab, achieving three A*s and one A grade and four students achieving three A* grades.

An impressive 89 A*grades were awarded across the year group of 151 students, who achieved an overall pass rate of 99.8%.

Seven students are heading to Oxford and Cambridge universities, with 15 securing places on highly competitive medicine and veterinary medicine courses and others studying a wide range of subjects from engineering and law to languages, the sciences and the arts.

The most popular university destinations for Ripon Grammar School’s Class of 2025 are Durham and Newcastle.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said the Class of 2025 had been an incredibly hardworking and motivated year group, achieving the second best grade A*-B results in the school’s history: “We are very proud of our students who have worked extremely hard, demonstrating a real passion for their learning. These results are also a testament the dedication of our staff and the support of parents and carers.

“My congratulations to all the students on another very successful year. Results are never an end in themselves but merely act as the necessary passport to the next destination and we are confident our students will go on to achieve great things in the next stage of their lives.

Kayleigh Yarker was delighted to achieve an A grade in her A-level art

Beatrice Pickles-Mercer achieved A*s in French and biology and an A in chemistry while Isla Davidson gained an A in biology and Bs in chemistry and religious studies

Elizabeth Bordewich achieved a clean sweep of four A*s in French, physics, maths and further maths

Henry Simpson, second left, was one of three students who achieved a clean sweep of four A*s

Maisie Lamb and Holly Maisey both achieved three As in art, geography and psychology and plan to take a gap year before taking up their places at university

Hattie Miles gained A*s in maths and chemistry and an A in physics while Xiao-Ai Hill achieved two As in chemistry and biology and a B in music