Harrogate school's high achievers celebrate best ever A Level examination results

Among the many high achievers at Harrogate's Ashville College were Amy Brown who achieved two A*s, an A and a B.

Harrogate’s Ashville College has announced its best ever set of A Level exam results, with the vast majority of pupils meeting the requirements to attend one of their preferred university choices.

Despite a decline in the top grades nationally, Ashville has bucked the trend.

Just under a quarter (23 per cent) of those Ashville pupils sitting their A Levels this summer achieved A*s, whilst 52 per cent passed with grades A*/A, 78 per cent with A*-B and 94 per cent A*-C. The College reported a 100 per cent pass rate.

Ashville Head Rhiannon Wilkinson said: “We are delighted with our outstanding Upper Sixth results which are the best ever A Level examination results at Ashville College. 52 percent of our grades are at A* or A in a year when the A* to A rate is lower nationally after the grade inflation of the last few years.

“I am extremely proud of our pupils whose results reflect their hard work and commitment.

"They are the first cohort never to have taken GCSE examinations and they have missed substantial periods of schooling whilst getting to grips with online learning.

“I am enormously grateful to every member of staff for their dedication and encouragement. I know our pupils will join me in thanking their teachers and, of course, their parents.”

Individual highlights include Reuben Aston, who has secured the grades to study Theology at Cambridge University, and friends George Jackson and Dom Callister, who both passed their exams with three A*s each.

Dom is heading to Sheffield to study Aeronautical Engineering, whilst George has a place at Edinburgh to study history.

Their mothers first met at maternity classes when the babies were just two weeks old, and the pair have gone through Ashville Senior School together (Dom joined in Year 4 and George in Year 7).

Other high achievers include Amy Brown who achieved two A*s, an A and a B, which secured her a place at Liverpool University to study psychology, and Rosa Dobson who passed with two A*s and an A, to study biology at Imperial College London, which closely follows Oxford and Cambridge in university league tables.

Rosa, who missed much of the last three years of her schooling due to illness, said: “I’m feeling really good about my results. It was a tough three years as I’ve been ill for most of it.

“I missed the entire Lower Sixth year, was in and out of Upper Sixth, and missed a lot of my mocks.”

Destinations this year’s leavers will be heading to include a range of Russell Group universities, such as Cambridge, Warwick, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, and Imperial College London.

Head of sixth form Leanne Norton said: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our Upper Sixth pupils.

"They have shown determination, resilience, and ambition, overcoming the challenges of recent years. They richly deserve the success that today has brought.

"These outstanding results are a testament to the hard work of pupils, Ashville staff and the unwavering support of their families. As pupils embark upon their next exciting steps, we wish them all the very best.”

For more information about Ashville visit www.ashville.co.uk or call 01423 566358.