Ten Oxbridge offers for 'outstanding' secondary school in Harrogate district
A school in the Harrogate district is celebrating after ten of its students won Oxbridge offers.
Five candidates at Ripon Grammar School’s outstanding sixth form have won offers from the University of Cambridge while five received offers from the University of Oxford.
Head of sixth form Terry Fell said: “We are so proud of our students' dedication and their high aspirations as they prepare for the next stage of their exciting futures beyond school.
"They are resourceful, determined and well prepared for whatever is to come next.”
Head girl and boy Amélie Chaduc and Ollie Kitson won offers from Cambridge and Oxford to study law and history and politics, respectively.
Boarding student Amélie, 17, from outside Skipton, is taking maths, chemistry and history at A-level and aims to become a barrister.
The talented musician, who completed her Associate of the Royal Schools of Music piano diploma last year, was thrilled to receive her offer: “I was very surprised as I thought I’d done so badly in my interview,” she said.
Ollie, 17, from Kirkby Malzeard outside Ripon, studying history, politics, English literature and biology at A-level, is not sure what he will do after university but hopes to spend some time travelling.
He is also a keen rugby player and guitarist, working towards his gold Duke of Edinburgh award.
Boarding student Abha Kulkarni, from Ingleby Barwick, will be joining fellow student Daniel McClean, from Knaresborough, to study politics, philosophy & economics at Oxford.
Taking maths, economics and politics at A-level, she hopes to work in the Civil Service.
Co-chair of the school’s debating team and a volunteer at a local hospice charity shop, the 18-year-old said she was “speechless” when she got her offer.
Planning to join her at Oxford are drama and fencing enthusiast Adam Dickinson, 17, from Grantley outside Ripon, (history and politics) and keen basketball player Hattie Miles,17, from Hampsthwaite (materials science).
Boarding student Francesca Faulks, 18, from Northallerton, and her friend Tassy Bell, 18, from Thirsk, both received offers to study theology at Cambridge.
Taking A-levels in religious studies, classics and English literature, Francesca enjoys drama and choir at school and hopes to work in the Foreign Office one day.
She said she was “absolutely delighted” to receive her offer.
Tassy, who aims to join the civil service fast stream programme after university, was shocked and relieved to receive her offer: “Francesca and I celebrated in our religious studies lesson once we’d both heard back.”
The talented musician, who recently achieved a grade 8 in singing and is taking A-levels in religious studies, politics, German and chemistry, is also applying for a choral scholarship at Cambridge.
Planning to join her at Cambridge are talented artist Tess Holloway, 17, from Ripon (English literature), who is currently completing her gold Duke of Edinburgh award, and keen pianist Rachel Rogers, 18, from Green Hammerton (veterinary medicine).
They will be studying a wide array of subjects, from economics, English literature, history, law and philosophy to politics, materials science, theology and veterinary medicine.
Alongside them, many students planning their next steps after A-levels have gained offers from highly competitive universities and courses across the country, including Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, King’s College, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Warwick and York.
Other highly-motivated students have won top level apprenticeship offers or secured employment.