As it happened: GCSE results in York and North Yorkshire

Students at St Peter’s School are celebrating outstanding GCSE results.

Half of all grades awarded were 9 or 8, over two thirds at 9 to 7 and 83% of grades from 9 to 6. This year’s results were ahead of the school’s performance in 2019.

Head master Jeremy Walker said:

“What a day for our fantastic Fifth Form and huge congratulations to them and their teachers. They can take great pride in everything they have achieved, and we are all thrilled with their results today. Their positivity and commitment to all aspects of school life is admirable and we are delighted to celebrate their academic achievements alongside all they contribute to the life of the school.

“I repeat my thanks to my dedicated colleagues who provide inspirational teaching and unwavering support to every pupil. I also thank parents for working in partnership with us to support their children, together as a strong community.

“Our talented Fifth Form pupils have already made such valuable and diverse contributions to life at St Peter’s School, focused on their academic and co-curricular activities whilst developing strong friendships and having an enormous amount of fun! Now they are taking their next step to Sixth Form and will be joined by new pupils from other schools, we look forward to seeing their skills, values and interests develop even further.”

Some of the St Peter’s GCSE stars included:

Alice who achieved an astounding 12 grade 9 GCSEs, one of only a handful in the country to attain such results. Alice is a consistently persuasive member of the debating team, being part of the team that reached the National Finals of the ESU Schools’ Mace Debating Competition in London, after success at the regional finals. She said, “It was amazing to see my hard work pay off. None of this would have happened without fantastic support from my teachers and family.”

Harry was delighted to achieve an astonishing eleven 9s and an 8. He was awarded the Fifth Form Prize for Academic Merit at our recent Commemoration Day and has represented the First Team in rugby and is a keen hockey player.

Edward was pleased with his amazing ten 9s. His musical contributions in school have been significant as well as his sporting commitments which saw him placed in the Rugby First Team. He recently wowed the audience playing the complicated ‘Elégie Op 143’, on violin in the Senior Music Festival Final.

Islay did extremely well, achieving nine 9s, an 8 and a 7. She took on the additional challenge of a GCSE in Astronomy through the York Independent State School Partnership. Islay shows prowess in the school’s rowing crews, consistently winning medals as part of a very strong team. She is working towards Silver Duke of Edinburgh award and is an active member of the School Council.

Jimmy was proud of his eight 9s and two 8s. His passion for rowing has developed at school where he is now training to become a cox. His expertise in music wows audiences whether it is his singing or playing the piano and organ. He said, “I’m really proud of my results. I couldn’t have done it without great teachers and family. I can’t wait for Sixth Form.”

Keen cricketer Joshua was pleased with his eight 9s and three 8s. Another cricketer Wills, who captains North of England, and has consistently topped batting averages, was bowled over by his seven 9s and three 8s.

Polly, Helena, Isobel, John (who took the lead part in Peter Pan and Wendy to great audience acclaim), Ailsa (a keen tennis player), Eryn (a skilled rower) and Wendi, were other talented St Peter’s pupils who all achieved ten or more GCSE grade 8 and 9s.

Students at The Mount School have scored an outstanding set of GCSE results today.

Altogether, 32% of GCSE grades were awarded at 8/9 grades, and 54% of the grades were 7-9 with 40% of girls gaining at least three 8/9 s and 50% of girls achieving at least five grades at 7-9.

Every pupil achieved at least six GCSE grades at grade 5 and 75% of grades were 6 or above. Principal David Griffiths congratulated them:

“I am delighted by the outstanding GCSE results received today. The hard work and dedication of the girls is truly commendable, and their remarkable achievement is well deserved. This year’s GCSE results at The Mount School have demonstrated a consistent upward trajectory, bucking the national trend. This reflects the commitment and resilience of both our pupils and staff.

“I am immensely proud, not only of the pupils’ exceptional academic achievements, but also of the unwavering dedication, resilience, and personal growth they have demonstrated beyond the classroom.

“Within this year group, we have a myriad of talented individuals – from skilled dancers, accomplished jockeys, and exceptional athletes to confident public speakers and gifted artists. These achievements encompass the essence of the holistic all-round education we are proud to provide at The Mount.”

Bootham School students have been celebrating a strong set of GCSE results, despite national grades falling back to 2019 levels.

With 52% of grades at 7-9, there were a number of outstanding results for individuals – with 15 pupils achieving a sweep of these top end grades, straight As in the old system.

Seven pupils – Issy Ashforth, Lizzie Hughes, Charlotte Jacobi, Theo Lindridge, Tserena Tang, Freddie Thornton and Olivia Whitby – all achieved seven or more top grade 9s.

Lizzie and Freddie were the top performers, each with eleven grade 9s.

And it will be a cause for double celebration in the Thornton household, where Freddie’s brother Charlie last week left Bootham four straight A* grades in his A-levels.

New headmaster Deneal Smith said: “Despite the disruption to their education caused by the Covid lockdowns, and with no additional support offered in this exam season to compensate for that, these young people fully deserve the strong results they have earned this year.

“Alongside the headline performers, there are plenty of other stories of pupils overcoming difficulties to secure very creditable grades. 

“GCSEs are the stepping stones towards A-levels and other qualifications, and these results will allow so many of our students to move on to the next stage of their education with great confidence.”

[adrotate group=”3″]

Big celebrations at Fulford School in York today after an excellent set of results.

This is the message from headteacher Steve Lewis:

“We are delighted to congratulate all our Year 11 students on a fantastic set of GCSE and vocational qualifications.

“Our students have continued to achieve outstanding results at all levels, with many gaining tops grades.

“It has been really pleasing to see so many of our students gain the qualifications needed to move onto their next steps in education, including Fulford Sixth Form.

“They have worked hard during their time at Fulford and should be proud of their achievements. Well done to them all.”

Terrific results from the students at Joseph Rowntree School in York.

The school said this today: “We are immensely proud of what our Year 11 students have achieved this year.

“We know how hard they have worked and the hours of preparation that they put into their studies and exams – it is wonderful seeing this pay off.

“We are also so impressed with how they’ve managed to navigate the pressure of being the first year to return to pre-covid exam and grading levels.

“Many of our students have achieved well across a range of subjects, both academic and creative, with a significant number achieving above their target grades across a range of subjects. With challenging targets set, this can only be achieved through resilience and dedication. 

“Well done, Year 11 for all of your hard work. We can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will go on to accomplish and we wish you all the best in your next steps.”

Here are some of Jo Ro’s remarkable results. Charlie Dunne achieved 9 grade 9s in his exams. Holly Dukes and Caitlin Tiffany also achieved 10 subjects at grades 8/9. Annabelle Davenport and Jessie Nguyen both achieved over 8 subjects at grades 8/9. Ahmed Al-Awsi, Will Dennis, Emily Adams and Lexi Copley all also achieved over 5 grades at 8/9 as well as other strong results elsewhere. 

Headteacher Dave Hewitt said: “This has been a challenging time for our Year 11 students given the amount of disruption they have faced to their education.

“Their dedication to their studies has been really impressive and we are delighted with the results they have achieved and that many of them will continue their studies with us in our Sixth Form.

“Members of staff have been delighted to join students in celebrating their results this morning and helping them make decisions about the next step in their education.”

York College & University Centre sent hearty congratulations to all their students who gained the GCSE grades they were hoping for today.

Despite the acknowledgement this year that GCSEs would be subject to significant grade deflation after higher marks were awarded during the Covid pandemic, that has not been witnessed today on campus at Sim Balk Lane.

The pass rate of male students at York College was higher than both last year and in the pre-pandemic summer of 2019.

York College’s 16 to 18-year-old students also achieved a higher ratio of Grades 9-4 than in 2022 and our adult learners (aged 19+) performed better than in 2019.   

Principal Lee Probert said: “It has been great to hear so many of our students’ GCSE success stories today and it has been encouraging that the predictions of many doom-mongers, looking at the wider national picture, were not witnessed here at York College.

“I would also like to reach out to everybody in and around the city of York who has received their exam results today.

“We look forward to welcoming many of you on campus next month, regardless of whether you received the results you were hoping for or feel that you did not quite fulfil your potential on this occasion.

“GSCE qualifications can lead to a variety of Further Education options at York College, including A Levels, T Levels, vocational qualifications and high-quality apprenticeships.

“However, schools, colleges and private training providers also have lots of alternative options for further study, so please get in touch with us and let us help you choose your next steps.”

Among those celebrating today was Yang Cheng, who achieved a GCSE Grade 7 in English Language.

Having moved to Huntington from Hong Kong a year ago, Yang studied the GCSE alongside his AS Levels, for which he also received A grades in Maths and Physics, as well as a C in Design and Technology last week.

The GCSE qualification will now mean he can pursue his ambition of studying Mechanical Engineering at university after he has completed his A Level education at Sim Balk Lane.

He said: “I’m pleased with my results and I believe that, through hard work, I got a higher grade than expected. I’ve never got a 7 before – the highest I had got was a 6, so I was quite surprised.”

Adult learner Rosie Chapman, meanwhile, could not contain her excitement after gaining the Maths and English GCSE grades she requires to apply for a career in the Police Force.

“I feel amazing, I want to dance,” she declared. “I was very surprised that I’d passed, especially Maths.

“It was very unexpected. I’m 31 now and this is the first time I’ve tried to get these GCSEs again since I was 16.

“I needed to pass so that I can progress in my career. At the moment, I work as a hygiene supervisor but I’d really like to get into the Police Force. With these GCSEs, when they are next recruiting, I can now apply.”

Former Millthorpe School student Sophie Carter-Wheatley was also all smiles after gaining pass grades in her English Language and Maths GCSEs, alongside the Level 2 Beauty Therapy Distinction she achieved.

Sophie will now progress to our Level 3 Beauty Therapy course as she pursues her dream of one day opening her own business.

She said: “I was retaking Maths and English and the College really helped me improve so much by allowing me to work remotely from home and benefit from one-to-one tuition. I chose York College because I heard lovely things about how good the support was from the tutors and in terms of mental health.”

Pupils and staff at Millthorpe School are celebrating an excellent set of GCSE results this year.

Headteacher Gemma Greenhalgh said: “We are all incredibly proud of our students at Millthorpe. They have achieved excellent results.

We have been thoroughly impressed by their resilience, dedication and relentless determination to succeed; they are a credit to our school. They have remained positive, good humoured and supportive of each other throughout their GCSE years.

“We are very grateful for the support of all of our parents and carers who have motivated their children and continued to work alongside our staff to ensure the students achieve the grades they have worked so hard to achieve.

“I would also like to publicly thank all my colleagues who have worked so hard to support and inspire our students.”

She added: “Many of our students deserve recognition for their achievements, which may not always be the highest grades, but represent real success for them.”

These Millthorpe students achieved at least eight grade 7/8/9s (equivalent to A/A* and above): Imogen Barratt, Harrison Bottomley, Dulcie Kyle, Alex Pugh, Florence Partridge, Myles Smith, Bella Gill, Jet Stokes, Hannah Jeffreys, Harvey Karmazyn, Joseph Balderson, Mal Collins, Theo Moir, Sean Kerr, Angus Moody and Olivia Weatherstone.

“Congratulations to Louisa Birch, Korbin Evans and Eloise Moore who all achieved an outstanding eight grade 9s!”

Ripon Grammar School headmaster Jonathan Webb praised students for working through adversity and disruption to achieve a strong set of GCSE results.

“I am delighted so many of our GCSE students have done so well this year. With the regrading of results to pre-pandemic levels there has been a degree of national uncertainty as overall pass rates have fallen.

“Our year group have worked through adversity and disruption to achieve a strong set of results which now allow them to access their chosen pathway for further study.

“My thanks as always to their teaching staff who have supported them so well,” he said.

The 122 students in the year group achieved a total of 432 grades 9-8, the equivalent of the old A* grades. More than 90% of grades were 9-5(A*-B)s and 57.3% were 9-7(A*-A)s.

Among those doing brilliantly is Leena Athab who achieved nine grade 9s and three grade 8s.

The 16-year-old, from Melmerby, plans to study maths at university following A-levels in maths, further maths, economics and physics.

Anastasia Bell hopes to study religion at the University of Cambridge following A-levels in religious studies, politics, German and chemistry.

The 16-year-old, from Thirsk, who achieved seven grade 9s, three 8s, one 7 and one 6, said: “I’m just so pleased all my hard work over the past two years has amounted to such a fantastic selection of results.”

 Will Bellaries achieved nine 9s, an 8 and a 7 and plans to study mathematics at university following A-levels in maths, further maths and music.

“I’m so relieved the past two years of hard work have paid off finally,” he said.

The 16-year-old, who took up piano when he was five years old, gained a distinction in his Grade 7 exam a week before taking GCSEs.

Some great results coming in from York High School today.

You can read headteacher Rod Sims’ take on the tireless work of all involved here.

Here are some of the refections of school leaders in different subjects.

English

We are delighted to celebrate success in our English results this year at York High School.  Well done to Jasmine Andrews for her grade 9 in English Literature and Alex Exelby for his 9 in English Language and congratulations to Lillie Brown for her superb 8. 

Mrs Young, Head of English, “We are so pleased with our results; students and staff worked tirelessly to continuously improve throughout the year”.

Maths

The Maths department would like to extend their congratulations to our Year 11 cohort. So many of our students worked incredibly hard and should be proud of their individual achievements. There have been a lot of fantastic results in Maths this year.

It is important to recognise the achievements of all pupils who worked diligently to achieve their target grades or above.  Exceptional performances came from Connor Power (9), Peter Dickinson (8) and Charlotte Gadd-Henderson (8).  

Humanities

Sixteen Grade 8 & 9s for the Humanities department at YHS this year across History, Geography and Religious Studies. Congratulations to Jasmine Andrews, Andrew Bijoy, Lillie Brown, Peter Dickinson, Alex Excelby, Mollie Galloway, Daniel Harman, Katrina Liddell, Emma Pamplin, Millie Stockdale, Joe Sweeting, Elena Wadsworth, Lennon Woodall & Hannah Wright. 

Mr Hardy, the head of Humanities, said: “I am very proud of these pupils who put in the extra time and effort to secure the highest grades. They are all exceptional and I expect great things from them in the future.”

Child Development

Brilliant results in Child Development at YHS.  Mrs Nicholas was over the moon at the Child Development results with Aimee Chapman and Lucy Clayton achieving Level 2 Distinction star (the highest grade possible).

Mrs Nicholas “Well done to all who studied Child Development and Health and Social Care this year and a special mention to Katrina Liddell who achieved a Level 2 Distinction star in Health and Social Care.” 

PE and Art

Well done to the 10 pupils who achieved Level 2 Merit and a special well done to Riley Harrison-Hawkins for achieving a Level 2 Distinction.

A fantastic effort from our Art pupils with a special well done to Mollie Galloway, Olivia Helm and Elena Wadsworth achieved grade 7’s. Well done to all!

DT and food

Well done to Katrina Liddel, Ewan Mcpherson, Elena Wadsworth and Beth Warriner for all achieving a grade 7 in their Food GCSE. These pupils have shown a great level of personal pride and independence in their studies. We are also delighted that Peter Dickenson and Connor Power received grade 7’s in Design and Technology, great work! 

Some cracking results at Archbishop Holgate’s School in York, which have been hailed by head of school, Alexis Green-Harding:

“Following our excellent Sixth Form results last week, we are happy that our Year 11 students have also performed exceptionally across the full range of GCSE and BTEC qualifications.

“We are delighted for all our students and their individual achievements. These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of both students and staff.

“The students have risen to the challenges of the GCSE qualifications and we are so proud of their diligence, resilience and determination to succeed; we are delighted with the young people that they have become.

“The students leave us today to move on to a range of exciting next steps and pathways. Over their five years they have developed the qualities and attributes that will ensure that they are a success on the next part of their journey.”

A total of 86% of all students passed their English GCSE, 80% of our students passed their Maths GCSE, with 78% of our students achieving a pass in both English and Maths. A superb achievement given the rigour of these qualifications and challenges of the past two years.

And 59% of the year group secured at least one grade 7, 8, 9 or Distinction/Distinction*, which they should be extremely proud of.

Archbishops offered a special mention to the 45 students who achieved 8 or more qualifications at grades 7, 8 and 9 or Distinction/Distinction*.

Nick Avery, assistant head and head of Year 11, said:

“The excellent grades that the students have achieved are a result of their hard work, diligence and resourcefulness throughout the year.

“It has been wonderful to celebrate with the students and their families today, and to see so many students delighted with their outcomes. As our students progress into the Sixth Form, apprenticeships or employment I hope they take with them all they have learned during their time at Archbishop Holgate’s School, including our values of Justice, Compassion, Forgiveness and Trust.

“They should be really proud of their achievements, and I wish them all every success in the future.”

A special mention goes to the following students:

• Ruby Allitt – six grade 9s, three grade 8s and a grade 7
• Paula Sola Farrus – eleven 9s and one grade 8
• Erin Hawkins – six grade 9s, four grade 8s and one grade 7
• Sophia Matravers – eight grade 9s and four grade 8s
• Grace Pendlebury – two grade 9s, six grade 8s and two grade 7s
• Rosaya Phattanavibul – two grade 9s, seven grade 8s and two grade 7s
• Martha Shakeshaft – two grade 9s, five grade 8s and three grade 7s
• Sofia Suggate – six grade 9s, two grade 8s and three grade 7s
• Benjamin Taylor – eight grade 9s and three grade 7s
• Lucy Toulson – eight grade 9s and two grade 8s.

Michael Williams, director of the Sixth Form, said:

“We are delighted with the achievements of our students and what this means for their future progression.

“Most students joining the Sixth Form will be looking forward to starting on their A Levels or Level 3 BTECs very soon. We are delighted to welcome so many ambitious and hard-working students back into our outstanding Sixth Form.

“We look forward to supporting students on this important next step in their AHS Journey. If you are interested in joining our Sixth Form, we have limited places available for September and any students wishing to join our outstanding Sixth Form are strongly advised to contact us today by phoning 01904 411341, or emailing [email protected].”

Here are the scenes at Huntington School in York as the GCSE results came in this morning.

Lots of smiling faces, from students and staff!

Headteacher Matt Smith said: “Our students deserve huge recognition for the way they have overcome significant challenges and gone on to achieve some excellent grades.”

You can read more here.

Huge praise from the headteacher of Huntington School in York, Matt Smith, after a stellar performance by their Year 11s.

Mr Smith said:

Congratulations to our Year 11 students of 2023! This cohort of students have experienced significant disruption over the course of their secondary school education, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements.
 
75% of all our students were entered for the English Baccaulaureate (a suite of qualifications consisting of English, maths, science, a humanity and a modern foreign language). The national average for entry is 38% – this demonstrates our commitment towards providing an ambitious curriculum for students at Huntington School.
 
It was lovely to see so many smiling faces this morning. Our students deserve huge recognition for the way they have overcome significant challenges and gone on to achieve some excellent grades. We wish them all the very best in the future!

Congratulations to the Year 11 pupils at York High School who have done so well in challenging circumstances.

“There are some excellent results this year to be celebrated and for many pupils their hard work and consistent effort has been rewarded,” the school said. 

“Well done for your continued resilience and high aspiration which has resulted in success.”

And this is the message from headteacher Rod Sims:

People shouldn’t forget how hard it has been for this cohort of pupils who have suffered severe disruption during two years of their education. The dedicated staff at YHS have worked tirelessly to ensure success for our pupils.

Well done to Year 11 and we wish you every success for the future.

Alex Exelby deserves special congratulations for a fantastic set of results, as well as Connor Power who achieved grade 9s in maths, chemistry and physics.

Other notable achievements include Jasmine Andrews who attained an excellent set of results, including a grade 9 in English Literature and grade 8s in History and Religious Studies, and Lillie Brown who achieved grade 8s in English Language and Religious Studies and a grade 9 in History.

Here’s another gallery of great pictures from GCSE results day at All Saints School.

And look at those grades!

Lots of happy faces at All Saints School in York this morning!

Here are Eliza Maughan and Annie McInerney – Annie is going to do Politics, Business and EPT at A level, she got a 9 in English Lit.

Eliza is doing Sociology, Drama and Music, with a great set of results!

City of York Council education leaders have congratulated students across the city on their GCSE results today (Thursday).

Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s executive member for children, young people and education, said: “Huge congratulations to all the students who have received their GCSE results today.

“The excellent grades achieved across the city are testament to the hard work of the students, but also their families and teaching staff who have supported them throughout their learning journey.

“I hope their results provide a springboard to the next stage of their learning or help them to secure the training or job opportunities they’re hoping for.”