THE hard work of Ripon Grammar students has ranked them, once again, among the best in the country.
More than 76 per cent of students gained A*-B grades, with 13 students achieving a clean sweep of A*s.
Overall the school, which consistently gains the best A-level results in North Yorkshire, saw its 137 students receive a total of 109 A*s, with nearly half of all grades awarded A* and As.
Eleven of the top-performing students secured places at Oxford and Cambridge universities, with 12 now heading to study medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, traditionally the most competitive courses to be accepted on.
The school’s star achiever Marcus Tomlinson, who took his A-levels a year early to achieve straight A*s in maths, further maths, physics and chemistry, plus an A in his extended project qualification (EPQ), will now take up a place at Cambridge University to read natural sciences.
The 17-year-old, from Markington, who doesn’t turn 18 until February next year, said: “I’m very grateful to the amazing teachers at RGS, who do a fantastic job. And school offers tremendous support.”
Other students have been accepted on a wide range of degree courses at prestigious universities, from art and ecology to physics, fashion management, nuclear engineering and nursing, while some will be taking up apprenticeships, working in conservation and volunteering in China, Nepal, Thailand and Africa during a gap year.
Headmaster Jonathan Webb said: “It was a delight this morning to see so many happy faces as students secured the grades and places at their chosen institutions.
“Results this year were excellent once again, helping to maintain the school’s reputation for excellence. Such outstanding outcomes are a real credit to the hard work of the students and the support they received from our dedicated teaching staff.”
The school’s overall pass rate was 98.9%, with 20 per cent of all grades, not including EPQ, at A*. The total number of A grades, including EPQ, was 146.