Students from Harrogate Grammar School are celebrating success with offers from esteemed universities and establishments around the world. Oxbridge could be home to four students currently in year 13. In addition, another year 13 student, has received a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music for 4 years and a sixth student has received an unconditional offer to study at Harvard University, USA.
Freya Holden, who hopes to read Geography at St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, said “I’m absolutely delighted to have been offered a place to study at Oxford and I’m really grateful for the support I’ve received from school, particularly the Geography department.”
Jess Dunmore, who hopes to read English Language and Literature, at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, said:
I am absolutely thrilled that, with hard work, the dedication of my teachers and support of my family, I have been given this opportunity to study the subject I love; I can’t wait to start!
Executive Headteacher, Richard Sheriff, said
Harrogate Grammar School is a non-selective state school and the Sixth Form offers 35 courses. We pride ourselves in offering a curriculum, student support and guidance to enable each individual to achieve their potential.
For some students this will mean applying for a place at Oxford or Cambridge because these universities provide the right learning environment for them. For these students we owe it to them, as a state comprehensive, to do all we can to make their aspiration a reality and allow them to compete with the students from the independent and selective sectors.
Great teaching and expert guidance that they receive here means they really can compete for places at the prestigious universities both in the UK and worldwide and know that we have a track record of successful applications. Oxbridge is only one route students take and we see students opting to study at a range of other universities including or applying for the highly competitive world of medicine.
Our ambition is to make sure every Sixth Form student, who wants to, gains access to the university and course that suits them and their aspirations, whether that be in Mastricht or Manchester.
Harrogate Grammar School recently hosted an Oxbridge Conference for schools in the Red Kite Alliance helping students prepare for their interview. This, combined with visits to a range of colleges, debating opportunities and application advice has hopefully given students a competitive advantage in their applications.
Head of Sixth Form, Neil Renton, said:
We are incredibly proud of our students and their achievements. This is testament to the hard work and determination of students, their families and teachers over many years.
Freya Holden received an offer to study Geography at St Catherine’s College, Oxford University, Jess Dunmore has the offer of a place to study English Language and Literature, Pembroke College, Oxford, Jacques Maurice received an offer to study Economics and Management at Pembroke College, Oxford and Alex Moss has also received an offer to study Anglo Saxon Norse and Celtic at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
In addition, Megan Humphries has received a full scholarship to study harp at the Royal Academy of Music for 4 years as well being accepted into the National Youth Orchestra as one of only 4 harpists across the UK and Achele Agada has received an unconditional offer to study at Harvard University, USA, graduating in Medicine.
Megan said:
It’s such an honour to have been given a place at the Academy as so many of my inspirations have studied there and I can’t wait to be surrounded by such talented musicians. I honestly wouldn’t have been able to manage it without the support of my music teachers and those around me, thank you ever so much!
