Harrogate Grammar School have celebrated the success of a remarkable cohort of Year 13 students in the history of Harrogate Grammar School.
This cohort were the second generation of students to face the cancellation of exams during the covid lockdowns.
When they were in Year 11, exams were cancelled, and we set lots of assessments so that we could generate teacher assessed grades. With very few special exam board adjustments and arrangements in place this year, they faced the pressure of taking formal exams for the very first time.
This year the government and Ofqual have been keen to issue grades much closer to the pre-lockdown levels of 2019. With that policy direction, they introduced grade protection meaning that a student who would have achieved a B in geography, for example, would be just as likely to achieve this, even if their exam performance was a little weaker. Senior examiners were asked to make allowances so that national
performance in subjects was not lower than before the pandemic.
Kirstie Moat from Harrogate Grammar School, said:
Our students showed incredible resilience in the face of taking externally marked formal exams for the first time. Exams that, for many, carried the enormous pressure of university offers.
Overall, we are very pleased that the results for our school are where we anticipated them to be and in-line with pre-pandemic outcomes. Indeed, in many subjects, students achieved above the outcomes for 2019.
Students will progress from HGS to a range of employment and gap year opportunities with the majority taking up places in higher education. The diversity of their destinations and chosen next steps reflects our school’s focus on helping each student fulfil their potential by being the best they can be.
A total of 307 students, (81 per cent of the year group) applied to university to study a range of courses, from Real Estate to Astrophysics.
Other courses, which students will now go on to attend include Medicine, Physiotherapy, and several allied healthcare professions, as well as courses in the humanities, law, social sciences, arts, drama, music, sciences, maths, languages, business, and education. Over 70 per cent of applicants have gained places at their first-choice university and 91 per cent achieved places overall – an incredible achievement.
This year we have seen many students progressing to degree apprenticeships or employment with companies such as BMW, Rolls-Royce, and JP Morgan.
Congratulations and thank you to our studentsThe successful results and progression routes recognise hard work, resilience, and determination.
Mrs Moat added:
We would like to thank students for the commitment they have shown to their studies and the outstanding contribution that they have made throughout their time at HGS. We would like to thank families for their support, as well as our teachers and staff, who have worked tirelessly to support students.
We wish our students all the very best in their future studies, employment, or gap year. We hope that life serves them much happiness and that they make a profound difference in their chosen field.
Harrogate Grammar School congratulates all our students. You are all exceptional, inspiring, and talented young people and we could not be prouder of you.
