Thousands of students have been getting their GCSE results today (Thursday).
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “Today is a special day for thousands of young people across the county, and I would like to offer my congratulations to every student receiving their GCSE and equivalent results.
“These results represent years of dedication, determination, and resilience, often met with challenges along the way.
City of York Council’s executive member for education Cllr Bob Webb, said: “Congratulations to all the young people receiving their GCSE and Key Stage 4 results today.
“Reaching this point reflects years of hard work, commitment and determination, and I would also like to thank the teachers, school staff, parents, carers and families who have supported students throughout their journey.
“Today is a significant milestone and a moment to celebrate each young person’s achievements. Whether you are moving on to sixth form, college, an apprenticeship, training or employment, these results mark the beginning of your next chapter.”
Here’s just some of the stories from our schools
Huntington School, York
Matt Smith, headteacher of Huntington Schoool in York, said:
“Today is about celebrating the incredible achievements of our Year 11 students in their GCSEs.
“They have shown tremendous character, dedication and resilience – and their results show how they have lived out our school values of respect, honesty and kindness.
“In particular, the overall attainment of this year group comes out as our highest since the pandemic, which is an incredible achievement.
“The buzz in the results hall was really lovely this morning – it’s a proud moment for the teachers of Year 11 to see students reaping the rewards of their hard work and endeavour.
“Ultimately, it is our aim that students leave Huntington ready to move onto the ‘next step’.
This set of results confirms that our young people are well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that the future will bring.
“For the vast majority, that means entry to our successful Sixth Form, whilst others will take a different route; regardless of their pathway, we extend our best wishes to everyone.”
Archbishop Holgate’s School, York
Joseph Rowntree School
Lois Venn, Assistant Headteacher said “Congratulations to our fantastic Year 11 students. This cohort has been a lovely group to work with, throughout their time at the school. In particular, it has been a pleasure to see how well they have supported each other over the past year, setting a positive example for the rest of our school community and showing our school at its best.
We are pleased to see their hard work rewarded with strong academic performance. Over 20% of grades awarded are grade 7 to 9 with 75 grade 9s being achieved. Despite not sitting their SATs at the end of primary school, the year group has surpassed many of the targets they were set and we are so proud of what they have achieved.
We welcome a large number of Year 11 into our Sixth Form in September and look forward to seeing them thrive with us for their post-16 education. For all students heading into employment, apprenticeships and Further Education, we wish you all the best in your future.”
Headteacher Dave Hewitt added “It has been a lovely morning celebrating the successes of our students. The hard work of students and the support they have been given by their families and the staff team has led to really positive results. Our students are going onto lots of exciting next steps and we wish them well and look forward to hearing about how they progress.”
Ripon Grammar School
Four Ripon Grammar School boys were on cloud nine as they celebrated achieving ten top grades or more in a stunning set of GCSE results.
The North Yorkshire school recorded one of its highest proportions of top grades in recent years, with almost one in five grades awarded being the very highest grade 9.
The results also included 485 grades at 9-8, equivalent to the top A* grades under the former GCSE grading system, with many exceptional performances among the cohort of 128 students collecting their results.
The four 16-year-old top performers are Angus Millar, from Nidderdale, and Tom Charlton, Aiden Jolly and Joel Buckley, all from Ripon.
National fell running champion and boarding student Angus achieved ten grade 9s alongside two grade 7s.
Tom, who aims to study astrophysics at university, and Aiden, who hopes to become an engineer, gained ten grade 9s and a grade 8, while aspiring doctor Joel achieved ten grade 9s and a grade 7.
Overall, 18.9% of all grades awarded at RGS were grade 9s with students securing a total of 246 grade 9s.
A strong 58.4% of all grades were at grades 9-7, while 92.5% were at grades 9-5.
Headmaster Jonathan Webb said: “My congratulations go to all our students on these excellent GCSE results, which are the culmination of five years of hard work, commitment and academic endeavour.
“We are particularly proud of the exceptional number of grade 9s achieved this year. The four students who achieved ten grade 9s each have produced outstanding performances.
Boroughbridge High School
There was also celebration at Boroughbridge High School as students collected their GCSE and BTEC results.
Phoebe Addison, who achieved ten GCSEs including three grade 9s and four grade 8s, said that she was thrilled with her results and thanked the staff for all the support she had received. She is looking forward to studying A Levels at York College.
The headteacher of Boroughbridge High School, Kathryn Stephenson, said: “Our staff have thoroughly enjoyed working with the class of 2026 and we are incredibly proud of them.
“We are delighted that their hard work, ambition and resilience is reflected in their excellent achievements and that they are moving on to a wide range of ambitious destinations.
“We wish them well and our thanks go to our parents, carers and governors for their continued support.”