Ackworth School is delighted to announce the remarkable achievements of our Sixth Form students in their 2024 A-Level examinations. This year’s results highlight the dedication, hard work, and academic excellence of our students, as well as the fantastic support provided by our teaching staff.
We are incredibly proud of the outstanding performances that have led to many students securing places at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities. Among the top achievers is Mikulas, who earned three A grades in Biology, Mathematics, and Chemistry, securing his place at the University of Southampton to study Medicine. Similarly, Bani also achieved A grades in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics and she will be pursuing Civil Engineering at the University of Warwick.
Hadrian achieved A* in Mathematics, A in Further Mathematics and B in Physics and will also be heading to the University of Southampton to study Computer Science. Steven also excelled with A* in Mathematics, along with an A in Further Mathematics, and a B in Computer Science who will be taking a well-earned gap year before applying to university for 2025. Izzy will be joining King’s College London to study Social Sciences with excellent results in English Literature, History and Psychology plus an A* for her EPQ.
A special mention must also go to Alex from our Autism Resource who achieved B and D in Mathematics and Further Mathematics respectively.
Head of Ackworth School, Martyn Beer, expressed his admiration for the students’ achievements: “I am incredibly proud of all our students. Their hard work and determination have truly paid off. Our students have not only achieved academically but have also developed the skills and qualities that will serve them well in their future endeavours. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of them, especially in light of the disruption to their education through the Covid years, and to our dedicated staff who have supported them every step of the way.“
Beyond these individual successes, we are also pleased to report that the overall pass rate at Ackworth School remains high, with an increase in the percentage of students achieving grades A*- A. These results reflect the strong academic ethos and supportive community that Ackworth School is renowned for.
As our students prepare to embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives, we wish them every success in their future studies and careers. We are confident that they will continue to make us proud as they move forward with the knowledge, skills, and values they have gained during their time at Ackworth School.
About Ackworth School: Ackworth School is a co-educational independent school in West Yorkshire, offering day and boarding education for students aged 2 to 18. Founded in 1779, the school is committed to nurturing individual talent and promoting academic excellence within a caring and supportive environment.
If you would like to find out more about how Ackworth School can support your child to unlock their full academic potential, why not book a place at our Open Morning on Thursday 10 October 2024 or contact our admissions team on admissons@ackworthschool.com or 01977 233621.
Ackworth School Sixth Form students put their filmmaking skills to the test today with the One Day Film School.
In the morning, they learned the essentials:
Film History – from the early days of film to the latest in special effects.
Fight Choreography – analysing James Bond/Indiana Jones fight scenes… and filming their own screen punch.
Camera – learning to use an iPad like a pro, tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes, making a practice 3 Shot Film about a theft.
Screenwriting – discovering 3 key things every good script needs, how to tell a great story, create memorable characters… and make us care.
In the afternoon, pupils took the 10 Shot Challenge: creating a short film (2mins, max) based on a classic narrative (eg. ’Someone is kidnapped, an attempted rescue’) for premiering at the end of the day. Pupils self-allocated a role within their film crew (writer, director, producer, screenwriter, actors).
Most adverts take several months to make, so the challenge of making a successful short film in just ninety minutes can be daunting. However, the groups gelled exceptionally well, showed great leadership and teamwork, and no-one missed the deadline. Their final task was to introduce their film, just like at the Cannes film festival, and give it a poster tagline (eg. ‘In space no-one can hear you scream’). Then it was time for the VIP judges (Anton Maree, Head and Young Film Academy representatives) to take their seats and decide which would win the ultimate prize: the Best Picture Oscar…
The standard was very high, so it was a tough decision… the Best Picture Oscars was awarded to ‘The Rescue Mission’. It told an engaging, entertaining story which was technically superb: the judges were particularly impressed by the excellent performances and high standard of camerawork, editing and sound design. Congratulations to the winning team – hope to see you at the (real) Oscars!
Ackworth School in Ackworth, near Pontefract is proudly recognising its students for their unwavering commitment to their studies over the past two years, resulting in impressive accomplishments.
The day and boarding school achieved a 91% A-Level pass rate (which as a non-selective school is exceptional) and is “especially proud that, despite the difficult circumstances they’ve endured over the past few years, many students exceeded or achieved their predicted grades”.
In total, 43.8% of all Ackworth’s A-Level entries gained A*- B grades, with the majority of students securing their first-choice place at the UK’s top universities which include University College London (UCL), Durham University, the University of Nottingham and the University of Southampton. Additionally, three pupils have secured places at American universities including Ivy League Colleges.
Special mentions must go to Brian, who achieved A*AA and a place at the University of Southampton to study Mechanical Engineering, and to Emily, who has secured a place at Durham University to study English Literature.
Other pupil successes to note include Grace who has secured a place at the University of Nottingham to study Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, as well as Darcy who has secured a place at University College London (UCL) to study Anthropology.
Ackworth School’s Head, Anton Maree said: “The tenacity and resilience demonstrated by our students is inspiring. Each student has every reason to take pride in their accomplishments and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to support them to achieve these results.”
If you would like to find out more about how Ackworth School can support your child to unlock their full academic potential, why not book a place at our Open Morning on Tuesday 3 October 2023 or contact our admissions team on admissons@ackworthschool.com or 01977 233600.
Ackworth School and Coram House have been shortlisted in the Independent School Parent Magazine ‘Independent Schools of the Year 2023’ awards. Senior School has been shortlisted for ‘Independent Boarding School of the Year‘ and Coram House for ‘Independent Prep School of the Year‘.
Dr. Helen Wright, Chair of Independent Schools of the Year 2023 said ‘It has been truly wonderful to receive nominations which showcase transformative and innovative projects that are underway across the country, and it is with great pleasure that I am able to tell you that Ackworth School and Ackworth School – Coram House has been shortlisted for Independent Boarding School of the Year and Independent Prep School of the Year‘.
Anton Maree, Head said ‘Following our recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rating of ‘Excellent’ earlier this year it is now wonderful to have our school shortlisted for these two awards. Our staff work tirelessly to provide an outstanding educational and pastoral experience for our pupils so it is great to see this recognised in this way. We look forward to the next stage of the awards later this year‘.
A list of Finalists will be published on 6 September and the winners, chosen by the Independent Schools of the Year judging panel will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
I have blinked and we are almost at the end of the first half term!
I am not quite sure how that happened but as they say, time flies when you are having fun. The boarders are very much looking forward to a well earned rest, as are my team and I wouldn’t often admit to this, but me too!
This first half term has been much about establishing relationships, adjusting to new routines, learning how to respect one another and generally enjoying living as one big family. I am sure they will all be pleased to share with you some of the laughs we have had over the past six weeks.
It has been a pleasure getting to know our boarders this half term. I especially enjoy witnessing the enthusiasm that oozes out of them in so many different areas. We have exceptional football players (boys and girls), we have musicians that grace us with their music regularly, we have table tennis players that show an elite level of commitment to their sport. The boarders are so fortunate that they can enjoy such a wide variety of extracurricular activities to fill their evenings that complement their academic studies.
Last week, we appointed our Boarding House Captains and Council. This was an incredibly proud moment for me, and for them. It is important that they have a voice, we can only make changes if we know what to change and I am sure they will help steer things in the right direction.
This week marked our annual Founders’ Day. We celebrate the day the school was founded with traditional activities such as charitable contributions, local walks in the countryside and, of course, bangers and mash to finish the day!
We have celebrated a few birthdays this month. Our catering team provide each boarder with a lovely cake on their birthday and we all sing happy birthday in our morning meeting. It is always a lovely way to start the day when there is a birthday to celebrate.
Lastly, I would like to talk to you about the CCTV system that we have installed on all the main entrances as you enter the boarding house. This is not revolutionary, in fact, most schools are now adopting the same level of security. The cameras are being installed as an additional security measure to assist the electronic keypad system. The safety of our boarders is paramount and I am pleased to share this update with you. The CCTV policy can be viewed on our website.
I would like to wish you all a restful and happy half term!
Nicola Gilbert, our Head of Boarding, shares an update from the boarding house as our boarders settle into the rhythm of the school year.
On Tuesday 31st August, I was delighted to hear the sound of suitcases being wheeled down Centre Passage as we welcomed our first boarders back to school to begin the new academic year. Before I knew it our newly refurbished boarding houses were open and the pupils had very quickly settled into their home from home.
Boarding at Ackworth School is special. I wish I could bottle the feeling up and share it with you all. Our boarders share a common feature – they are all living away from their loved ones and with that, they instantly gain a sense of independence and courage. I admire them for this.
We started the term with a welcome BBQ on The Green, it was so nice to be able to celebrate the beginning of a new term this way.
It has been so lovely to see so much happening around the school, especially over the weekends. The boarders have been involved in Duke of Edinburgh, hockey practice, football practice, tennis practice, arts and crafts activities and weekend excursions to the seaside.
We are very much looking forward to our Spanish themed evening this weekend. We currently have 4 Spanish pupils in boarding and they are helping design and prepare traditional Spanish food and games for their friends. I will write more about this next time.
Finally, I would like to share with you some comments on the first few weeks in boarding from our pupils :
“Upon returning to Boarding for my second and final year, I have been made welcomed and the transition has been immaculate in creating a home-away-from-home environment.
Ackworth has provided us with a clear and structured routine to help us transition into our next school year from 8 weeks off at Summer, providing the foundation and fundamental routines as well as much support from the boarding staff. Having returned for 2 weeks, we have already been presented with opportunities and days out thus far; including shopping trips to White Rose Shopping Centre, Junction 32 and activities out such as Ninja Warrior UK. We are constantly busy in boarding as we have many chances to take part in various activities throughout the week and at the weekend such as tennis, badminton, swimming, yoga, squash, hockey as well as arts and crafts.
We are made to feel a community in the boarding house through constant and frequent interaction throughout the year groups as well as between boys and girls. Staff in boarding are really supportive and helpful in creating the home-away-from-home environment as well as helping us through our education.”
– Shannon (Upper Sixth Form)
“My experience boarding at Ackworth has been mostly positive. Classes are enjoyable as well as educational. I leave them feeling like I have learnt a lot. Days are busy enough to limit the amount of homesickness. But of course, feeling homesick is natural and unavoidable for someone who had never boarded before.
“Weekends are eventful, with a delicious breakfast to start the day, and then activities, mostly sports. (but sometimes there are other choices too, such as arts and crafts) With the free will to choose what sport you want to do. From squash to football. Although personally, I do tend to stick with my favourite -badminton. Although I have tried some new things like hockey and squash.
“Weekends often have trips, 2 already gone by, one to shopping centre, and the other initially being to ninja warrior, but due to lack of interest, staff quickly and successfully organised a change of plans, having the trip to the white rose instead. All in all, I am enjoying it. And I look forward to the upcoming weeks and months.”
– Anna (Lower Sixth Form)
Hello my name is Carlota, I’m from Spain and I have only been here for 2 weeks and I really love it.
The people here are so nice and so kind also the boarding staff always cares for you and you can always talk with them.
I really feel comfortable in this school also the teachers help you a lot with the homework or if you don’t understand anything. At the weekends they organize a lot of activities for you and you always have fun. Also they do a lot of sport and they are really good at football and hockey. Being in Ackworth has been an good opportunity to make friends around the world and I really feel like i have been here for 2 months and its like a home.
