PAST St Mary’s student Mr Patrick Kirkham this week joined students, parents and staff as the Guest Speaker at the annual Sixth Form Celebration of Achievement Evening.

Patrick attended St Mary’s from 2004 to 2011. He currently works for HM Treasury, the Government department responsible for economics and finance. He is currently Head of Strategy for Post–18 Education, following stints working on Education Spending and in the Financial Stability unit. Prior to this he completed a degree in Natural Sciences and an MPhil in the History of Science, both at the University of Cambridge.

St. Mary’s A level results obtained in the summer enabled 78 per cent of the students to go to University to embark on their chosen degree courses, with most of these gaining places at their first choice university.

On the evening, students returned to receive not only their A level certificates but also special individual subject and community awards.

Individual prize winners were: Art - Freya Gustafson; Further Mathematics - Georgia Beeton; Applied Science - Ryan Brennan; Biology - Lorna Gilroy-Turner; Chemistry - Shaun Street; Music - Anthony Beckwith; PE - Laurence Patterson; Physics - Samuel Brownjohn; Computer Science - Ryan Brennan;

Economics - Thomas Candlish; English Language - Lydia Jacobs; English Literature - Emily Hazlegreaves; English Dual - Charlotte Doherty; Food Technology - Millie Sparrow; French - Tadhg Collins; German - Ruth Stone; Product Design - Edward Kerfoot; Btec Sports Studies - Hannah Fitzpatrick; Psychology - Molly Cheetham; Textiles - Sophia Andryszewski; Theatre Studies - Jake Marshall; Theology - Joseph Williams; Government & Politics - Michal Jalowiec; Health & Social - Kristiana Barzanov; History - Pauline Hall; Mathematics - Joseph Carter.

Special prizes were also awarded: Highest Points Score at A level - Samuel Brownjohn; Highest Average Points Score at A level - Kitty Bolton and Georgia Beeton; Greatest Progress from KS4 to A level - Isabel Richard; The Kevin Leaver Memorial Geography Prize - Joseph Vincent; Mo’s Prize - Alexander Brantner; Stephen Botterill Award for Excellence in Physics of Forces and Motion - William Priestley; Aireborough Rotary Service Above Self Award - Mary Monaghan; Otley Lions Achievement Award - Rosie Egan; Governors’ Award - Natasha Cooper, Phoebe Kendal; The Bambisanani and Diana Awards - Laurence Patterson, Jamie Hoar, Ezra Cheng, Tadhg Collins, Natasha Cooper, Ewan Copsey, Niamh Devine, Rosie Egan, Katie Fearnley, Lorna Gilroy-Turner,

Pauline Hall, Phoebe Kendal, Larissa Meggitt, Megan O’Connor, Laurence Patterson, George Powell;

The Sbonelo Magwaza Award - Ewan Copsey, Tadhg Collins; Eric Dawson Award for ‘The Distance Travelled’ - Carys Crow.

Music on the evening was provided by Anthony Beckwith and Rosie Egan.

Headteacher Mr Beardsley said: "I was delighted to see so many students and their families return to school to recognise the substantial achievements that they achieved in their time at St. Mary's. We were delighted with their academic success, but the evening also enabled everyone to celebrate a wide range of awards, recognising the contribution which the students made locally, nationally and internationally.”