Shock and awe over Yorkshire’s A* triumphs

Freya Smith, the head girl at Honley High School near Holmfirth, picked up 16 A*s as well as a distinction in her ICT exam, the highest possible mark in that subject. Her head teacher said he was “totally in awe” of her 17 top grades in her GCSEs.

Now the 16-year-old is looking forward to taking five A-levels going to Cambridge and having a career as a doctor.

Freya, who is from the village of Meltham, near Huddersfield, said: “I’m just over the moon. I can’t believe it. It’s amazing.”

She was speaking as she and her friends celebrated their results with a picnic in the local park.

“All my friends are really pleased for me, which is great, but they’ve all done really well too,” she added. “I’ve had a brilliant time at the school. All the teachers have been so supportive.”

School head Chris Sylge said: “I am totally in awe of Freya’s achievements, although not actually that surprised as I know what a talent she has in so many disciplines.

“Freya is an extraordinary gifted and motivated student whose career I shall follow with interest.”

She is now heading to Greenhead College, in Huddersfield, to study A-levels in physics, biology, chemistry, maths and music.

At Skipton Girls’ High Daisy Lee and Katherine Moran achieved 15 A* grades while Georgina Smith and Alice Wilson both gained 14 A*s. Jane Newell, and Sophie O’Hara each achieved thirteen A* grades.

Another four girls achieved twelve A* grades across their subjects – Natalie Below, Rita Haynes, Lorna Wills and Rosemary Tawn.

The school’s head, Jan Renou, said: “Showing great stamina and intellect all of these girls managed to achieve these stellar results while also successfully achieving good results in one or two AS courses taken this summer.”

At Beverley Grammar, Angus Lamb secured 14 A*s and an A grade in his AS ICT course.

Clare Rees-Zimmerman, 16, at Sheffield Girls’ High not only celebrated 13A*s at GCSE but also As in AS further maths and music along with an A-level A* in maths and another A in French.

There were another 13 students from the private school who achieved at least ten A*s each.

These included Caroline Ridler who picked up 11A*s in her GCSEs having earlier achieved musical success. The 16-year-old won her category at this year’s David Clover Festival of Singing. This prestigious annual competition was held at the Royal Victoria Hotel in the presence of the Lord Mayor and Master Cutler in Sheffield.

Caroline, who is a chorister at Sheffield Cathedral, won first prize in the category “Oratorio or Sacred Song”, age group 13 to 16.

Silverdale School in Sheffield also had a raft of students achieving A*s including Michael Withers who picked up 12.

At the Mount School in York Holly Gardiner achieved 11A*s.

Elsewhere Annabel Mitchell-Gears and Jessica Harpin at Wakefield Girls’ High, Ben Qureshi at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Wakefield, and Jennifer Frazer, Emily Gray, Natalie Mounsey and Alex Reeds at the historic St Peter’s School in York all achieved ten A*s.