Pupils from Ashville in Harrogate are heading to leading universities, international institutions and prestigious global organisations spanning the UK, Europe and the United States after another stand-out set of A Level results.
The Class of 2026 is taking up a diverse range of higher education opportunities, from Medicine to Ancient History, and coveted apprenticeships, including Ernst & Young, after securing their destinations of choice.
The next destinations secured by Sixth Form leavers reflect academic excellence, the breadth of home-grown talent nurtured at Ashville, and the increasingly varied pathways now available to young people promoted through our Future Ready Programme.
Head of Ashville, Rhiannon Wilkinson, said the rich and unparalleled diversity of this year’s destinations highlighted the individuality, ambition and future-ready mindset of the school’s pupils.
She said:
“All our pupils are supported to be exam ready, university ready, career ready, and life ready for a rapidly changing world. Our new-look Sixth Form Centre and unique pre-university experience is adding a new dimension to this.
“The opening of their envelopes and emails today has opened up a new and exciting world to explore and put their ‘Ashville’ stamp on. These global destinations highlight not only academic success but also reflect the broad range of interests and aspirations we offer and encourage at Ashville.”
Among the many personal Ashville triumphs is Deputy Head Boy, Ben, who has secured a coveted degree apprenticeship with EY (Ernst & Young).
This rare accolade marks the second consecutive year Ashville pupils have been awarded a coveted position with the ‘Big 4’ global professional services leader.
Ben, who combined his A Level studies with a passion for rugby and Mathematics during his time at Ashville, said:
“Getting an apprenticeship with EY is an incredible opportunity and I’m proud to have secured my place and be part of their world.
“It’s an exciting launchpad for my career, gaining hands-on experience with such a global organisation while working towards my professional qualification. It feels like the perfect next step, and I can’t wait to get started.
“I would also like to thank the Ashville teaching community for all the support and guidance I have received to enable me to reach this milestone.”
Another success story is Lennon, who took all his A Level exams while his father, Jesse, was leading Canada as its Head Coach to a historic finish in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reaching the last 16 for the first time in the nation’s history.
Lennon is now set to follow in the footsteps of his father, who formerly managed Leeds United and gave an insight into his sporting journey to pupils at Ashville before heading off to the World Cup, after securing a place at the University of Bath to study Sports Management.
Ashville pupils taking up global higher education opportunities include Ida and Layla, whose exceptional grades will lead to studying Medicine in Germany and the United States; Magnus, who is heading to Berlin CODE University to read Business; and Ebube, whose learning journey will take him to the renowned Rice University in Texas, United States – regarded as “the Harvard of the South”.
Closer to home, many pupils have secured places at the UK’s leading universities, spanning Durham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle, York and Bath.
Alice, who after choosing to come to Ashville for Sixth Form and leading the Politics Club for younger pupils, will be pursuing her passion for History at one of the UK’s most prestigious universities.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects are highly represented including Amelia who will study Materials Science and Engineering at Manchester and Sophie who will study Chemical Engineering at Sheffield.
Grace and Toby are two top-of-the-bill success stories from the performing arts department that continues to flourish at Ashville. Grace has been awarded a place to study Drama at Manchester after starring as Deloris in this year’s school production of Sister Act. Toby, her co-star, will join her to study Drama and Film Studies at Manchester. Within the arts, Jasmine will pursue her passion in Fashion Buying and Merchandise at Manchester.
Building on Ashville’s sporting heritage, Connie will take up her offer to study Sports Exercise Science at Durham, while next stop for Olivia will be Loughborough, recently crowned the world’s best university for sports-related subjects for the tenth year in a row, to read Mathematics and Sports Science.
Mrs Wilkinson added:
“Today, a milestone day for our pupils, marks a proud moment for our school community. Everyone is delighted to see pupils pursue UK and international destinations and courses that genuinely reflect their passions and strengths, whether in STEM, the arts, business, sport or the humanities.
“These grades reflect years of hard work and focus from a wonderful cohort. They have earned the rewards that will propel them to their next steps.
“They leave Ashville as confident, capable young people ready to embrace exciting futures across a wide range of industries and professions.
“I am immensely proud of all our Upper Sixth pupils and the dedication, character and ambition they have shown throughout their time at Ashville.
“It has been a privilege to see them grow into the young people they have become, and the entire Ashville community wishes them every success as they take their next steps in their life journeys. We look forward to tracking their future success.
“I would also like to send a big thank you to our brilliant staff and supportive families. They made these achievements possible.”