TWENTY-five Ilkley teenagers are among Bradford Grammar School’s 127 A Level students celebrating success today (August 17). Over half of all exams taken at Bradford Grammar School were graded A*/A.

Head Girl, 18-year-old Isabel Austin from Langbar, Ilkley, achieved four A stars at A level in Maths and the Sciences and also the top grade in AS Further Maths. Isabel is going on to study Medicine at Trinity College, Cambridge in October.
Whilst at Bradford Grammar School, Isabel was active in sports, playing both netball and hockey. She also took a lively interest in music, playing both guitar and piano in several music groups. She is spending the summer working as a windsurfing instructor in Vasiliki, Greece. 

Keen drummer and singer Matthew Parry, 18, from Ilkley has been accepted to Cambridge to study Modern Languages with three A*s and an A. Also a keen rower and cox of the BGS rowing team, Matthew said: “I chose St John’s College, Cambridge as they have the best rowing team in the country, so I’m really excited to get my first choice”. His mother Dani said that she was, “shell shocked and relieved.” His sister Sarah, who also attended Bradford Grammar and now studies at UCL was, “elated for him, it’s such a fantastic opportunity.”

Vice-Captain of Rowing Thomas Bradley,18, from Ilkley, who gained one A* and two As and has been accepted to study Medicine at Leicester University, it was fantastic seeing my results and knowing I’d done well. I can’t wait to celebrate properly! I also feel lucky to have other opportunities at BGS like being the Vice-Captain for Rowing and enjoying other sports – it’s not just about the results but your overall experience.”

Headmaster, Simon Hinchliffe, said: “I am delighted to congratulate our students on some outstanding results this year; with a 100 per cent pass rate, our results remain exceptionally strong. This is great news for BGS and the wider educational scene in Bradford.

“The shared endeavour of students, working with the support of their families, and staff has sustained our first class record in A Level exams enabling the vast majority of our Year 13 leavers to achieve a place at their first choice university”.

Two other Ilkley-based students, Oliver Daffern ,18 and Georgina Brown, 18 who both scored three straight As. A keen cross country runner, Oliver will go on to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bristol University and Georgina will go on to study Biomaterial Science and Engineering at Sheffield University.