A Level Results 2018: The future looks bright for sixth form at King James's in Knaresborough

Results envelopes were eagerly torn open at the school today (Thursday, August 16), with top grades of A * to B in 43 per cent all examinations, assessed against many of the new A level examinations.

A Level results 2018: Your guide to Harrogate districtWhile celebrating 10 years of strong results at the school it is also an especially important day for staff, including Headteacher Carl Sugden, seeing students who have overcome barriers and remembering how far they have come from their first day at the school.

Mr Sugden said: "I think as a headteacher, and as teacher at A-level, it is always one of the best days of the year because you can see all their hard work come to fruition. With these young people we have known them since they were in Year 7, when they were 11 years old, and over this seven year journey they have been on.

"If you have been here a while, as I have, you see and remember them from the first day they step through that door wearing their uniforms after coming from primary school.

"To see them (now) as young adults and leaving with their results, many of them going to some high powered university courses, is always very special."

He added: "I think you go back to earlier points in the year when perhaps they found things really hard, the essays that have been handed, the coursework they have been doing, maybe they had struggled with certain concepts and things were tough.

"I can think of occasions in maths, history, chemistry, where students have hit barriers. To see them come through and hit that grade B or A they have been aspiring towards on their results envelopes today is really gratifying."