Please click the image below to read the summer 2024 Pathfinder Newsletter.

Archbishop Holgate’s School is hosting a General Election hustings event on Thursday 27 June from 7pm for York Central candidates. This is guaranteed to be an evening of lively debate and discussion. It will offer the opportunity to meet the local candidates vying for our vote, ask burning questions, and learn more about their visions for our community.

This in-person event is a perfect chance to engage directly with those who could shape our future. Members of the public have the opportunity to submit a question by emailing gavin@ahs.pmat.academy directly and they may be selected to ask this on the night. The moderator for the event will be BBC Radio York’s Elly Fiorentini. So far the Labour and Conservative candidates have agreed to attend, along with a representative of the Liberal Democrats. We await the response of the other candidates, who have also been invited. Tickets are free, but need to be booked via Eventbrite, as numbers will be limited.

Rev. Richard Nihill, School Chaplain said: “We are organising this hustings event as a school since voting gives us the chance to exercise responsibility for the good of society. We can seek the welfare, and the wholeness, of the places where we live in all sorts of different ways, but participating in the political process is a key way. It gives us a chance to exercise our school values of Justice, Compassion, Forgiveness and Trust. To do this in an informed way we need to learn about what our local representatives plan to do for us if they are elected on 4 July.”

Archbishop Holgate’s School is delighted to be able to welcome the Abaana New Life Choir to spend some time with them. The visit will be a highlight of the year for many people at this Diocesan school. Abaana is a Christian based charity which invests in Children in Africa, helping them to break the chains of poverty, through education. Most of their projects are in Uganda, working in 13 locations supporting the children and parents in those communities. They have been able to build 13 schools, support churches and sponsor over 1,300 children as well as working with children on the streets and other projects. Abaana has raised over £1,000,000 to help build schools, medical projects, water pumps and support many children in need.

For the last few months twenty children and their chaperones have been touring Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The purpose of this has been to raise funds for the ongoing work of Abaana; especially in terms of education and work with orphaned street children. The tour has also had the added benefit of raising awareness about their work too. Archbishop Holgate’s is the only concert and host venue in York, and the only school to host the choir throughout the entire tour. This is the third time that a choir of children from Uganda have visited the school.

The children arrive on Tuesday afternoon and will head home with school staff, who along with their families will host them for their three-night stay. The following day the children will have a busy and varied programme in school. This will include participating in technology lessons, performing three energetic concerts for Years 7, 8 and 9, and lunchtime games with sixth form students on the school field.

The highlight of the visit will be the main evening performance on Wednesday 17 April at 7pm. This fundraising concert is open to members of the public and will be attended by the Lord Mayor and members of the civic party. It is guaranteed to be an uplifting concert filled with beautiful singing, energetic dancing and very moving videos which speak about the life-changing impact of Abaana’s work. It is hoped that it will be a really enriching experience for all involved and lead to many people deciding to become sponsors for the future education of some of the individual children.

Richard Nihill, School Chaplain said: “It has been a privilege to work closely with the New Life choir and organise their programme. Welcoming them into our community in the past has had an enriching effect on all the pupils and staff who have encountered them in a variety of ways. Abaana’s vision of Justice and Compassion for the children of Uganda sits very well with our own school values.”

Please click the image below to read the December 2023 Pathfinder Newsletter.

Head of School, Alexis Green-Harding, said: “Following our excellent Sixth Form results last week, we are happy that our Year 11 students have also performed exceptionally across the full range of GCSE and BTEC qualifications. We are delighted for all our students and their individual achievements. These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of both students and staff. The students have risen to the challenges of the GCSE qualifications and we are so proud of their diligence, resilience and determination to succeed; we are delighted with the young people that they have become. The students leave us today to move on to a range of exciting next steps and pathways. Over their five years they have developed the qualities and attributes that will ensure that they are a success on the next part of their journey.”

86% of all students passed their English GCSE, 80% of our students passed their Maths GCSE, with 78% of our students achieving a pass in both English and Maths. A superb achievement given the rigour of these qualifications and challenges of the past two years.

We are delighted to say that our Year 11 students have performed exceptionally well across all subject areas. Indeed 59% of the year group secured at least one grade 7, 8, 9 or Distinction/Distinction*, which they should be extremely proud of.

Whilst we are proud of all of our students and their achievements, a special mention should be made to the 45 students who achieved 8 or more qualifications at grades 7, 8 and 9 or Distinction/Distinction*.

Nick Avery, Assistant Head and Head of Year 11, said: “The excellent grades that the students have achieved are a result of their hard work, diligence and resourcefulness throughout the year. It has been wonderful to celebrate with the students and their families today, and to see so many students delighted with their outcomes. As our students progress into the Sixth Form, apprenticeships or employment I hope they take with them all they have learned during their time at Archbishop Holgate’s School, including our values of Justice, Compassion, Forgiveness and Trust. They should be really proud of their achievements, and I wish them all every success in the future.

I am extremely proud of all of our students, but a special mention goes to the following students:

• Ruby Allitt – six grade 9s, three grade 8s and a grade 7
• Paula Sola Farrus – eleven 9s and one grade 8
• Erin Hawkins – six grade 9s, four grade 8s and one grade 7
• Sophia Matravers – eight grade 9s and four grade 8s
• Grace Pendlebury – two grade 9s, six grade 8s and two grade 7s
• Rosaya Phattanavibul – two grade 9s, seven grade 8s and two grade 7s
• Martha Shakeshaft – two grade 9s, five grade 8s and three grade 7s
• Sofia Suggate – six grade 9s, two grade 8s and three grade 7s
• Benjamin Taylor – eight grade 9s and three grade 7s
• Lucy Toulson – eight grade 9s and two grade 8s

Michael Williams, Director of the Sixth Form, said: “We are delighted with the achievements of our students and what this means for their future progression. Most students joining the Sixth Form will be looking forward to starting on their A Levels or Level 3 BTECs very soon. We are delighted to welcome so many ambitious and hard-working students back into our outstanding Sixth Form. We look forward to supporting students on this important next step in their AHS Journey. If you are interested in joining our Sixth Form, we have limited places available for September and any students wishing to join our outstanding Sixth Form are strongly advised to contact us today by phoning 01904 411341, or emailing swalton1@ahs.pmat.academy. For further information on the excellent opportunities available, please visit our website https://archbishopholgates.academy/sixth-form/”.

We are delighted that the pattern of outstanding performance at post 16 has continued and we are very proud of every child’s achievement. This year has brought another set of excellent results. We are delighted for the young people collecting their results today. Their results are testament to their continued hard work and commitment, resulting in:

• An amazing 54% of all grades were A*-A/Distinction*-Distinction
• 97% of all students achieved at least one A*-B at A Level or equivalent
• 77% of entries were A*-B or equivalent
• 100% of grades were A*-E or equivalent

Mrs De Lashley, Head of Sixth Form said “This has been an excellent year for our Sixth Form students. These results reflect resilience, commitment and genuine aspiration. They stand as an example to the young people in our school community of what can be achieved through hard work and determination. We are delighted to have supported these young people in taking a step closer to their future aspirations and whilst we will miss them at Archbishop’s, we know that they will continue to enrich the wider communities they are part of. We are absolutely thrilled for the young people collecting their results today. We wish them all the very best for the future and look forward to hearing about all of their successes to come.”

Head of School, Alexis Green-Harding, said: “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our students who have received their examination results today. Their remarkable achievements stand as a testament to their commitment, hard work, and steadfast determination. These individuals have not only excelled academically but have also enriched our school community over the past seven years. We are grateful to our students for their contributions, helping to shape our school and making it a special place to belong.

We appreciate the support from families over the years and we wish our Year 13 leavers good luck in their next steps. We offer them our best wishes for the exciting journey that lies ahead and we are confident they will continue to shine in their future endeavours.

Although results days are first and foremost about individual young people and their achievements, I am delighted to say that the overall results for the school remain outstanding and I would like to thank all our staff for the part they have played in this.

Whilst we will celebrate the achievements of all of our students in person today we felt it important to highlight a small selection of students who have received exemplary results.”

• Reilly Adams: A Biology, A Chemistry, A Maths, A Physics
• Matthew Barber: A History, A Biology, A Maths
• Emma Beale: A Chemistry, A Computer Science, A Physics , A Maths
• Ben Bellerby: A History, Double distinction* Sport, Distinction* Applied Law
• Ila Bhattacharya: A* Psychology, A Biology, A Chemistry
• Abbey Driffield: A* Maths, A* Chemistry, A Further Maths, A Biology
• Finley Ensor: A* History, A* Politics, A* Sociology, A* Extended Project
• Jake Fewlass: A Maths, A Chemistry, A Biology, A Extended Project
• Chloe Firth: A* Psychology, A* Geography, Distinction* Applied Law
• Fenton Griffiths: A* French, A* History, A* RE, A* Extended Project
• Alexandra Hall: Distinction* Applied Science, Distinction* Applied Psychology, Double Distinction* Health and Social Care
• Billy Hearld: A* History, A English Literature, A Sociology, A Extended Project
• Joe Merrison: A* Psychology, A* Sociology, A Re, Distinction* ICT
• Onett Perera: A* Maths, A Further Maths, A Chemistry, A Physics
• Aimee Reed: A* Media, A Psychology, Distinction* Applied Law and Distinction* Business
• Ivy Tegetmeier: A* Psychology, A* Sociology, A English Language, A Extended Project
• Karen Walters: A* Biology, A* Chemistry, A* Geography and A* Extended Project
• Ellie White: A* Sociology, A* Media, A Psychology and A Maths
• Jonathan Wilson: A* Chemistry, A* Maths, A* Physics. A* Computer Science
• Lento Yamagata: A* Biology, A* Chemistry, A* Maths, A* Extended Project
• Sophie Warburton: A History, A Psychology, Distinction* Sport, A* Extended Project