>> To view our list of prize winners, please click HERE <<

Risedale School recently hosted its Annual Awards Presentation Evening, welcoming pupils, families, and distinguished guests to celebrate pupil excellence, perseverance, and hard work.

The ceremony, held on Wednesday, 22nd October, centred on the school’s new vision and values theme: being ‘our BEST’. Headteacher Mrs Greenwood highlighted the school's commitment to developing pupils' RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT, RESILIENCE, and healthy RELATIONSHIPS.

Addressing the audience, Mrs Greenwood said: “It is wonderful to be able to welcome you all this evening to celebrate the many achievements of our pupils, who are instrumental in the growing reputation and success of our school. I am so proud to work here and to have the privilege of working each day with so many amazing, kind, and hard-working pupils and an incredible team of staff. These pupils are a credit to everyone here and are deserving of all the praise they receive.”

Special guests included Catterick Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Anderson, Veteran Mark Hill MBE, Service Children's Champion, Angela Campbell, Lin Ryan from the Soroptimist Society, Chair of Governors, Nick Horn, as well as Headteachers and staff from other local schools, Risedale governors, staff, parents/carers and pupils.

The evening featured the inaugural Year 11 Graduation Ceremony, where the Class of 2025 received individual certificates of achievement. Lt. Col. Anderson gave an inspiring speech, unpicking Risedale’s values and encouraging pupils to "continue to be curious in order to keep learning."

A total of 24 Awards for Excellence and 18 Specialist Awards were presented, and the evening was compered by Year 11 Pupil Ambassadors Daniel Hibbins and Kaydee Smith.

Among the high achievers was Mollie Thirlwell, who achieved an impressive double grade 9 in her GCSE English exams and secured a remarkable five awards at the Presentation Evening. Her wins included prizes for Excellence in Science, Geography, and German, as well as the Key Stage 4 BEST Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.

Mollie said, “I absolutely loved my time at Risedale School. Since Mrs Greenwood's appointment, there have definitely been noticeable and positive changes. The school will always be a very special place to me.”

Other notable winners included:

• Tyler Cassidy, who received four awards, recognising his Excellence in Mathematics, Music, RPE, and Social Studies.
• Nathanael Hall won the prize for Excellence in Engineering as well as the Robert Stephenson’s Rocket STEM Award.
• Lucas Kirk was presented with the Governor’s Sports Award for his performance on the football field and the athletics track.
• Lacey Hanson received the Paddy Dunne Memorial Award for balancing academics with representing Team England at the World Cheerleading Championships.
• Tallulah-Grace Tomlinson was awarded the Soroptimist Cup for citizenship and outstanding leadership.
• Dylan Hughes received the Gill Harden Award, recognising exceptional effort, determination, and resilience.
• Mlak Bakar received the prize for Excellence in Drama as well as the Year 11 BEST School Values Champion Award. Mlak was praised as a true star of Risedale for quietly and respectfully developing positive relationships with everyone.
• Calum Sankey, who received the prize for Excellence in English. A true Risedale superstar, his pass in English Literature was an exceptional achievement, and his DJing alongside Mr Hill at the school sports day will be greatly missed!

Musical interludes showcased the talent of Year 10 pupils, including a performance of Debussy's Clair de Lune by self-taught pianist Cain Darnton, and a 'Classical Mash-up' by Alex Stephenson.

The ceremony concluded with Mrs Greenwood thanking staff and pupils, and encouraging the award winners to "never forget the BEST version of yourselves that you have celebrated tonight."

Feedback from Social Media:

On Facebook, Risedale Governor Beki Bulmer said:

"Tonight, I was privileged and honoured to have been invited to the Risedale School Presentation evening. What a pleasure to see the smiles on the faces of each and every young person as they graciously accepted their awards and certificates, especially the new awards introduced this year.

The musical interludes were superb - well done to both pianists.

Good Luck to everyone from Year 11 as you move off into the second chapter called ‘LIFE’, and I hope you remember being part of the Risedale Family favourably.

I have volunteered as a Governor at Risedale for the past year, having also volunteered for 2 years prior to Lockdown and COVID. I’ve always supported the local schools my children have attended, and my youngest son has always said his 2 years at Risedale were the best 2 years of his education.

Volunteering makes such a difference to schools. There are so many ways you can support: joining the Parent Teacher Association/Friends of School Group, listening to pupils reading, becoming a Governor, painting a fence, supporting at a disco, and so much more. I also volunteer at Le Cateau Community Primary School and would urge you to contact the school your children attend and get involved. As Tesco says - “Every little helps” - any contribution, no matter how small, is valuable and useful toward achieving a goal.”

#TeamRisedale 💙💜🧡❤️ #BEST

RESPONSIBILITY  RESPECT  RESILIENCE  RELATIONSHIPS