A-level successes celebrated as Bede Academy in Blyth says final farewell to its first ever ‘all-through’ students

Many of this year’s cohort were the first students to start at the Academy when it opened in 2009 offering ‘all-through’ education from 3-18, the first school of its kind in the north of England to do so.

Bede Academy replaced the former South Beach First School and Ridley High School with two new, purpose-built buildings under the Emmanuel Schools Foundation and has gone on to achieve considerable success.

This year’s Year 13 was the biggest group to date in the academy sixth form and 58 of the grades achieved were at A/A* or equivalent.

Leading Bede Academy’s results was Aylsha Harris, 18, of Blyth, who achieved an A* in maths, A in further maths and physics and B in chemistry. She is going on to study theoretical physics at Edinburgh University with a plan to be a theoretical physicist or a professor.

“Like Stephen Hawking,” she said. “I’ve always loved maths and from Year 9 I really got into science too. My teachers started telling me about which books to read then I learned about Young’s double-slit experiment and just found it mind-blowing. I really like puzzles and it’s like a massive mathematical puzzle.”

This year’s cohort took the brunt of the pandemic, having to learn from home and unable to sit formal, external GCSE exams in 2021, then knowing that the grade inflation of the past two years had ended.

Aylsha added: “I wish we had done GCSEs to get used to the stress. We did do some exams and lots of mocks that were marked based on 2019 so the results wouldn’t be so much of a shock.

"I have a lot of support systems with family and friends and the teachers have been great too. I had a lot of questions beyond the A-level syllabus but the teachers reassured me and told me what I didn’t need to know.”

For Kirstie Harrison, exams officer at Bede Academy, it was all about keeping mum as her daughter Phoebe Harrison was collecting her results. Kirstie knew in advance and stayed away from home for 48 hours in case she gave any clue to Phoebe about how she had done.

In the end it was good news as the 18-year-old from Blyth gained a clean sweep of A grades, in biology, chemistry and maths.

She had wanted to study veterinary science but will now read zoology at Nottingham University.

“It’s turned out for the best in the end because now I’d prefer to be doing zoology. In the second year there are opportunities to go abroad and I’m hoping to go to Australia.

“I felt really prepared for the exams. I was quite easy-going about it even though A-levels were so much harder but we did a lot of mocks in exam conditions.”

Dad David had every confidence in Phoebe, adding: “I’m overjoyed but not surprised, I was the calmest of all and had no doubts that she’d do well.”

The sky’s the limit for Kaya Aydeniz who is already flying high in a career at Newcastle Airport.

The 17-year-old from Blyth decided that he did not want to go to university and since March this year has been working in security at the airport with the aim of joining air traffic control. Dressed in a security uniform, his roles include checking passenger boarding cards, bag and body searches and patrolling the airport estate.

Despite having to spend three weeks in security training and working 20 hours per week outside school, Kaya still managed to achieve B grades in product design and religious studies and a distinction in engineering, supported by teachers who gave up their holidays for him.

“The past two years have been harder than I thought they would be, but I’ve always been alright at making sure I’ve done what I needed to for school,” he said.

“The academy was brilliant about allowing me to take three weeks off to do my training and helping me to catch up. They could have said no but I think they trusted me, and the teachers were there to help with whatever I needed. I don’t think I could have done it without coming in in the holidays and they came in too. The extra revision classes after school helped as well.

“Now I’ve got a full-time contract at the airport starting in September. I’ll be progressing in security and hoping a job comes up in air traffic control, which is the long-term aim.”

Friends Rachel Bate and Katelyn Willshire, who studied BTEC sport together and were considering careers in sport, achieved grades to allow them to pursue law and paramedic science.

Rachel’s C in English language was enough to add to the double distinction* in sport and grade eight distinction in LAMDA public speaking she knew she already to read law at Northumbria University.

Katelyn also achieved double distinction* in sport and distinction in BTEC human biology and has decided to study paramedic science at Sunderland University.

The girls were heading straight off to Zante in Greece with four other friends to celebrate their results.

Aylsha, Phoebe, Rachel and Kaya all started in reception at Bede Academy.

Ellie Webster had dreamt of studying history at Durham University, and transferring to Bede Academy in Year 9 and going on to achieve three A grades has seen her dream come true.

Ellie, 18, of Blyth, also gained a B grade for her EPQ extended project in which she explored the parentage of King Edward IV. Immersed in her subject, she writes an online blog, The Ill-fated Wives of Henry VIII, and writes articles for The Historians Magazine.

“To come out with these results after transferring to Bede in Year 9 has been a dream, and I’ve made friends for life,” she said.

A Saturday job inspired Elise Hay’s future career which will see her read pharmacy at Newcastle University.

The 18-year-old works at Blyth Healthcare independent pharmacy and, with the support of her managers and the academy, has chosen to pursue it as a career after gaining B grades in biology chemistry and French.

“It was just to earn some money initially, but it turned out that I really enjoy it and my bosses helped me with my revision,” she said.

“I enjoy helping people especially now when it’s not as easy to get a doctor’s appointment. The world of pharmacy is changing so it’s an interesting time.”

Other notable performances came from Stefan Crown, who achieved A*, A and B in English language, psychology and religious studies and will read law at Durham, and Danielle Tate and Mya Nguyen who achieved similar results in BTEC health and social care, and human biology and psychology, and have both secured coveted places to study midwifery at Northumbria University.

Andrew Thelwell, principal of Bede Academy, said: “Fourteen transformational years have come to an end for the very first Bede Academy cohort, who joined in reception in 2009 and today complete their Sixth Form studies.

"Many students who embarked on this journey have done remarkably well. We congratulate them and all our students who joined this year group at different times for achieving so well in what has been a uniquely challenging time in their education.

“They have shown resilience and great character to keep focused and, with the support of their friends, families and our dedicated teaching staff, have come through with flying colours. They should feel very, very proud.”