How do I receive my results? 

Results day at Harrogate College is fast approaching and we hope you achieve the grades you were aiming for. 

From week commencing 9 August, you will receive your results through your personal email address from 8am on the dates below. You can also drop into college on these dates to collect your results if you wish.

Level 3 results

• 10 August: 8.30am to 4.00pm

GCSEs and other levels

• 12 August: 9.00am to 4.00pm
• 13 August: 9.00am to 4.00pm

However, if we don’t have your email address, your results will be posted to you.

Coming into college

You are also welcome to collect your results from reception in college on the above times and dates.

We appreciate that you may want to talk to someone for advice on the day. There will be teachers and staff on hand to offer support in room AG22. 

If you are coming into college to collect your results, please make sure to wear a face covering and only attend with one parent or carer. 

Not got the grades you were expecting?

If you haven’t received the results you were hoping for, you can contact your teacher to talk about your options.

Questions?

If you have any questions about results day, please contact your teacher directly.

Take a look at how teacher-assessed grades will be calculated here.

You can also find out information on work experience, careers and industry placements on our Student Life intranet. 

Take a look at our Harrogate Student Life booklet, which has updates on what to expect next year, from sport and music to debating, art and much more.

‘Don’t miss the chance to play a part in Harrogate’s first ever Climate Action Festival!’

That’s the message from Harrogate College as preparations firm up for an event that aims to showcase the many different ‘solutions to climate damage’ that are being pursued by individuals, groups and businesses.

The inaugural Harrogate District Climate Action Festival (CAFé) takes place from October 1 to 23 and Harrogate College will play a key role by hosting the launch day on Saturday 2 October.

Sponsored by Techbuyer and entitled What Does the Future Look Like? the launch event is being run through the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition and will feature exhibitors from across the country.

Sign up for Climate Action Festival launch day

Harrogate College’s Performance and Projects Coordinator, Holly Hansen-Maughan, says lots of people have already signed up  – but there’s still time to get involved.

She said: “This festival will be a huge asset for the Harrogate District and play an important part in the wider drive to protect our environment.

“The event will raise awareness of climate change and the need for sustainability to be embedded into everything we do.

“The college wants to be at the forefront of helping to provide the skills that are required for the green economy and jobs of the future.

“That’s why we want as many people as possible, including charities, community groups and businesses, to come along to the launch event – which has been generously sponsored by local firm Techbuyer – and explore what the future looks like.”

An opportunity to make a difference

She added: “Please get in touch to secure an opportunity to network with other businesses, exhibit to the public and make a difference!”

The CAFé launch event and community action day runs at Harrogate College from 10am to 4pm on October 2 and will include a variety of hands-on demonstrations and talks celebrating achievements in the green economy.

To register send an email to Holly.Hansen-Maughan@harrogate.ac.uk.

The festival will also include a business conference, entitled Towards Net Zero Business and sponsored by Chameleon Technology, at Harrogate Convention Centre on 15 October. 

Businesses that wish to be involved can be directed to the relevant members of the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition by emailing Holly or visiting hdccc.info/climate-action-festival.

A variety of fringe events, including a Digital Sustainability Conference for Children, will also be held by businesses and community groups across the event’s whole three weeks.

Harrogate College has made becoming a Net Zero Carbon College one of its strategic priorities.

Harrogate College, a member of Luminate Education Group, has teamed up with partners across the Leeds City Region to host a series of free short courses for adults, as part of the national Festival of Learning.  

The group is working alongside local organisations and education providers to get adults in the region back into education, following the challenges of the pandemic. 

Now in its 29th year, the Festival of Learning (formerly Adult Learners’ Week) was launched to celebrate adult students and encourage others to participate in lifelong learning. 

Danny Wild, Principal at Harrogate College, said: “It’s fantastic to be part of a partnership that is putting adults at the forefront of the education agenda. It’s been a tough year with the pandemic and by bolstering our offer, especially lifestyle courses, we hope to boost adult wellbeing and confidence. 

“The Festival of Learning celebrates adult learning at all levels and stages of life; whether that’s developing a new skill, brushing up and updating knowledge or taking it to an advanced level.”

Yultan Mellor, Principal and Chief Executive at Northern College, added: “The festival is a superb opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on the different expressions of adult learning across the region, including community, college, home and residential settings. Our collaborative activities aim to showcase the benefits of adult education, including flexibility, financial support, personalised experiences and positive wellbeing outcomes.”

As part of the Festival of Learning, adults will be encouraged to develop skills, enhance their employability and improve wellbeing through a range of taster sessions, residential days, virtual seminars and open days.

Set to launch in July, the Festival of Learning activities will kickstart with a Returning to Education: Support for Adult Learners webinar at University Centre Leeds on 20 July. Additional upcoming events include a Five Ways to Wellbeing Course at Northern College on 22 July.

Ann-Marie Spry, Vice Principal of Adults at Luminate Education Group, commented: “Adult education is central to the rebuilding of our economy in a post-Covid environment. Therefore, we are working with key stakeholders in the area to demonstrate how lifelong learning can better equip learners to adapt to unexpected change and enhance their skills, in order to suit the ever-changing job market.

“This partnership brings together experts across the region to identify how we can work together to achieve shared objectives to raise the profile of this vital agenda. Drawing expertise and insight from our partners helps us to understand the current climate, allowing us to overcome barriers to learning and champion adult education.”

In the next academic year, the partnership will be encouraging learners to take part in ‘Have a Go’ activities, providing adults with the opportunity to try different courses and discover their passion. Rebuilding relationships with the community will also be a key focus for partnership activities, including taster sessions in local community centres.

The education group, including Leeds City College, Keighley College, Harrogate College, White Rose Academies Trust and University Centre Leeds, is working with partners including West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council, Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, University of Leeds, The Prince’s Trust and Northern College, to deliver shared adult learning objectives.

Find out more about the Festival of Learning partnership by discovering our upcoming events here and following the hashtag #FoLpartners on social media.

A member of staff at Harrogate College has been shortlisted in this year’s national Green Gown Awards. 

Performance and Projects Coordinator, Holly Hansen-Maughan, is the only further education finalist in the sustainability champion category.  

The awards commend the exceptional green initiatives carried out by education institutions across the country, and have become established as the most prestigious recognition of sustainability best practice.  

Holly said: “It’s important that we all play our part in making our environment a healthier and greener space for all. As a college, we’re committed to serving our community and that is what inspired me to instigate a cultural change. 

“Over the past two years, the college has pledged to become net zero carbon, hosted climate cafes and allocated an area for gardening and planting. We’ll also be hosting the first ever Harrogate Action Climate Festival this October, which is very exciting.

“It’s great to see staff and students all coming together and making small differences every day that are contributing to a wider environmental impact.”

Danny Wild, Principal at Harrogate College, added: “As North Yorkshire leads the way in becoming the first carbon negative county in England, we’re proud to be embedding green sustainable practices into the culture of the college. 

“This recognition is testament to Holly and the staff and students’ passion for positive change and I’m looking forward to our upcoming events and initiatives.”

The Green Gown Awards ceremony will be taking place this November, where the winners will be announced.

Refugee Week is a UK festival that celebrates the resilience and contributions of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. It is a week-long celebration which centers around World Refugee Day on 20 June. 

Refugee Week was established in 1988 to help challenge the xenophobia and hostility refugees faced from society and the media. It is now a national initiative that works towards combating the negative stigma, educating communities about the valuable contributions of refugees and giving them a safe place to live. 

The annual celebration acts as a powerful platform for those to share their experiences and the challenges they face when seeking asylum. The week aims to create a safe place where communities can develop a better understanding of the issues that refugees face. It also offers an opportunity for people to be seen, listened to, and valued in their community.

Inclusivity is at the heart of the event, accompanied by activities and exhibitions which strive to bring everyone together to raise awareness of the history and challenges that refugees can face in their everyday lives. 

We Cannot Walk Alone

This year, the theme for Refugee Week is ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’. 

This theme stems from a speech delivered by Martin Luther King during the American Civil Rights Movement. However, the words still resonate with us today and relate to all aspects of our lives. 

The theme encourages us to walk side-by-side with each other by reaching out to someone new. It inspires us to connect with new people and learn something valuable from each other. 

Why not take part in Refugee Week Simple Acts inspired by this year’s theme? These are simple acts that we can incorporate into our everyday life to stand with refugees and make new, valuable connections. 

Events

Here are some ways you can get involved.

Whose Land? By Meduula

Meduulla, a Zimbabwean-born artist, poet and rapper uses her voice to raise awareness of the consequences of conflict with migration. This is an online event held on the 14 June. 

Find out more information here.

Guardian at 200: Humanitarian issues and the power of the media

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library holds the entire archive of the Manchester Guardian. This panel of special guests and experts will discuss items from the archive and how it could impact our future.

Home, Street, City: Finding Sanctuary in Wakefield

From 26 May to 19 June, this exhibition celebrates artwork made by people in Wakefield during the pandemic, exploring experiences and memories of their homes.

College activities

At Harrogate College, we will also be taking part in Refugee Week. We are committed to being inclusive and nurturing to everyone. We have been working with Harrogate District of Sanctuary to look out how we can improve to be even more welcoming to refugees.

Across the college there will be a creative competition around the themes of sanctuary in which students can participate in. Take a look at the competition poster for more information.
If you want any further information, please contact Megan Hawkswell.

We will be displaying these entries in St Peter’s Church in Harrogate during the week.

We will also be sharing stories from our students who have had experience being asylum seekers and refugees. If you’d like to share your story – please fill in this form https://forms.gle/ADRa7T2H6Am1TtMW7.

We will only share what you agree to being shared – it can be confidential and as much or as little as you like.

Harrogate Support Services 

If you’d like to get support, there are many local services available. 

St Mark’s Church welcomes refugees to Harrogate and collects donations to send to Syria. 

Carers help to hold our communities and country together – but the vital work they do often goes unseen.

That is something this year’s Carers Week, which runs from 7 June to 13 June, is determined to change.

The awareness raising campaign celebrates the unpaid work of millions of people who support relatives or friends who are growing older or who have a disability or a mental or physical illness.

WHAT IS A CARER?

Carers Week has provided its own definition and it is deliberately lengthy – to reflect the breadth of activities carers are involved in.

The campaign defines a carer as someone who “cares (unpaid) for family or friends who have a disability, illness or who need support in later life: Washing them. And their laundry. And their dishes. Keeping appointments. And records. And tempers.

“Giving medicine. And time. And hugs. Filling forms. And fridges. And silences. Dealing with doctors. And nurses. And pharmacists. And social workers. And benefits agencies. And care workers. And a lack of sleep.”

 Carers UK estimates that there are about 6.5 million carers, of all ages, in the UK – though in 2020 that figure more than doubled, to 13.6 million, because of the pandemic.

Many look after more than one person and provide more than 50 hours of caring each week.

VISIBLE AND VALUED

This year’s theme is Making Caring Visible and Valued, which aims to make more people recognise the enormous contribution made by carers and ensure they get the practical, financial and emotional support they need.

 Carers UK is teaming up with Age UK, Carers Trust, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Oxfam GB and Rethink Mental Illness for Carers Week 2021.

The six charities are calling on individuals, services and organisations across the country to get involved.

ADD YOUR VOICE

Anyone can leave a message of support on the Carers Week website’s Add Your Voice wall or Pledge Your Support section.

• Supporters are also being asked to: Spread the word about Carers Week on social media using the hashtag #CarersWeek
• Follow Carers Week on Twitter and Facebook
• Get in touch with local politicians and ask them to support the campaign
• Promote services for carers in your community

EVENTS

Hundreds of different activities have been organised across the country. A full guide – with interactive map – can be found on the campaign’s website where there are also tips on how to stage your own, virtual events for carers.

 Locally, two virtual Lunch and Learn workshops are being held by Carers Leeds. For more details and to book a place follow these links:

• Understanding Dementia: Wednesday 9 June, 12pm to 1pm
• Wellbeing for Working Carers: Thursday 10 June, 12pm to 1pm

COLLEGE SUPPORT

Harrogate College Principal Danny Wild said: “Carers Week and the support it offers to carers, by highlighting their invaluable but often unseen work, is really important to us as a college as it connects with our own values of nurturing and inclusiveness.”

A COLOSSAL CONTRIBUTION DURING COVID

Speaking on behalf of the Carers Week charities, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic unpaid carers have played an essential role supporting older, disabled and seriously ill relatives and friends, doing so most of the year on their own behind closed doors.

“They have forgone breaks from caring and much of the support they would normally have relied on.

“As restrictions ease it is vital that we acknowledge the enormous contribution that unpaid carers continue to make day in day out. I am delighted that many individuals and organisations are getting involved with virtual activities, helping carers to connect to others and access advice and information locally.

“Looking after someone can be a hugely rewarding experience, but it sometimes comes with difficulties, including getting the right support. This Carers Week I hope all parts of the community – family and friends, employers, businesses, schools, health and care services – do their bit to make caring visible and show it is valued.”

SUPPORT

Support and advice for local carers is provided by Carers’ Resource – visit here for more details or call the Harrogate office on (01423) 500555.

Being a carer is one of the most important roles we will ever take on in life – and also one of the most challenging.

That is particularly true for members of the country’s growing army of young carers who have to juggle looking after a loved one with their education.

Keen to offer some support to local carers, Harrogate College has been running a series of free performing arts workshops designed to boost their confidence.

Performing Arts tutor Robin Burch has just completed four sessions with five teenagers which ended with them each giving short performances to the group.

Teaching Confidence

Robin, who was assisted by Student Relations Officer Megan Hawkswell and one of his students, Katie Romilly, said: “Teaching confidence is a challenging task.

“You have a series of exercises and activities to develop trust, communication and sharing, but it is a continual process of adaptation all the time, to each activity.

“The tutor has to develop the relationship with each individual student and demonstrate what confidence looks like themselves.

“Sensitivity to each student’s needs is especially important when we share feedback.”

The activities were designed to build trust and confidence and get the participants comfortable with communicating with each other.

Megan said: “The young carers particularly enjoyed the excuse to do some singing and shouting while working on voice projection.

“During the workshop series they got noticeably more confident and by the end were confidently speaking in front of the group.”

A Chance to Help

Harrogate College’s Performance and Projects Coordinator, Holly Hansen-Maughan, added: “This was a perfect example of the college serving its community.

“We appreciate our ability to help people.”

Unseen Sacrifices

There are currently an estimated 800,000 carers aged between five and 17 in the UK. Each is involved in regularly caring for a family member or friend by taking on all kinds of extra responsibilities including cooking, cleaning, shopping and collecting prescriptions.

The pressure on them is often immense and one in three have a mental health issue – while 27 per cent of those aged between 11 and 15 are missing school.

The Children’s Society, on the Facts About Young Carers section of its website, says: “Having to care for someone can often mean missing school or having to bail on friends.

“It can put their childhood on the back burner. Many young carers, and the people around them, don’t even realise they’re carers.”

Further Support

This year’s Carers Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring and the daily challenges unpaid cares face, takes place from Monday, June 7 to Sunday, June 13.

Carers Leeds will be holding a number of events during the week.

Yorkshire businesses are being urged to join a pioneering project that is empowering students and jobseekers.

Harrogate College started Meet an Employer last year as a way of keeping businesses connected with potential new employees and supporting the local community during the coronavirus pandemic.

The scheme – a partnership venture with the Department for Work and Pensions – is the brainchild of the college’s Performance and Projects Coordinator, Holly Hansen-Maughan. Holly has organised and hosted a series of webinars to let employers from different sectors explain their work and field questions from jobseekers and students.

A total of ten events have now been held and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: so Holly is seeking more businesses to sign up for a second series of webinars that will begin later this year.

A RESPONSE TO LOCKDOWN

She said: “I started the Meet an Employer webinars last September as a response to lockdown and there being less opportunities for people to engage.

“They can be viewed by students from across Luminate Education Group – which includes Harrogate College, Leeds City College and Keighley College – as well as jobseekers in Harrogate and York; I work with the DWP to advertise the webinars to their clients.

“We have had a range of different employers including people from healthcare, construction, retail, energy, and sales – and would now like to ask businesses to come forward to be involved the next series.”

A CHANCE TO GIVE BACK – AND RECRUIT

Some of the area’s top businesses took part in this round of talks, and they all found the experience rewarding.

Holly said: “There’s been a lot of positive feedback from the employers who have been involved and from those attending. This has been recognised as a great opportunity by the businesses to showcase their work, give back to the community, advertise vacancies and give a sense of what the jobs entail.

“And for the students and jobseekers it has been a chance to find out more about a particular sector or role, put questions directly to the employers and hear about local opportunities.

“As a result there have been job offers and one-to-one follow-on conversations after the webinars.”

SERVING THE COMMUNITY

Holly is now keen to keep the momentum going: “This project was created as a vital tool to boost opportunities and mobility, and it allows the college to serve its community – which is its purpose.

“It is important that these type of opportunities are being provided not only for students but for people across our district.

“I began this as a response to lockdown but it has actually had a really positive effect as it has allowed more people to benefit.”

TAKING PART

She added: “Hosting the series has been really interesting, and I have learnt a lot.

“The breadth of businesses that have been involved already has been incredible and I would encourage others to get in touch.”

Any employer interested in signing up for the next series of webinars is asked to contact Holly by sending an e-mail to Holly.Hansen-Maughan@harrogate.ac.uk.

Find out more about Harrogate College and what it offers here.

Douglas Thompson was just three years old when he learned his first magic trick: how to create snowflakes.

That early introduction to the craft of paper cutting – courtesy of a lesson from his aunt when she was trying to keep him occupied – set him on a lifelong exploration of art and creativity.

The 45 year old now uses his creativity every day in his job as a facilitator, mentor and instructor at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre, Knaresborough.

And Douglas, who specialises in paper cutting and curating, is currently experiencing a fresh creative boost thanks to his studies for an MA in Creative Practice at Harrogate College.

The course has already inspired him to design a new map for Henshaws and to:

• Set up a website, northartcraft.com, with two of his fellow MA students
• Organise a group art show at Henshaws this summer
• Sell his work through Northernlines Art, at Knaresborough railway station
• Take on a number of commissions in support of Harrogate Theatre

WORK BENEFITS

“I love leading workshops at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre where I use my expertise in both drama and fine art to increase confidence, communication skills and coordination.

“Studying an MA in Creative Practice at Harrogate College has been instrumental in increasing the arts centre’s portfolio and it has encouraged our other workshop leaders to consider second degrees and further study.

“I have loved this MA and it has made so much sense for me for it to have been embedded in this community. Knaresborough and Harrogate are very creative towns; I feel far more connected now professionally to the local creative network and fully able to talk about my work and its value to the local community.”

CUTTING A PATH

“My earliest memory was cutting snowflakes with my aunt when I was three. It was the only way she could get me to sit still.

“My paper-cut art took off in 2011 when I used the technique to design installations for musician Omar Soulyman and for a local gallery in Bradford. I had forgotten how much I had loved working with paper as a child and from that point on it became one of my primary modes of creative expression. 

“I was a daydreamer as a child and art connected my dreams to the world and people around me. Art stopped me, in my youth, from dropping out of the education system. It has provided a way for me to make a living and given me a life with meaning that provides a lot of satisfaction.”

PANDEMIC PROBLEMS – AND OPPORTUNITIES

“The lack of access to practical facilities at the college during lockdown was particularly challenging but we were supported through tutorials. Our academic staff were able to act quickly in setting up online sessions.

“The college have also acknowledged the studio time that has been lost and provided extensions, with extended access to facilities. I think larger institutions may not have been able to accommodate our various needs as quickly.

“In response to social distancing, I and two other MA students created our own website, northartcraft.com, to provide a platform to share and sell our artwork on as well as the work of other artists in our network.

“This has allowed us to collaborate with artists across the country and help us to develop creatively during a challenging time. A masters encourages this type of independent entrepreneurship backed with academic rigour.”

CREATIVE CALENDAR

“I’m producing a group show from July 8 – July 12^, hosted at Henshaws; I have my work on sale at Northernlines Art on Knaresborough station platform; I am managing a makers market with my colleagues from northartcraft.com in September; and I have a number of commissions supporting Harrogate Theatre and its projects this year.

“None of this would be taking place without the MA.”

LEARNING FOR ALL AGES

Leeds City College is participating in the Festival of Learning, a year-long recognition of mature students and their achievements, to celebrate adult learning.

Douglas, whose first degree was a BA in theatre which he did more than 20 years ago, would definitely encourage others to take up education at whatever stage of life they are at.

“I rate my learning experience very highly. It was important to me to be able to study locally in a way that was relevant and connected to my community.

“Study is as much about how you relate to the subject as it is about the institution so don’t think you have to study at the most renowned academy to get the most out of your chosen course.

“It’s never too late or too early to study either. We are always learning, that’s what keeps us bright and vital and human

“It doesn’t matter what age you are, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t studied for years, it doesn’t matter if you’ve failed in the past. What matters is that you are interested, that you enjoy the subject and that it has meaning to you.”

Discover more about our adult offering here.