PUPILS at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School were rewarded for a year of excellence at an awards ceremony last night.

County Council leader, Geoff Driver, was the guest of honour at the ceremony, which hailed the achieve-ments of year 11 students at the Rossendale school.

Certificates were handed out to students who excelled across a variety of subjects including mathematics, scie-nce, English, geography, theatre, music and history.

More than 50 students were awarded prizes for their efforts.

Speaking about the year 11 students’ GCSE results dep-uty headteacher Dr Andrew Edwards said: “This was the best-ever GCSE summer for BRGS.

“We were delighted with the overall success for the students, which reflected their hard work and the drive by the staff to reform teaching and learning styles.

“We look forward to continuing the partnership into the sixth form and welcoming all students who will be joining us.”

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar was described as a good school with outstanding features in its last Ofsted report.

Award winners included Richard Karoo Fellowship for Academic Excellence, James Mitchell; George Allen Memorial Trophy for Music, Chalcedony Williams; Music Cup, Oliver Sikora; Dr P Lord and O.M.

Holt Memorial Prize for Music, Bethan Gregory, Hannah Potts.

Music Department Higher Education Award, Thomas Sutcliffe; Junior Music Shield, Jack Westerman; Upper Sixth English Prize (Mr. R.G. Phillips) Laura Longworth.

Speak without Fear Prize for Theatre Studies, Christian Schofield; Neil McRobert Prize for English Literature, Reanne Crane.

Upper Sixth Drama & Theatre Studies Prize (Mr. R.G. Phillips), Jessica McGuinness; Media Studies Prize, Liam Healey; Freda Ebden Memorial Prize for English, Sam Bowers; Jack E. Barnes Cup for English (GCSE), Rachel Bond.

Jane Biran Prize for English Linguistics (A level) Hayley Nixon; Linda & Tony Fuller Award for Maths and Science, Michael Worrall.

Dorothy Moore Mathematics Prize, Christopher Pearson; Year 10 Mathematics Prize (Mrs B.J. White) Rima Khanom; Michael Churnside Mathematics Prize for Endeavour, Emma Finnerty.

F. Harding Geography Prize, Sally Dearden, Michael Scott, Simon Allan, Bethan Gregory; Madison Filter Ltd Prize for Economics, Toby Cockayne, Sean Kinsella.

NatWest Bank Prize for Economics, Stephen Hill, Charlotte Livesey; Howard Jackson Trophy for Business Studies, James Curtis; Kingfisher Partnership Prize for Business Studies, Edward Ainsworth.