THE cream of a North Yorkshire college's youth have been rewarded for their effort over the past year.

Parents, teachers, governors and guests attended Northallerton College's awards ceremony at the town's Forum.

The audience was entertained by the college orchestra, a solo performance by student Amy Almond and dance by college students and pupils from The Dales School.

Principal Mick Hill said: "We wanted our awards ceremony to be slightly different; we wanted it to focus sharply on the students."

Chairman of the governors John Dennis, who was listed in the Queen's Honours List, spoke of his pride in being associated with the college.

"The students excel in every walk of life, both inside and outside the college," he said.

Leigh Garside, chairman of the student council, praised the college for supporting students in all areas, including academic, music, sport, voluntary and charity work.

"Teachers, staff and governors are a constant source of encouragement," she said.

Special guest Paul Murphy, executive director of North Yorkshire business and education partnership, said links with the college had blossomed and he now had a permanent member of staff based there.

"Employers are looking for people who are a little bit different," he said. "You have to put energy in to get things going and you have to get to know your inner person and become comfortable with it."

Awards

Best Key Stage 3 SAT scores: Ailish Breen, Sarah Johnson, Robert Ramsden, Laura Brookes, Louise Kaye, Neil Rodley, Rachel Cornfoot, Callum Kitson-Parker, Daniel Rutland, Robert Milner, Sally Dennis, Rebecca Hills, Elizabeth Parrott, Laura Turner, Simon Howard.

County Colours for Music: Louise Finch, Richard Miles, Sam Sankey, Anna Gillespie, Kimberley Parker, Sarah Stephens, Alison James.

Outstanding attitude and achievement during year ten: Rachael Blake, Richard Hounsome, Amy Nicholson, Samuel Toothill, Sophie Bramley, Zoe Hutchinson, Craig Roberts, Jamie Williams, Sara-Jane Craddock, Helen Jamieson, Becky Sadler, Sally Willis, Patrick Eames, Sarah Nell, Annabel Taylor.

Dales School

Outstanding Contribution to Northallerton College: Jamie Chiu, Annie Pybus, Matthew Culshaw, Adam Smith, Stephen Milne.

Outstanding achievement at AS level: Sara Boomsma, Rebecca Hall, Benjamin Plackett, Laura Colling, Deane Jacobs, Rebecca Robinson, Louise Finch, Lucy Judd, Rachel Turner, Leigh Garside, Jennifer Mungham.

Outstanding contribution to the Millennium Volunteers Scheme: Frances Allan, Rachel Smith, Laura Hoyland.

Contribution to the Student Council: Louise Finch, Leigh Garside, Charlotte Rolf

Outstanding achievement throughout Key Stage 4: Louise Best, Lydia Gunn-Newlove, Sam Sankey, Sarah Breckon, Thomas Judd, Emily Shaw, Jonathan Busby, Shaun Lane, Lisa Simpson, Lucy Collier, Helen Mason, James Tasane, Ruth Cook, Hannah Matthews, Bethany Thurlbeck, Jennifer Crewdson, Ruth Mattison, Genevieve Trenholm, Jack Gill, Joshua Miers, Emma Wood, Sophie Green, Kirsty Nattrass, Laura Wooff.

Outstanding achievement at A2 level: Amy Allen, Lee Coates, Sarah Ball, Kimberley Parker, Adam Clifton, Antony Robinson.

Outstanding achievement at AVCE: Alistair White (business); Peter Hemsley (ICT); Jodie Lingard (health and social care); Shaun Cornfoot (performing arts); Lisa Stubbs (health and social care); Amy Manancourt (performing arts).

Special Awards

Clothes Show design a T-shirt finalist: Hannah Matthews.

Ben Hyde Sports Award (sporting commitment and enthusiasm): Rebecca Carson, Jessica Roberts, Richard Cuthbert, Douglas Roberts.

Best Vocational Learners: Matthew Kettlewell and Stacey Robinson.

Highest achiever at A2 level: Raveen Jayasuriya.

Joint highest achiever at AS level: Claire Chapman and Thomas Hills.

Highest achiever for AVCE: Lauren Pollock.

Millennium Volunteers Service Award: Natasha Hambly.

Rotary Club Award (highest achiever at GCSE): Sarah Breckon.

English as a foreign language: Abhimanyu Chugh, Katarzyna Nazarewicz and Murat Ozkanli.

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award: Amy Almond.

The John Dennis Award: Louise Best and Andrew Warner, Cuthbert Cross, Raveen Jayasuriya and Natalie Williams.