THE best ever GCSE results have been recorded at Morpeth’s King Edward VI School.

The school reported a 100 percent pass rate at grades A to G, meaning all of the 317 students taking the exams achieved at least one pass.

A total of 91 percent achieved at least five A* to C grades, up from a previous high of 88 percent last year.

And 77 percent of pupils attained five A* to C grades including Maths and English, surpassing the previous best result of 75 percent a few years ago.

In addition, 28 percent of grades were A* or A, and 13 students achieved a straight run of A* and As in their exams.

Headteacher Simon Taylor said: “These are our best ever results, it’s fantastic.

“We are just delighted. There should be lots of happy faces and lots of students able to go on and do what they want to do.”

For full results and pupils’ reaction see next week’s Morpeth Herald.

FURTHER records have been broken at Ponteland High School as more students than ever achieved top GCSE grades to follow last week’s best-ever A-level results.

A total of 71 percent of pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and maths – up from 70 percent in 2011.

Three of them achieved all A* grades, with Caroline Garner and Jessica Keating scoring 11 out of a possible 11, and Andrew Bagnall getting the gold standard in all 10 of his exams.

Another 12 students received all A* or A grades: Greg Chambers, Felicity Clarke, John Garner, Olivia Herford, Jack Heslop, Rachael Hickey, Catherine Hunter, Elizabeth MacGowan, Meghan Phillips, Jessica Rea, Ashleigh Brown and Lewis Fraser.

Other high-flyers included Robyn Lillico, who got 10 A*/A out of a possible 12 and Bridget Stratford and Jonathan Ord, with 10 A*/A out of 11 subjects.

Jessica Barber, Anna Cassidy, Ruth Gillies, Maisie Ingram, Michael Mason, Emma Scott and Courtney West all achieved nine A*/A among their 10 and John Anderson, Kirstie Ions, Sam Kirsopp-Reed and Charlotte Twelves achieved eight A*/A out of a possible 10.

The proportion of students receiving at least five A*-C grades across all subjects looks set to have equalled last year’s 83 percent.

Stephen Prandle, who is retiring as Headteacher this summer, said: “All of our students deserve congratulations for their dedication and determination in making this a record year for our school.

“We have a fantastic staff at Ponteland High and these results show that we are continuing to make an excellent school even better.”

Eighty four percent of pupils managed to get a C or above in their maths GCSE, with 30 percent gaining either an A* or A, and 77 percent achieved C or above in English, with A*s or As given out to 20 percent of the exam takers.

And 27 percent of students received the necessary grades across the relevant subjects to reach the English Baccalaureate standard.

Associate Headteacher Anita Brown, who is also stepping down at the end of this month, added: “These figures are brilliant and our students, their parents and our teachers deserve the highest praise.

“It’s worth remembering that a school’s overall achievement is about more than the high-flyers, which is why we make sure all of our students get the support they need to be the best they can be, and I think our results across the board show how truly successful we have been.”

A CAR crash on a busy Morpeth road caused delays for motorists yesterday teatime.

Police received a report at 5.15pm of a collision involving a Vauxhall Corsa and Renault Megane on the A197 near the Sun Inn pub.

There were no serious injuries, although one of the drivers was taken by ambulance to Wansbeck General Hospital as a precaution.

One of the cars was stationed on the road, on the carriageway heading into Morpeth town centre, so officers needed to provide traffic management to allow only one lane of vehicles to move at a time until it was removed.

FAIR Day activities may have to be moved in Morpeth to accommodate vital flood works.

The Morpeth and District Chamber of Trade, which organises the annual event, is drawing up contingency plans for High Stanners activities next year as work on the town’s flood alleviation scheme should be under way.

The group will discuss the issue with the Environment Agency once a works schedule is available.

IT was a five-star showing for a garden centre near Morpeth at a recent regional awards event.

Heighley Gate Nursery and Garden Centre received first place in the Best Display, Best Food Hall, Best Gardening Retailer and Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association (GIMA) Award, and Best Service and Facilities categories at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA’s) North East area ceremony.

It won the accolade for the Most Improved Centre and was given a Highly Commended award for scoring more than 80 per cent overall in its inspection.

Manager Roger Wale said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been acknowledged by the GCA, which is the industry’s top standards organisation that awards excellence at garden centres.

“It is a great recognition of the team’s hard work during the past year.

“We always strive at Heighley Gate Nursery and Garden Centre to have the very best of everything – staff expertise, customer service, a warm welcome and the best home-grown plants.

“We work hard to ensure our visitors have a wonderful time when they come to the garden centre.”

The business lies in 40 acres of grounds and more than half the plants sold at the centre are home-grown.

It employs more than 150 staff and sells a range of products for the garden and home.

A THRIVING online wool business is bedding down in Morpeth.

The Wool Room will be the latest addition to the town’s Sanderson Arcade when it opens its first store on Saturday.

The business works closely with the Campaign for Wool and the British Sheep Farming Industry, selling high quality bedding, blankets, soft furnishings and gifts.

Around £30,000 has been spent on a re-fit for the store, which can be found in the Edwardian style gallery of the arcade, next to Curiously Wicked chocolate shop.

Managing Director Chris Tattersall said: “We are really excited to be opening our first store at Sanderson Arcade.

“Our products are hugely popular with our online customers and we are looking forward to spreading the word about the benefits of wool in Morpeth.”

Centre Manager Medi Parry said: “We are all really excited about the opening of The Wool Room.

“The store looks fantastic and don’t forget to look out for our colourful sheep along the arcade in the build-up to the opening.”

THE best ever A-level pass rate has been recorded at Morpeth’s King Edward VI School.

Around 200 students sat the sixth form exams at the school this year.

And of the 637 exams taken, only three papers were given an unclassified grade.

The school also achieved its highest average points score for pupils and 57 per cent of those who took the exams achieved all A* to B grades, matching the results last year.

Headteacher Simon Taylor said: “We are very pleased. It has been another excellent set of results and there are lots of happy faces.

“There are some really good grades.

“We have had our best ever pass rate, which is virtually 100 per cent, and for grades A* to B it is on a par with the last couple of years at 57 per cent, which is fantastic.

“Everybody has got at least two grades and the vast majority have three or four.

“We have 23 students who got all A* and A grades and three students got all A*s.”

Mr Taylor was delighted to see that the majority of students got the grades they needed for their first choice university places, but he said staff will be working with those who missed out to help them find alternatives.

He said: “What we look for now is to work with anybody who hasn’t got their first choice offer or hasn’t been fixed up if they want to go to university. That is what the staff will be doing over the next few days.

“I’m pleased to say that the vast majority have got places and have got their first or second choice universities, and everybody who applied to Oxbridge got in. They will be going off in September or October.”

Changes have been made to the university admission system this year, enabling establishments to take an unlimited number of students who achieve grades of two As and a B or higher.

And Mr Taylor hopes it will benefit KEVI pupils.

“We have some students who might now change the university they want to go to because they have done better than they thought, and some students may benefit if courses are freed up by people going elsewhere.

“It is a bit of an unknown until we see how it is working, but hopefully that will be a benefit,” he said.

He added: “We have a lovely set of results and it is on a par with the last couple of years, which is great.”

PONTELAND High School is celebrating record successes at A-Level, bringing smiles to the faces of students and staff.

No fewer than 23 gained three or more A* or A grades, compared with 20 last summer.

More than a quarter, 27 percent, of all the entries scored A* to A grades, the average point score per student increased to 850 from 831, and the average point score per entry rose to 218 from 216.

The two male and two female Ponteland High students who applied for places at Cambridge this year were all successful.

Other students will be heading off this autumn to study a range of courses including law, medicine, civil and structural engineering and pharmacy at universities across the country.

Stephen Prandle, who retires as headteacher at the end of the month, said: “All of our A-Level students deserve congratulations for helping the school to achieve record success this summer, building on the already high standards set in previous years.

“Their magnificent achievements are indicative of the quality of teaching and learning at Ponteland High, and I would like to congratulate them, and their teachers, for their tremendous efforts.”

Associate Headteacher Anita Brown, who is also leaving Ponteland this month, added: “Parents deserve praise, too, for working with us to motivate, encourage and support their youngsters. Our successful home-school partnership means that, once again, our students are leaving school with an excellent preparation for life, and we wish them all well in their future studies and careers.”

OUTLINE plans for a major new housing estate in Ponteland have been unveiled to residents.

But people living next to the proposed site and other members of the community have hit out at Banks Property’s proposals for up to 500 homes, claiming that it would cause harm to the area and their way of life.

Dubbed ‘Ponteland Garden Village’, the company says it would provide a mix to suit all levels of the market including affordable housing, properties aimed at families and accommodation for retired people.

It would also help to improve important infrastructures and facilities in Ponteland.

Its early thoughts for the Clickemin Farm development site, which is located behind Cheviot View up to Rotary Way and also behind Ridgley Drive, were presented at an exhibition in Ponteland Leisure Centre.

More than 300 people turned up and among the residents to attend was Lesley Noble, who lives in Cheviot View.

“There is mass opposition from the residents of Ponteland to these proposals and any other proposals to build on the Green Belt and I hope Banks Property got this message clearly from those who came along,” she said.

“The Green Belt is what characterises Ponteland and a development such as this will destroy the character and charm of Ponteland forever.

“There is no need for any new housing development of this size. Most residents consider Ponteland to be a village and not a town.

“Banks, at the exhibition, compared Ponteland with some towns and then said there is a lack of similar town facilities in Ponteland – a ridiculous comparison.

“It also said that it will improve the Leisure Centre if these proposals were to go ahead, what it does not say is that the cost of these improvements will be the destruction of the Green Belt and the village itself. The residents of Ponteland have too much integrity to be swayed by these inducements.”

Sue Smith, a resident of Ridgley Drive for more than 17 years, added: “When I look around over the fields and surrounding countryside, I find it heartbreaking to think that someone wants to destroy this.”

Other concerns raised at the event included an increase in traffic problems at peak times, particularly on the A696, and making flooding more likely in that part of Ponteland.

The exhibition marked the beginning of an on-going public engagement process to enable residents to voice their opinions, with the feedback received being used to help shape the final proposals for the scheme.

The company is considering a number of areas where it could make contributions to improvements if the project was approved by Northumberland County Council’s west area planning committee – including the road network, the Memorial Hall, Ponteland Library and new facilities for some of the area’s sporting clubs.

The authority’s recent Employment Land Review identified Ponteland as having a need for new commercial development, and it is claimed the proposals could help meet this need by providing land and accommodation for employment use which will create new opportunities for local people and businesses.

Banks Property also pledged that around one-third of the site would be maintained as landscaped public open space.

Environment and Community Director Mark Dowdall said: “There is a real need for more housing to be made available in Ponteland to help people move to or stay in the town, and this is something that was appreciated by many of those attending our event. Meeting this need is a stated strategic aim towards which the county council is working, and one which we believe would be best addressed by the plans we’re putting forward.

“We firmly believe that everyone has a right to the opportunity to live in the place that they wish to be, and our aim now is to establish a meaningful dialogue with every part of the community around how this goal can best be achieved in Ponteland, where there isn’t enough available space to meet its housing needs by re-developing brownfield sites alone.”

Anyone who was unable to attend the exhibition, but would like more information on the proposals, can contact the Banks community relations team by calling 0191 3786100 or emailing ponteland@banksgroup.co.uk

FORMAL plans have been submitted for a Fenrother windfarm, but there are concerns about community benefits.

Energiekontor UK is seeking permission to site five turbines on land south of Longhorsley.

And as part of the scheme up to £45,000 a year in community benefit funds would be handed to the Greater Morpeth Development Trust (GMDT).

However, the Fight Fenrother and Longhorsley Windfarm Group has hit out at the choice of recipient, suggesting that local parish councils or residents would be better placed to benefit those affected by the windfarm.

Chairman Dr James Lunn said: “I’m not very happy about this, but not surprised. I hope the council will take the view that the community is not being involved in this in any shape or form.

“Tritlington, West Chevington and Longhorsley parish councils have all said they would be interested in being involved in any community fund and they believed they would be involved.

“The guidance is that a community benefit fund should be for the local community. There is a local community in Fenrother. Although it has had its heart ripped out and parts of the community are no longer speaking to the landowners, there is still a community spirit and we would use the money on local projects to try to compensate for the losses we will have through this windfarm.

“I don’t think any of us look on Morpeth as our community. Certainly the information boards along the river and the Town Hall redevelopment done by the Greater Morpeth Development Trust are not classed as a benefit to us.

“The GMDT has never been involved in projects as far out of Morpeth as Fenrother and has no objective plans for any future projects in this area.”

Project Manager Sam Dewar said GMDT would be a worthy recipient and the only reason it was not revealed earlier is because legal agreements had not been signed.

“If you look on the Greater Morpeth Development Trust website it does cover a large area around Morpeth, including Fenrother and Fieldhead,” he said.

“We know that residents of Fenrother, Fieldhead and Longhorsley go to Morpeth on a regular basis and Morpeth is very much the central hub for local residents.

“The work that GMDT has done in all manner of things, such as working with the Environment Agency on flood alleviation schemes, improving footpath networks and refurbishing the Town Hall, is amazing.

“The shortlist process for the community fund recipient has been ongoing for a long time and when we sat down and went through the list it was clearly evident that GMDT would be the most worthy. It is an upstanding organisation and very well settled. It has the financial structure in place in order to receive funds with little or no re-structure.

“It is looking at projects for the next five, ten and 20 years. We know the windfarm can last 25 years so we are conscious of giving the fund to a body that can use the money for the community not just today, but in the longer term.”

GMDT has confirmed that it would be willing to handle the funds, but stated that it has no position on windfarms.

Chairman Doug Phillips said: “We have responded to say that we would indeed be interested in doing so although it is important that we make it clear we are neither in favour nor against wind farms.

“It is for the company to explain why we were approached, but we do believe we would be an appropriate organisation to handle any potential funding based on the strong track record we have established and the expertise we have built up over the

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past seven years in developing and managing projects for the benefit of the community in and around Morpeth.

“If the Trust is asked to manage this fund we would ensure we set up accountable procedures to ensure any projects and schemes people or organisations wish to put forward for the benefit of their localities would be carefully and appropriately considered.”

Mr Dewar said an application for the turbines has been submitted to Northumberland County Council and is awaiting validation before the formal consultation process begins.

A petition of more than 260 names has already been collected against the bid, but Energiekontor has been seeking support in Morpeth town centre this week, urging people to write letters backing the scheme.

Mr Dewar said: “We are getting about 60 to 70 percent of people supporting the windfarm and a lot of people are writing letters of support.

“We wouldn’t be wasting our time with a windfarm if we didn’t feel there was support for the application. People who live locally to the windfarm do actually support wind energy and our proposal for Fenrother.”

A MORPETH businesswoman is calling on town residents to go online and help her raise the profile of bunting at a national level.

Emma Scott, who lives in Espley, has been making a name for herself since starting her Little Bundles enterprise a few years ago and one of her creations was shown on the BBC’s DIY SOS programme earlier this year.

All of her bunting is hand-made. She initially started off making flags for children, but has expanded to weddings, birthdays, Christenings and bespoke designs for other special occasions.

And under the theme of British Bunting, Mrs Scott has entered The Great Exhibition 2012 – a virtual catalogue showcasing different aspects of the UK’s society and culture.

She has received more than 200 votes so far and is the top ranked North East entrant in the Best in Britain Sole Trader/SME Manufacturer category, and not far away from the top 100 nationwide.

Voting closes on Monday and residents can support her bid by visiting www.thegreatexhibition2012.co.uk/greats/British-bunting

There is a quick signing up process to go through before making your vote.

EXHIBITORS are making their final plans for the annual Longhirst Flower Show.

The event includes a number of classes for vegetables, flowers, cookery, crafts and photography, as well as junior competitions.

This year’s special class is for a geranium in a pot and free plants are available to anyone in the parish who is interested in taking part. They can grow them on at home and then present them for judging on the day of the show.

Other classes will mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, including a Jubilee cake, flower arrangement and art in red, white and blue.

Home-made refreshments will be available, as well as a raffle and tombola.

The show will be held at Longhirst Village Hall on Saturday, September 1, at 2.30pm. An auction of produce will take place at 4.30pm.

A GROUP of Morpeth parents and grandparents were given top tips on how to make mouth-watering meals on a budget.

Supermarket chain Morrisons has re-launched its Value range as M Savers and is sending chefs around the country to show people how the ingredients can be used to cook simple and healthy dinners.

One of the classes was at Chantry Middle School and Technology College and Mike Harrison went through recipe cards for a range of dishes with more than 30 adults.

These included pea and bacon soup, vegetable curry, pasta bake, sweet and sour turkey and beef stir fry.

Chantry cookery teacher Helen Moran said: “The parents and grandparents thought it was great and wished it could be the first of many. Chef Mike was fabulous with them and put them very much at ease.”

Morrisons Media Relations Officer Anna Claydon, who attended the event, said: “Morrisons has a long tradition of community involvement and it was great to see so many parents and grandparents attend the Cook-Along at Chantry Middle School and Technology College.

“We were delighted to meet some of our Morpeth customers and give them the opportunity to try their hand at cooking up some easy and affordable recipes using the M Savers ingredients.”

A PONTELAND teenager hit the heights twice during the summer.

As well as achieving top grades in his A-Level exams, Adam Barker cycled 841 miles from northern to southern France to raise money for the Freeman Hospital’s Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF).

The Darras Hall resident, who will attend Cambridge University, teamed up with fellow Ponteland High School student Dan Barber to travel from Calais to Nice.

The trek got even tougher when they reached the Alps, but they successfully managed to climb the highest paved road in Europe – the 2,860m (9,383ft) Col de La Bonette near St Etienne.

And they were delighted to finish the ride after 12 days.

Adam said: “It started off as a passing idea, but when we talked about it a bit more we decided to go for it and plan the route.

“Once we finished our A-Level exams we did some intensive training around the hills of Stamfordham, which was very useful preparation.

“It was definitely an experience of a lifetime as we took on challenges that we had never faced before, such as fending for ourselves and dealing with a different culture.

“It was tough at times, but we were determined to get to Nice and heading towards the sun was an uplifting thought.”

Another student, Andrew Smith, started with them, but had to drop out after a fall on day three.

All three have received donations and a website – www.justgiving.com/Adam-Barker1 – was set up to help with the fund-raising. Around £500 has been collected so far.

The 18-year-old got A* grades in maths, further maths and physics and received an A for chemistry. He will read natural sciences as it allows him to continue studying all his A-Level subjects and choose what to specialise in later in his degree.

“It was great to see two years of hard work pay off with my results,” he added. “I needed an A* and three As so I made sure I put the hours in to get the grades, although they were a bit better than I expected.”

THIRTY Morpeth pupils have joined the ranks of the exam elite after notching up at least three top A-Level grades.

And the impressive gang of King Edward VI School star students includes no fewer than 23 who achieved all A* and A grades in their exams.

Among the A-team was Emma Gibson, of Longhorsley, who balanced her school work with a number of sporting commitments throughout the year, including regular sessions with the North of England hockey team.

She also organised sporting events at local middle and first schools through a Sports Leadership programme, and played football and netball for Northumberland.

Emma not only achieved A-grades for French and geography and an A* for general studies, but in securing her A* for PE, she was just one mark off achieving full marks in the subject over the last year of her course.

She said: “It was so scary getting the results and I felt really nervous, but I’m really pleased now.

“There were quite a lot of hockey training sessions, mainly four or five a week after school and at weekends, so it was pretty tough balancing everything.

“I’ll definitely keep up sport now I’ve left the school, but I don’t really know what I want to do as a career yet. I’m keeping my options open.”

Emma has secured a place at the University of Bath studying sports science.

Meanwhile, Ava Melville, of Morpeth, will be off to York University to read psychology after achieving an A* in the subject, as well as A grades in history and biology.

“I was very nervous about getting the results and beforehand I did a lot of planning for the clearing process and for it all to go wrong. I never expected to do so well,” she said.

“I did find out I had got my place before I came to school to get my results, but I didn’t expect them to be quite as good as this.

“It was easier opening the envelope knowing I had got into university.

“After that I just thought ‘this day can be fun’ because it didn’t really matter what I got.”

Also heading off to York is Richard Williams, who will study social and political sciences after getting A*s in sociology and psychology and an A in geography.

However, his celebrations had to be put on hold as he was due to work a shift at The Alley and Seen in Morpeth town centre.

“Something would have had to have gone very badly wrong for me not to get my place so I wasn’t quite as nervous as most of the other people, but it was a relief more than anything to get the results,” he said.

“It’s nice to get them out the way, but to celebrate I’ll be going to work.

“I will still get to see everyone there and at some point I’m sure I’ll be celebrating.”

Flossie Hunt, from Rothbury, is heading to Oxford to study history after achieving an A* in physics and A grades in politics, history and critical thinking.

She said: “I thought the physics would be a B and stop me from getting into Oxford, but it was my highest grade so I’m really surprised.

“I had to re-sit an exam, but I got full marks for it so I’m really excited.

“I’ve told my Mam and she is really happy.”

Another Oxford entrant is Josh Bossward, of Morpeth, who chalked up an A* for maths, A grades in further maths and physics and a B in chemistry.

“It’s a dream for me,” he said.

“I didn’t know how I had done, but I was hopeful of getting what I needed for my engineering course. I needed an A* and two As and I was quite confident of doing it, but it’s nice to get the results.

“I think my parents were probably more nervous than me, but I just feel so relieved now.”

Abigail Blackburn, of Morpeth, attained an A* in general studies and A grades for English literature, history and religious studies.

She said: “I did better than I thought I’d done. I was a bit worried about my exams, but I’m so happy with what I have got.

“I’ll be having lunch with my parents to celebrate. When I told them how I had done they were very excited and a bit giddy.

“I’m going to university in Leeds to do English, but I haven’t decided on a career yet.”

Tom Leslie, from West Duddo near Stannington, achieved an A* for art and graphics design and A grades for design technology and economics.

“I only needed 300 points for my course in design at Northumbria University, which was three Bs, but I hoped I would get three As – that was always my aim,” he said.

“It was fantastic to see the results. It is really good news.

“I’ve seen my Mam and phoned my Dad and they are over the moon. They were more nervous than me really.”

Tom completed an engineering education scheme in January as part of his course and he hopes one day to have his own studio, specialising in product and furniture design.

Georgia Traylor, of Morpeth, received three A grades in English literature, philosophy and history, and she will now be heading to Edinburgh University to study English literature and philosophy.

She said: “I was a little bit worried that I wasn’t going to get three As, but I only needed three Bs for my course.

“I’m pretty happy now and all of my friends have done well too. One of my friends thought she hadn’t got into her chosen university, but we’ve just found out she has so it makes it all the better. It would have been rubbish if any of them hadn’t got their places and I had. I think I want to do law in the future.”

Katie Leitch, also from Morpeth, will fulfil her dream of studying medicine after securing an A* in biology and A grades in chemistry and economics.

“It has been unreal,” she said.

“It was make or break, but it has been the best day ever. I needed three As so I’ve done a little bit better, but I was really nervous opening the envelope because I wasn’t sure how I had done.”

THE following shows the number of A-level passes achieved by each King Edward VI School student. An asterisk denotes three A grades or better.

Georgina Alder 2, Rachel Alexander 4, Dominic Allsopp 3, Hayley Appleby 3, Zac Aynsley 2, Ben Ballantine 3, Samantha Barr 3*, Sam Basford 3, Eilidh Batchelor 3*, Jacob Bayne 4, Charlotte-Rose Beattie 3, James Beattie 3, Nicholas Bell 3, Corrie-Louise Bewlay 2, Becky Birdsall 3, Abigail Blackburn 4*, Francesca Boldy 4, Joshua Bossward 4*, Oliver Bradley 3, Verity Bradley 3, Emily Brewster 3, Tom Brookes 3*, Calum Brown 4, Claire Brown 3.

Lauren Caisley 4, Jessica Caldwell 3, David Callaghan 4*, Lauren Campbell 3, Eilish Candler 3, Robert Carr 3, Victoria Carr 3, Kimberley Carter 3, Kate Charlton 3, Ayesha Clark 3, Lauren Clark 3, Joseph Cooper 3, Matthew Court 3, Sophie Cromar 3, Abbie Curtis 3.

Reece Dalby 3, James Damm 3, Lauren Danagher 3, James Davison 3, Pavandeep Deol 4, Megandeep Dhillon 3, Charlotte Downie 3, Jay Duffield 4, Matthew Dunbar 3, Peter Durance 3, Alice Earle 4, Katherine Faid 3, Holly Fenwick 3, Katherine Fisher 4, Rebecca Fisher 4, Rebecca Forbes 3, Jack Ford 4, Jonathan Foster 3*, Jordan Frazer 3*.

Matthew Garman 4, Louise Gebhard 3, Emma Gibson 4*, Libby Gibson 4, Otis Gilbert 4, Clementine Goodings 4*, Liam Gowing 4, Hannah Graham 4, Jess Graham 3, Rachel Greally 2, Robbie Green 3, Beth Greenop 3, Emma Hare 3, Stephen Hare 3, Jamie Harrison 3, Rebecca Harrison 3, Stephen Harrogate 3, Declan Hartness 3, Francesca Hatch 3*, Richard Healicon 4*, Cally Henderson 3, Amy Henery 3, Ellie Hizzett 4, Andrew Hodge 3, Michael Holland 3, Kelly Hughes 3, Tom Hume 3, Flossie Hunt 4*.

Andrew Irving 3, Casper Jaimin 3, Fiona Jamieson 4, Maria Jinks 3*, Jessica Johnson 2, Emily Jones 3, Sally Jones 4, Rebecca Jordan 3, Nathan Kennett 3, Florian Kern 3, Scott Kirkup 3, Charys Kirton 3, Jeffrey Lamptey 3, Helen Lawlor 3*, Alex Lawrence 3, Sarah Lee 3, Katie Leitch 3*, Tom Leslie 3*, Anna Loughborough 4, Johnathan Love 3.

Robert MacDonald 4, Jamie Mackay 3, Charlotte Maddison 3, James Mamone 2, Lizzie Masterton 3, Andrew Mathias 3, James McCabe 3, Kay McDonald 4*, Daniel McKee 4, Ben McWilliams 3, Ava Melville 3*, Lauren Moult 3*, Indie Nelson 3, Peter Nieuwkoop 3, Hannah Nowland 3, Christopher Openshaw 2, Ruby Palmer 3, Louise Parmley 3, Alexandra Paul 3, Katherine Peace 3*, Fern Peacock 3, Bethany Potts 3, Rebecca Proud 3, Thomas Purvis 3.

Hannah Rank 3*, Andy Rayner 3, Drew Reid 3, Sarah Renwick 3, David Reynolds 4, Jessica Rigg 3, Alex Riley 4, Dominic Riley 3, Leo Ritchie 4, Caitlin Robinson 3, Maisie Robinson 3, Sarah Robinson 3, Amy Rodway 3, Anna Rodway 3, Naomi Rogerson 3, Sarah Rooney 3, Imogen Roth 2, Chloe Rowell 4, Jasmine Rowntree 4, Ben Rusby 3, Elizabeth Russell 3.

Tejvir Sahajpal 3, Kate Sanderson 3, Josh Sanghera 3, Eleanor Scott 4*, Joanna Scott 3, Izzy Severs 4, Mariska Simpson 3*, Jane Slaughter 3, Gemma-Lianne Smith 1, Olivia Smith 3, Rebecca Smith 4, Emily Snowball 4, Rachel Spedding 3, Jonathan Spencer 4*, Matthew Stanners 3, Rachael Steel 3, Daniel Stephenson 4, Ryan Stocks 2, David Sweet 4, Jordan Szymczuk 3.

Lais Takiguchi 4, Alexandra Taylor 3, Andrew Telford 4, Elliott Thompson 3, Nathan Thompson 1, Rachel Thompson 3, Georgia Traylor 3*, Claire Turner 4, Keagan Van Zyl 3, Matthew Walker 3, Jamie Wallace 3, Joel Walmsley 3, Toby Ward 3, Maxim Watson 4*, Savannah Watton 3, Jake Waugh 3, Ellen Welsh 4*, Kim White 3, Rebecca Wilde 3, Richard Williams 3*, Humphrey Willshire 3, Joseph Wilson 3, Thomas Winlow 3, Sophie Wood 3, Benjamin Woods 2, Rachael Woods 4, Jonathan Wubetu 4*, Cory Young 3.

HEALTH bosses are reminding residents in Northumberland to prepare for the Bank Holiday.

People are advised to make sure their medicine cabinets are fully stocked with over-the-counter remedies to treat minor ailments, such as coughs and colds.

And if they need further help, they are urged to Choose Well to try to ease the pressure on NHS services.

Expert advice is available from community pharmacies, and in addition to GP services there are NHS walk-in centres and minor injury clinics, while NHS Direct will provide help and advice to make sure people receive the right treatment.

The Boots pharmacy in Bridge Street, Morpeth, will be open for business on Bank Holiday Monday, from 10am to 4pm.

NHS Direct is available on 0845 4647, or online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

A NORTHUMBERLAND care home has been given a formal warning to clean up its act by the end of the month.

Elaine House in Lynemouth must make a series of urgent improvements to its systems, care and cleanliness after failing to comply with Government regulations.

And if the deadline is not met, services could be restricted, suspended or cancelled, fines and cautions could be issued or prosecution proceedings could be launched.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have issued the warning to Elaine House owner Parveen Kaur Dulai after they made an unannounced visit to the facility at The Old Vicarage in Sea View in June to see if requirements identified in a previous inspection had been met.

They found the home was still failing to come up to scratch regarding care and welfare, respect for and involvement of residents, and cleanliness and infection control.

On some occasions staff were failing to give appropriate care as outlined in residents’ individual plans. One resident who needed encouragement to eat and drink was not been given the support and others who needed help to go to the toilet were not offered regular assistance.

The inspection team found that residents’ privacy and dignity were not always respected, people were not involved in their care or decisions and specific moving and handling practices were not always followed, which could lead to injury to both staff and residents.

Some areas of the building were not being kept adequately clean or maintained in good repair, increasing the risk of infections.

CQC Deputy Director in the North Malcolm Bower Brown said: “The law says that these are the standards that everyone who uses services should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they meet these standards.

“This warning sends a clear and public message that Mrs Parveen Kaur Dulai needs to address these issues as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“We will return to Elaine House in the near future and if we find that the provider is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who live there.”

CQC is working with commissioners in Northumberland to ensure the safety of residents.

A spokeswoman for Elaine House said: “A lot of improvements have already been put in place and we are working closely with CQC to manage the compliance before the deadline.We are confident that everything will be in place.”

The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 15 people, including some with dementia.

MOVES are under way to form a united community response against housing plans for the Green Belt around Ponteland.

An open consultation event organised by the Ponteland Community Partnership (PCP) took place in the Memorial Hall on Tuesday and residents who attended stressed the importance of keeping the land intact.

There are major concerns about the cumulative impact of potential new development on the edge of the area, with Banks Property and Lugano Group looking to bring forward new schemes.

And there are fears over the gap between Ponteland and Newcastle, with a range of sites being examined by Newcastle City Council.

Many people are bracing themselves for planning applications before Northumberland County Council adopts its Local Development Framework as more weight will be given to national policies in the meantime.

As a result, a new development group affiliated to the PCP and involving members of other local organisations has been established and will hold its first meeting in the coming week.

Chairman Alma Dunigan said: “There was a unanimous voice from the community that the Green Belt should be kept intact.

“If all these housing projects get the go-ahead, it would be pure urban sprawl from the Tyne Bridge right up to the edge of Ponteland.

“The idea of a Green Belt is not only as a kind of buffer between settlements, but is also there specifically as a sponge which collects water and takes it to the water table. If it gets concreted over, where does the water go?

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“From the companies’ point of view, you can understand that it’s easier for them to develop Green Belt sites because they don’t need to spend money to prepare them so we will look to see if there are some imaginative ways of using the brownfield sites in Ponteland.

“In an ideal world, we would like to have a round-the-table meeting with the developers for sites in and around Ponteland to find out if there is any way forward which we could agree on.”

The group will be divided into two, although they will interlink. One will examine how the community should respond to future planning applications for Green Belt sites and the other will have an active involvement with the town council’s neighbourhood plan, which will deal with future development priorities for the area.

For more information about its remit and getting involved, visit www.pontelandpcp.co.uk

COUNTY residents are being urged not to panic if they see a young grey seal on a beach.

In the next few weeks, a number of the animals will visit the Northumberland coast to give birth to their pups and after a month or so the pups head off to sea to prepare to live an independent life.

Some will turn up on beaches along the coastline as they learn to swim and feed, with their mother usually not too far away.

But as this is perfectly normal, Northumberland Wildlife Trust (NWT) is urging members of the public who spot them to simply leave them alone.

The biggest risk they face is from disturbance so owners are asked to ensure that any dogs are kept under control and away from any young seals.

The wildlife charity is also asking for help from anyone who may come across a dead seal during a visit to the coast.

It is working with three other organisations to investigate the cause of these deaths. Sometimes the reason can be determined by photographs rather than an expensive autopsy.

Head of Conservation Steve Lowe said: “Northumberland is lucky to host such an important breeding population of these animals, a feature that attracts many tourists to the area.

“This sounds like a particularly grisly project, but we think it is an extremely valuable approach that visitors to the coast can help with.

“The trust receives random reports of dead seals from the public, but we hope this will increase reporting rates and help to establish what factors have the greatest impact upon seal numbers.”

Should anybody find a dead seal, they are asked to contact Mr Lowe on 0191 284 6884 or email steve.lowe@northwt.org.uk with the exact location and, if possible, a digital photo of the animal.