Congratulations to Stephanie Downey, a former pupil of our school, who has gained a First Class Honours degree in Criminology from the University of Teesside. She is now studying for her Masters degree at Teesside.

After taking her GCSEs at Bishop Barrington, Stephanie attended Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, where she gained two A levels in English Literature and Religious Studies and three AS levels in Philosophy, General Studies and Psychology.

Stephanie, whose younger sister, Courtney, is a year 9 pupil at our school, said: “I was delighted to be awarded a First Class Honours Degree, I wasn’t expecting it. Ideally, I would like to work in Local Government in the crime prevention community safety department. I have done some voluntary work in the crime prevention department at Middlesbrough Borough Council and I enjoyed that.”

Her proud parents, Julie and Steven, are to attend her graduation ceremony on November 21. Stephanie combines her studies with a part-time job, in administration, at Morrisons supermarket in Bishop Auckland.