A Ripon Grammar School student who once struggled to walk into exam rooms because of anxiety is preparing to pursue her dream of studying in Paris.
Lottie Whyte, 17, from a farming family in Wensleydale, achieved A, A, B in French, politics and English literature at A-level.
She will now begin a degree in French Studies at a UK university in Paris this autumn.
Lottie said:
“I am so shocked as I had never fully sat an English exam before. I couldn’t make it through the mocks and struggled when I tried to re-take the mock paper on my own, just scraping an E.”
Lottie joined Ripon Grammar School's Sixth Form as a boarder after attending a much smaller secondary school and initially found the transition difficult while also coping with severe anxiety.
She said:
“Some days I couldn’t get to lessons at all. I barely made it into my English mock exam because I was standing outside the room shaking so much, I didn’t think I’d be able to go in.
“Eventually, I went on medication because the panic attacks were affecting every part of my life.”
Lottie credits support from the school's Sixth Form team, wellbeing staff and teachers with helping her develop ways of managing her anxiety.
She was also encouraged by staff to explore whether she might have ADHD, which she said proved to be a turning point.
“Understanding my ADHD changed everything because I finally understood the root cause of so much of my anxiety. I realised I wasn’t ‘too sensitive’ or simply overthinking things.”
As her confidence grew, Lottie began embracing new opportunities, including taking part in a Modern Foreign Languages debate in York and applying to study abroad.
She said:
“If you’d told me in Year 12 that I’d be planning to study in Paris, I would never have believed you. The people at RGS believed in me long before I believed in myself.”
Her parents Ryan and Natalie have also praised the support she received during her two years at the school.
Ryan said:
“Lottie just seems so much surer of herself and who she is now.”
Natalie added:
“We always knew RGS couldn’t be faulted for academics, but it’s the pastoral support that’s made the real difference to Lottie’s journey – especially with the whole ADHD process.”
Lottie said her biggest achievement has been the change in her confidence and understanding of herself.
“The biggest change hasn’t just been academically. It’s been my confidence, how I understand myself and how I approach life. I genuinely don’t recognise the person who first arrived at RGS.”
She added:
“I’m so grateful to all the staff - boarding staff, teachers, the Sixth Form team and Jo. They showed me that RGS isn’t just somewhere focused on academic success. It’s a place where people genuinely care about you, and that’s what made all the difference.”
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