Ripon Grammar School

Admissions

It is a selective school, one of the very few in the North of England (Penrith, Cumbria has the most northern grammar school). It is situated in the north-west of Ripon, on Clotherholme Road.

Traditions

The school motto is the Old English phrase Giorne ymb lare ymb diowatdomas ("Eager to learn and seek after righteousness").

History

The school was founded in Saxon times, but it was re-founded in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary. Originally a boys' school, the school merged with Ripon Girls' School to become coeducational in 1962. Although most pupils are day pupils from the surrounding area and Ripon itself, there are boys' and girls' boarding houses.

Parents' ballot

Ripon was the first and only school catchment area in England in which parents voted to keep a selective school in March 2000 by 1,493 to 747. Even the head of the neighbouring secondary modern school, Ripon College, Paul Lowery was in favour of keeping the selection system as it was, which contributed to the proposal's defeat. The campaign against the school was co-ordinated by Debbie Atkins, who like other local parents chose to send her children to school in Harrogate.

To force a ballot, petitions had to be successfully raised. These were allowed from December 1998, and Ripon was the only one out of 39 resulting in a ballot. The cost of administration of these petitions and the one ballot was £437,000. The huge cost of administration came from education officials having to write individually to registered parents at feeder primary schools. In the year of the ballot - 1999/2000 - £216,283 was spent on the petition procedure's administration. The vote was allowed by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Unsuccessful attempts at ballots were made in Trafford and Sutton, both being areas with outstanding academic success. North Yorkshire LEA, largely comprehensive, has the best academic results in Yorkshire and the Humber (Kirklees has slightly better A-level results, but has only a few sixth forms).

450th anniversary

During 2005, Ripon Grammar celebrated the 450th anniversary of its re-founding in 1555. During this year, extensive fund-raising occurred, which has been spent on many projects aimed at improving the school's facilities. One of the most ambitious of these was the building of a sports hall and another was the refurbishment of 6 science labs.

In January 2006 the school was awarded specialist engineering status, which will help fund the improvement of facilities in the science and technology departments.

In May 2006 the school's librarian, Anne-Marie Tarter, was awarded the School Librarian of the Year Award by the School Library Association.

New buildings

Construction of a new maths and engineering block was completed in summer 2007, housing the maths department with five teaching rooms and an engineering room, used for teaching Design and Technology and AS Engineering. This project was in line with the school's newly achieved specialist engineering status.

In 2008/9 construction began on a new sports hall, as well as a Sixth Form block. The sports hall became possible after 12 months of fundraising, which achieved a total of £1 million made up entirely of donations from parents and members of the local community. Facilities include a gym, indoor cricket nets and a climbing wall. The Sixth Form block is a joint £1 million project between Ripon Grammar School and Ripon College, as well as other local schools. It provides e-learning facilities, laboratories and drama studio space for Sixth Form use, as well as extra common room space.

The new music block was completed by September 2012, providing enlarged and improved teaching spaces and rehearsal facilities for the school's successful ensembles.

In 2015 a new Humanities and Languages block was finished, replacing four temporary huts. It has eight teaching rooms and a staff office. It connects directly to the sixth form centre completed in 2009.

Swine flu

Ripon Grammar School became the first school in North Yorkshire affected by the 2009 swine flu outbreak after a first year pupil was confirmed with the virus. The school was closed following advice from the Health Protection Agency for a period of seven days, beginning on 10 June. All staff, first years and other close contacts were offered Tamiflu treatment. Public examinations continued as scheduled. No further cases were confirmed in students.

Headmasters

pre 1348 Richard Chamberlain, pre 1371 - post 1380 Master Thomas, pre 1545 - post 1477 Henry Singleton, 1545 - 1553 Edmund Brown, 1571 John Nettleton, 1608 Christopher Lyndall, 1622 John Ashmore, 1623-1650 Richard Palmes, 1650-1661 Roger Holmes, 1661-1676 Charles Oxley, 1676-1681 George Loup, 1681-1685 Ralph Cottingham, 1685-1704 Thomas Thomson, 1704-1721 Thomas Lloyd, 1721-1730 John Barber, 1731-1737 Thomas Stevens, 1737 William Scott, 1738 James Topham, 1738-1771 George Hyde, 1772-1798 Solomon Robinson, 1798-1809 Isaac Cook, 1809-1811 William Ewbank, 1812-1851 William Plues, 1851-1872 J F MacMichael, 1872-1879 F A Hooper, 1879-1890 A B Haslam, 1890-1895 W Yorke Fausset, 1895-1919 C C S Bland, 1935-1957 W J Strachan, 1957-1974 Robert Atkinson, 1974-1991 Brian Stanley, 1992-2004 Alan Jones, 2004-2017 Martin Pearman, 2017- Jonathan Webb

Former teachers

Old Riponians

Former pupils are known as Old Riponians. Notable old Riponians include: