Boarding at Ripon Grammar School

Introduction

Ripon Grammar School is Yorkshire’s only state run boarding school. We offer warm and comfortable accommodation for up to 100 pupils on either a weekly or termly basis.

The boarding houses are located in 23 acres of beautiful grounds in the heart of some of Yorkshire's most beautiful countryside. School House for boys and Johnson House for girls are well staffed with a mixture of teaching and non-teaching staff, who work together to promote and safeguard the welfare of our boarders in an atmosphere of commitment to equal opportunities and sensitivity to their needs.

Johnson House

Johnson House caters for up to forty girls aged between 11 and 18. The accommodation for our younger pupils is in dormitories, each pupil having her own individual space. The accommodation for sixth form girls consists of twin occupancy study-bedrooms. Every study bedroom provides a separate working area for each student, in addition to the bed and storage facilities. There is a washbasin in each room with toilets and shower/bathroom nearby. Most of the sixth form accommodation has been recently updated with new furniture and carpets. Downstairs there is a well-equipped lounge with all the trappings of home. A separate prep room is provided for homework and study. Boarders have access to computers in the house, some with internet access.

School House

In School House, our younger boys are accommodated in traditional dormitories, with approximately 4 pupils in each. Each pupil has his own furniture and can personalise his area. The sixth form students have access to single rooms with a study area. There are numerous showers and washrooms close by to all the accommodation. School House is part of the main school building and boys are able to take advantage of the excellent school library and access to a suite of computers.

Activities

There are a wide range of activities for our boarders, including swimming, table tennis, badminton, crafts, football, and yoga. At weekends there are opportunities for visits to the theatre, cinema, local fireworks displays, bowling, Christmas shopping trips and a whole host of local attractions. All boarders have access to the school’s wider range of extra-curricular activities including music, drama and many sporting activities including rugby, hockey, netball and swimming and in summer tennis, athletics, cricket, and rounders. Pupils represent the school in local, regional and national competitions. Many of our pupils have been selected to represent their sport at county level.

We aim to provide our boarders with a real home, where they feel safe and secure.

Here are some of our boarder’s comments:

‘I feel I’ve gained a lot from boarding. The first thing I noticed was how friendly everyone is here. After a hard day at school, you come into the house, and everyone is there for you. It’s fun and prepared you gradually for university where you live away from home and have to fend for yourself’
Sixth former Johnson House

‘It’s a warm and friendly place and I was made to feel very welcome. The sixth formers helped me find my way around school. It was good knowing people from the other years’
First Year Johnson House

‘The food is great. We get snacks when we come back from school and we are able to have free time before tea. There are always enough people for a game of football’
First Year School House

‘Living and mixing with the boys in the boarding house has made it easy for me to adjust to life at RGS. They other lads explained the routine and have introduced me to their friends. It is easy to get to know the other sixth formers. Being on site after school, I have been able to keep in touch with my family abroad through the internet facilities in the library.’
Sixth Former School House

Ripon Grammar School provides boarding places for pupils whose families are based in the UK and overseas. Applicants must have a current UK passport and be able to provide details of a guardian based in the UK.

Ripon Grammar School is a state run boarding school so you only pay boarding fees. There are no tuition fees.

For further information please contact:
Miss M. J. Murray
Deputy Head
Ripon Grammar School
Clotherholme Road
Ripon
North Yorkshire
HG4 2DG
Telephone 01765 602647

murraym@ripongrammar.co.uk

Important information for prospective boarders

As we are a maintained (as opposed to independent) boarding school we can only accommodate pupils who hold a full British Citizen passport or EU passport .

We would need to receive a photocopy of the sheet of your passport showing your photograph and the above information.

We would also need to receive the name, address and telephone number of a legal guardian who is resident in the United Kingdom. This person would be responsible for you whilst you are at school and would be responsible for you during holiday periods.

We also need a non-refundable £25.00 Registration Fee Cheques made payable to Ripon Grammar School

Until these documents have been received by the school we will be unable to process your application.

Application Form

Boarding application form (Word, 29k)