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Pastoral System

The House System at Ripon Grammar School

Every student who attends Ripon Grammar School is a member of a ‘house’. The houses are made up of students from the 1st year through to the U6th.

There are 4 houses at Ripon Grammar School.

• Porteus
• Hutton
• De Grey
• School House

In 1906 Porteus and Hutton were founded, each named after a famous ex-pupil, along with De Grey to commemorate the family title of the Robinsons of Newby and Studley who had proved such generous benefactors in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. School House, for the boarders, was added in 1928.

The houses are named after the following former pupils:  

Matthew Hutton (1693-1758)

Matthew Hutton became a pupil at Ripon Grammar in 1701, arriving as a pupil of the new Master, Thomas Lloyd. He remained at the school until 1707 when he went up to Jesus College, Cambridge. There he was recognised as an outstanding student and was elected a Fellow of Christ’s College. However, he left Cambridge for a career in the Church of England. His rise within the Church was rapid. He was a Canon at York then Westminster, a Royal Chaplain, and, in 1747 was appointed as Bishop of Bangor. From there he was promoted to be Archbishop of York in 1747 and of Canterbury in 1757. In Ripon he is commemorated with a statue on a pedestal in the Choir Screen of the Cathedral.

Beilby Porteus (1731-1808)

The eighteenth child of returned American colonists, Beilby Porteus was born in York and attended Ripon Grammar School from 1744 until 1748. He studied Classics at Christ’s College, Cambridge where he became a Fellow. He then turned to a career in the Church of England where he earned a reputation as a preacher and a writer. He gained a doctorate in divinity and was a Royal Chaplain before being consecrated as Bishop of Chester in 1776. In 1787 he was elevated to the bishopric of London, a position he held until his death. Porteus was a keen supporter of the movement to abolish slavery and an early patron of the Church of the Missionary Society.

Earl de Grey

The son of the first Marquis of Ripon, Earl de Grey founded the exhibitions to Universities which are still presented by the school in the form of major and minor De Grey Awards at Speech Day each year. He provided £200 a year for these exhibitions until 1909 when the first Marquis’s will provided the capital to perpetuate the awards. Earl de Grey inherited his father’s title in 1909, but died without heirs five years later, bringing an end to the direct line.

School House

School House was added in 1928 for the boarders’ at Ripon Grammar School. Today the membership has broadened to accommodate day pupils as well as boarders.

House Competition

At the beginning of the academic year the new first years’ are assigned to one of the houses and meetings are held to elect House Captains. The House Captains are responsible for organising house teams for the wide variety of house activities that take place throughout the year.

• House Drama Competition
• House Swimming Competition
• House Hockey
• House Netball
• House Rugby
• House Athletics
• House Rounders
• House Tennis

Students quickly form an allegiance to their house and a sense of fun and friendly competition pervades all the house events.