Headmaster's message: 'Thank you to all our supporters'

Dear parents and Old Riponians,

Welcome to another packed edition of RGS News which, as usual, holds a mirror up to what has been a typically busy first half-term. In the midst of Charity Week in aid of Martin House children’s hospice - with its mix of bungee, sumo wrestling, raffles and staff pantomiming - we look forward, after what has been an atypically long eight-week half-term, to a restful break next week.

This term we have welcomed new staff to school in Mrs Sayers (English), Mrs Knight (mathematics), Mr Rutter (PE), Miss Matoses (MFL) Mrs Goddard (DT) and Mrs Feingold (sixth form coordinator) and we wish them well for their future at RGS.

Over the summer we were able to complete phase one of our three-year IT investment programme which will, hopefully by 2025, see all classrooms equipped with new media screens, laptops for all staff to replace fixed terminals and sufficient access points to support student devices. Phase one has seen the science block re-equipped, which has been of great benefit to the teaching there. In anticipation I would like to thank Friends of RGS, whose tireless work in organising the 1555 Ball, amidst many other initiatives, will provide a much-needed financial top-up to the allocated funds for this project. Tickets at the point of writing are still available and raffle ticket sales are greatly appreciated!

Also, over the summer we were able to complete several upgrades in School House boarding house, which included refurbishment of the sixth form wing. This is the first phase of several years of investment to refurbish School House throughout.

While this is not an appeal update letter, I would like to continue to thank all supporters of our ongoing appeal which currently stands nearer the £49,000 mark, or 33 per cent of our annual target. As a suggested £10 month donation here is your chance to support the Development Fund charity for the future of the school. This is especially important since delegated government funding for 2024-25 looks, once again, to be insufficient to cover our predicted basic costs and I shall be writing again to the prime minister, hoping for a personalised reply, and not a generic response from a DfE factotum, to my funding questions.

After half term we have lots of events to look forward to such as our whole-school Act of Remembrance on November 10, House Drama, the Christmas Concert and of course – not to be missed - the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the cathedral on December 19. All parents are warmly invited to attend all school events, including all sports fixtures, and your support is always appreciated by staff and students alike.

We are also interested in hosting more year group Old Riponian reunions. We were visited by the ‘Class of 73’ last term, followed swiftly by the ‘Class of 71’ a few weeks ago. It was a great experience to welcome former students - many of whom had not set foot in school for over 50 years - and hear their stories and fond experiences of yesteryear at RGS. While some things had radically changed, many were pleased to note that the assembly hall looked remarkably the same! Listening to former boarding escapades, it was pleasing to note their view that house security had strengthened considerably in the intervening years.

With best wishes for a peaceful half term,

Jonathan M Webb

Headmaster

Ripon Grammar School