Partner Schools

Norton College is an 11-19 academy with a comprehensive intake. It was opened in 1963 and our present site has grown to meet our needs. Approximately 800 pupils attend the College, with pupils being drawn from the town of Norton as well as surrounding villages. In recent years more students are travelling from the Coast on subsidised transport to access a successful school with a Sixth Form. Many parents from across Ryedale now choose Norton College.

On the strength of examination results and commitment to our ASPIRE values, Ofsted evaluated Norton College as a ‘Good’ school in 2013, and confirmed this judgement in a short inspection in September 2017. The College is known for its outstanding curriculum, which balances traditional academic GCSE and A level courses with successful applied learning courses. In the last few years, the College has added to its GCSE and A level provision and caters for all types of learners. It has a history of examination success, good attendance, high quality learning and teaching, and a ‘family’ feel which is highly valued by parents and students alike.

w: nortoncollege.net

An Ampleforth education is a “Compass for Life”.

Each individual’s unique talents are recognised and nurtured within a welcoming community rooted in Benedictine values. Ampleforth educates the whole person, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, unlocking what they can contribute to the world and fulfilling their academic potential.

Set in a beautiful Yorkshire valley, we offer the breadth of opportunity for each student to discover and develop their interests and strengths. They learn how to think independently and have the confidence to lead, to work well with others and have the humility to serve.

Equipped with the skills and mindset needed to flourish, Amplefordians are inspired to be caring and thoughtful citizens who make the right decisions in life.

Robin Dyer, who joined as Headmaster in September 2019, is leading a drive to reinvigorate Ampleforth’s tradition of independent thinking and learning in all aspects of school life.

w: ampleforth.org.uk

Our school is truly at the heart of our local community and likewise the local community at the heart of our school. We have served Thirsk and the surrounding area for over 60 years and continue to do so with an ethos that is child centred, ensuring that ‘every child really does matter’.

We pride ourselves on being committed to delivering an excellent ‘all round’ education confident that whatever the needs or abilities are of your child, that we will help them to fulfil their goals. Not only do we strive to ensure that the young people in our care achieve academic success, but likewise we endeavour to develop the ‘whole person’ through our strong extra-curricular offer; this includes Music, Drama, Sport and the Duke of Edinburgh Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold) to name but a few. For us, the recognition of individual qualities is key to both academic and personal success.

Similarly, we value the importance of our role pastorally in terms of supporting students. We know that without the right support and interventions, at the right time, young people will not succeed academically. Through our pastoral and inclusion teams, we aim to help our students navigate the challenges that life may throw at them, both now and in the future.

W: thirskschool.org

King James’s School is a highly successful comprehensive school in the market town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. We are dedicated to helping children develop into confident, sensitive and responsible adults who are able to play an active part in society.

With a Charter and foundation dating back to 1616, we have an enviable tradition, identity and ethos, which is combined with the best in modern curriculum design and innovative teaching and learning.

Academically, we maintain the high standards that the parents of Knaresborough have come to expect from the school. We also have a rich profile of extra-curricular activities and we believe in giving parents the opportunity to enjoy the achievements of their children. Our talented and enthusiastic staff ensure that all of our youngsters fulfil their potential.

W: king-james.co.uk

Queen Mary’s is a thriving day and boarding school, between Ripon and Thirsk, for girls aged 3-16 and boys ages 3-7. Examination results are excellent across all subject areas and staff cultivate the culture, community and support networks to provide a personal approach to educating the whole child. Queen Mary’s size and ethos allows for full flexibility and early leadership opportunities. Included within the impressive range of extra-curricular activities is Outdoor Education including canoeing, climbing and overnight camps alongside a strong Music Department and an Equestrian Centre where girls often compete at national level.

w: queenmarys.org

Woodkirk Academy is committed to developing the ‘whole’ person and this has been externally recognised over the years by a number of other bodies such as the Sportsmark Award, Advanced Healthy Schools Status, Investors in People (Gold) and the Stephen Lawrence Award. We believe that a first class education begins with an assurance of exemplary safety and security and we work very hard to establish this. Under behaviour and safety, our most recent Ofsted inspection (November 2017) at Woodkirk noted that ‘Pupils [report that they] feel safe and are confident that staff will deal effectively with any problems;Pupils value the support they receive from staff’

We pride ourselves on being a caring community with a positive ethos and a strong sense of purpose, order and control. We have an enviable reputation for being a happy, well ordered community offering a wide variety of educational experiences for all students. Supportive and warm relationships, underpinned by outstanding discipline, enhance the positive atmosphere within the Academy.

w: woodkirkacademy.co.uk

Horsforth School, located in northwest Leeds is consistently one of the top performing non–selective schools in the region.

At Horsforth we have an excellent academic record, results are consistently above the national average and our sixth form has been judged as ‘Outstanding’. We firmly believe in opportunity and achievement for all and are proud to provide a first class education that equips students with the confidence, competence, knowledge, skills and understanding to fit easily and actively into a rapidly changing society. We aim to ensure that all students enjoy learning and achieve their potential, not just in their studies but also creatively, practically and in sporting activities.

w: horsforthschool.org

Senior school years are perhaps the most critical in terms of shaping long term futures, but we believe that they should also be exciting, inspiring and stimulating – a time of building confidence, increasing independence; and of becoming comfortable with who you are.

As a leading UK independent school, we focus on providing girls with an all round education which will ensure that they have the best possible opportunities when they move on to the next stage in their lives.

W: hlc.org.uk

The Grammar School at Leeds fosters an inspirational learning environment, offering pupils a stimulating academic experience within a mutually respectful, kind and caring community. Every pupil’s interests, abilities and talents are nurtured by enthusiastic, well-qualified and dedicated staff. Personal and academic integrity is key.

Our reputation for academic, sporting and creative excellence sits alongside a good balance of tradition and innovation. Our generous ratio of staff to pupils enables us to offer a rich curriculum and a supportive pastoral system, dedicated to the development of social skills and self-esteem, rooted in academic challenge and respect for one another

w: gsal.org.uk

Gateways prides itself on the education of the whole person, and is proud to be regularly placed in the top ten schools nationally for value added. Last year, Gateways High School ranked first place nationally for valued added in GCSE Maths and Science and 7th place across all GCSE subjects.

The reason for this is simple. Small class sizes and a focus on the individual lead to exceptional value added. This is further demonstrated by the fact that pupils from Gateways, a non-selective school, often achieve results which outperform surrounding schools that are academically selective.

w: gatewaysschool.org.uk

Bedale High School is located in a small market town in North Yorkshire, which is seen as the ‘gateway’ to the Yorkshire dales.  Bedale is a school that is firmly rooted in its community and there is a deep commitment to deliver an outstanding education for every student, whatever their background and whatever their ability.  Our ethos is simple ‘excellence for all’ – we want every student to enjoy their experience at Bedale High School as much as possible because we know that happy learners make sucessful learners.  What we talk of inside school is “doing things the Bedale way”, this is based around these values of having a positive ‘attitude’ to learning, ‘respect’ of everyone we are learning alongside and high levels of commitment’ from everyone – our expectation  is that all staff and students play a full and active role within the school.

w: bedalehighschool.org.uk

Ashville College is a day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-18 situated in Harrogate. Ashville has a proud past and an even brighter future ahead.  Our values remain loyal to our Methodist traditions, where each child is known and nurtured within a caring, safe and supportive environment.

Ashville has a clear focus on academic excellence, enabling our pupils to be prepared for life in an increasingly complex world without ever losing sight of the individual child, their own talents and their wider development. Our commitment to an inclusive education, where individuals are valued wherever their talents lie, is at the heart of all we do to ensure pupils are ‘the best versions of themselves’.

Ashville’s 2018 A level results statistics increased in every headline category at A*, A*/A and A*-B.  In the case of A*, our pupils achieved double the national %.  For GCSE results, Ashville pupils outperformed the national norm, with our A*/A % at GCSE across all subjects being double the national %.

w: ashville.co.uk

Boroughbridge High School is an expanding 11 – 18 comprehensive school which serves the needs of students from the community of Boroughbridge and the surrounding area. Our school aim in ‘Aspiration and Support for All’ and, to achieve this, we focus on creating high quality learning experiences supported by strong pastoral care. From September 2016, we’ll have a collaborative Sixth Form, working with Easingwold School and Thirsk School, to ensure students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum at post – 16.

Ripon Grammar School is an outstanding, selective, co-educational state school with boarding accommodation for up to one hundred students, making us unique in Yorkshire and one of a small, select group of schools in the country. The school is forward-looking with state-of-the-art facilities, complementing a spacious green field site on the outskirts of the city.

w: ripongrammar.co.uk

Ryedale School is a leading secondary comprehensive with results that place us amongst the highest performing schools in North Yorkshire. We are committed to combining the very best educational provision with high expectations and traditional values. Building on our ‘Outstanding’ judgements (OFSTED 2012, Local Authority review 2015), we are continually developing and improving the educational experience for all learners. Our dynamic and inspirational team of staff deliver a high quality learning experience where every student has the opportunity to excel. We have established a creative and inclusive atmosphere in which individual talents are nurtured and allowed to flourish. Our extensive range of extra-curricular activities develop skills, interests, relationships and most importantly the students’ enjoyment of school life and learning..

w: ryedaleschool.org

St Aidans, Harrogate is a mixed comprehensive school that has been judged Outstanding 3 times by Ofsted. The Associated Sixth form that it shares with St John Fisher RC High School is the largest school based sixth form in the country. The school enjoys high levels of satisfaction from pupils, parents and staff and is regularly over-subscribed. It is placed highly in all league tables.

w: staidans.co.uk

The Catholic School system has long been renowned for its high standards of education. St John Fisher carries on this tradition, having a great deal to offer. As well as achieving academic excellence, we also provide an education based upon Gospel values, promoting the growth of the whole child, ensuring that they make the best of their talents. Our aim is to enable all our young people to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to enrich their own lives and the society in which they live.

w: sjfchs.org.uk