PROUD of their schools and mindful of what makes them special, many head teachers will lay claim to the uniqueness of their school.
As headmaster of Ripon Grammar School I am in the privileged position of being able to say I lead a truly unique school - Yorkshire's only state boarding school.
The school was re-founded in 1555 and has probably always had boarders throughout that time. Nevertheless, that such a school exists today is still a surprise to many, even in Ripon itself. Many believe boarding to be the preserve of the independent sector but Ripon is one of 35 state boarding schools in England. Not all are grammar schools, or in wonderful cities like Ripon - some are inner city schools, some are in rural areas, they are academies and comprehensives, co-ed and single sex.
What we have in common is the chance for students to receive a state education with the bonus of being able to board - tuition comes free but weekly or termly boarding is paid for.
As more parents juggle demanding careers, several children with different needs or, as is often the case in North Yorkshire, geography, where the daily trek to school is a challenge in itself, many families are looking for flexibility. We have parents who have to travel with work, not least those in the armed forces for whom boarding offers both continuity and stability for their children, while other families have moved to the area and have no support network.
The diversity of families that benefit led Ray McGovern, chairman of the Boarding Schools Association, to call for an increase in state boarding places saying it could improve learning and opportunities for many children and end the waste of time travelling to school.
For others, the schools local to their home may not be suitable or meet their needs. For example, at Ripon Grammar School we have students who have joined us after Year 11 from Ryedale School, near Helmsley, and St Francis Xavier in Richmond, and, in the independent sector, Cundall Manor at York and Queen Mary's School, Thirsk, because they don't have sixth forms.
For others, the cost of independent school fees may be a significant factor - families want a school that offers an educational experience that's at least on a par with the independent sector but with only the boarding element to pay for, reducing parents’ bill from around £30,000 to £10,000 per year. When finances allow, the money they save on fees can be redirected towards the cost of university.
Whatever their reasons for opting for state boarding, parents are overwhelmingly happy with their choice. A new survey by Research Stories for the State Boarding Schools’ Association (SBSA), completed online by 1,530 parents of boarders in 29 of the UK’s 35 state boarding schools, shows high academic quality and the chance for children to fulfil their potential are key drivers. Parents also thought state boarding schools offer value for money. Of those who responded, 93 per cent said their children were happy boarding, while 95 per cent said they would recommend boarding to others.
Students can board at Ripon from the age of 11 but demand for sixth form boarding places has led to us develop plans to extend our girls' boarding in Johnson House by a further 16 places. Work starts in February and will be completed in time for September 2015.
The £1.2m development will provide single rooms for sixth form girls, five of whom are currently accommodated in a separate annex of our boys' boarding house, so their move will free up more places for boys as well.
In the last few years we've had to turn girls away so the extension will not only meet current demand but also allow us to grow our boarding provision for the future, reflecting an upward trend nationally towards boarding for girls. We expect the majority will continue to be weekly boarders who stay with us Monday-Thursday, going home for the weekend on Friday and coming back either on Sunday night or Monday morning, whatever suits their family best.
As well as the practical benefits of boarding, there is strong evidence of positive outcomes for boarders. Admittedly our sixth form boarders are recruited for their academic potential, but nevertheless we have the full range of ability and, as Ofsted noted in their recent inspection, both girls and boys do extremely well and make exceptional progress.
Whether it's dedicated prep time, greater access to school resources, having teachers on hand or controlled levels of time away from the school books, boarding seems to create an environment that supports hard work. I add to that my own theory that students can learn as much from their peers as they do teachers. In our boarders' study rooms you're likely to see students doing prep together, sharing knowledge and asking for help from their peers. I'm always delighted to see an A level chemistry student, for example, helping a younger pupil who needs a bit of extra help. It's education at its best for both students, and not always possible at home where parents, no matter how dedicated, may fall short, unable to assist in subjects with which they are not familiar.
Of course another huge advantage of sixth form boarding - and one which, in particular, motivates a lot of our female students - is the chance to experience living away from home within the security of school. It means the prospect of going to university is far less daunting and they feel better prepared. Boarders learn to be independent, both as learners and as young adults. They tend to be confident, self-assured individuals who are socially able, value their family and the strong and lasting friendships they build through boarding and make the transition to higher education very easily.
For most boarders, the aspect they appreciate the most is the range of extra curricular opportunities they have which keep them very busy outside school hours. As other students are journeying home, our boarders are free to play a game of rounders (with full teams!) on the fields, to go running, play computer games, enjoy exclusive use of the school swimming pool and sports hall or to join one of the many sporting clubs, before doing their prep. At weekends they go home, or our termly boarders get to enjoy trips out to the cinema, bowling or shopping. Parents are always at the end of the telephone, of course, or, more typically these days, contacted via Skype.
Increasingly, having flexibility in their child's education is not a luxury for families, it's a necessity; the comfort of knowing their children are safe, well cared for and well educated is not just a choice, it's a route to happiness for everyone.
* Ripon Grammar School is holding a sixth form open evening on Monday, January 26 at 6.30pm.
