Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton: A Review (Yorkshire & Humberside)

Member Name: blackjane

Product:	Yorkshire & Humberside
Date:	06/01/02 (313 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent academic record, Good teaching staff, Good learning environment

Disadvantages: Boy's only school (may be seen to be a disadvantage to some), Selective (may be seen as a disadvantage to some), Variety of subjects not as great as some other establishments

Perhaps I'm ever so slightly biased, having attended this school between 1983 and 1990, but I can honestly say that I can highly recommend this establishment to prospective parents and pupils.

Ermysted's is steeped in history having been established way back in 1492 - the year that Columbus discovered the Americas, but over 500 years later the school is still going stronger than ever, and has an enviable record for producing excellent A-level results.

Skipton itself is known as the gateway to the Dales, and is situated in North Yorkshire, not far from the Lancashire-Yorkshire border. Most pupils are resident in North Yorksire, although there is also a small intake from East Lancashire as well.

The school has approximately 600 pupils, of which about 150 or so make up the sixth form. Full details of the most recent OFSTED report (December 2000) can be found by visiting the following page:

http://www.ermysteds.n-yorks.sch.uk/general/OF STED.htm

Of course there is an important pre-requisite to attending Ermysted's - as it's boys only. However, the Girl's High School just a few hundred yards up the road also has a very good reputation for producing excellent results at this level and preparing students well for the future.

The official Ermysted's web site, which can be found at:

http://www.ermysteds.n-yorks.sch.uk

provides lots of important information about the academic and non-academic sides of life at the school. There is a section for each subject, as well as other sections highlighing some of the other non-academic aspects, including sporting endeavours.

It is true to say that a lot of specific information can be gleaned from a visit to the web site, but hopefully more a personal review like this may be of more help to anyone who may be considering Ermysted's as a possible choice of school.

Ermysted's, despite it's excellent record acedemicall
y and also in the sporting field, does have some drawbacks over other competing establishments. First of all being a selective grammar school, it may prove difficult to gain admittance at all. The vast majority of pupils will start here at 11 years of age and work right through until they are 18. Very few pupils are admitted after the age of 11, and there isn't even a particularly large additional intake at age 16 either, prior to A-levels as the majority of pupils opt to stay on at this stage.

In addition, the range of subjects is perhaps not quite as varied as at some larger establishments, and to some this may be seen as a limiting factor. However, these drawbacks are more than made up for by the excellent learning environment in which pupils are encouraged to improve themselves by an excellent teaching staff as well as working together with highly talented peers.

Facilities, and in particular a sixth form common room, which was non-existent in my early days at the school, have improved over recent years. Sixth formers are also given responsibility as monitors to oversee the younger pupils, an aspect that is lacking at many colleges where no younger pupils are in attendance.

The teaching staff have always been excellent, and although it is now over ten years since I attended, I still recognise many of the the names at the school. This can only be a good sign if there are good teachers that are willing to stay on rather than opting to move to pastures new.

The choice of school is always a very important one, and a lot of research is required in order to find somewhere that is suitable. However, for any parents that are looking for a boy's school in this area, I can certainly recommend that you at least consider Ermysted's.

{An original Dooyoo Opinion
© Blackjane 2001}

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