A message from our headmaster

To all in our Ripon Grammar School community:

We live in strange times. As we adapt to the current situation, I do hope you and your family are all fit and well. School continues to run largely in a virtual world which has meant, given that necessity is often the mother of invention, us all adapting to online communication and virtual learning. This has brought with it plenty of stresses no doubt in terms of completing and understanding work, as well as simply dealing with the fact that normal routines, upon which we all so much depend, have been suspended indefinitely. The lack of any certainty can be difficult to deal with. I do hope that there has been a ‘Goldilocks’ amount of work – not too much and not too little - and that screen time has been carefully moderated with a proper allowance of fresh air and downtime. I do know the nation’s dogs are enjoying the national emergency.

As a school we have no full understanding yet of when we will return to normal working and indeed how we will adapt to the inevitable process of consolidating what has, and has not, been learnt while we have been away from the classroom. All we can say is that all teenagers face this problem together and it is a nationwide problem to be resolved. We will do all we can to support the transition back into school when it comes.

As a school we have particularly felt a sense of sorrow that our Year 11 and 13 students departed school rather earlier than was expected and that their end goal of preparing for formal examinations, which they have worked so hard towards over the last two years, will not be happening. Once we have greater clarity from Ofqual, we will work hard to ensure the right grades are awarded for these two year groups. There will be opportunities no doubt to welcome our departing leavers back and we do hope to run another successful reunion in December for upper sixth formers. For our Year 11 students, school will be sending out soon some ideas for work over the coming months to give a preparation for A-level study on return in September.

I do hope you all remain safe and well over the coming few weeks and do look forward to welcoming our students back to school hopefully before too long.

Best wishes,

Jonathan Webb