(Image: Ripon Grammar School)
A North Yorkshire school has been ranked among the country’s top grammar schools in a new Daily Telegraph league table.
Ripon Grammar School is the only grammar school in the North and Yorkshire to reach the top 50.
RGS scored 38 out of 40 in a ranking of 163 selective state schools, judged on eight measures including academic performance, university destinations, class sizes and attendance.
Ranked 42nd in England, the school earned The Telegraph’s highest rating, “very good”, for its academic results and wide range of opportunities.
The ranking recognises the school’s "commitment to combining academic ambition with a broad education, supporting pupils to develop their talents and pursue their aspirations both in and beyond the classroom".
Telegraph data editor Ben Butcher said: “Grammar schools represent the pinnacle of state education in England.
“With 163 of them scattered across the country, these schools are fiercely competitive, academically brilliant and so influential that they actively push up house prices as parents attempt to muscle into catchment areas.”
Headmaster Jonathan Webb said he was delighted to see RGS recognised among the country’s top grammar schools: “This result reflects the hard work and ambition of our pupils, the dedication of our staff and the support of our families.
“It is particularly pleasing to see our academic performance recognised alongside the breadth of opportunities we offer as a co-educational state grammar school.
“While academic achievement is hugely important, we believe a great education is about much more than examination results. We want every pupil to discover their strengths, embrace new opportunities and leave RGS well equipped for the next stage of their lives,” he added.
The Telegraph’s assessment uses 2024-25 data on GCSEs, A-levels, subjects offered, university progression and pupils reaching Russell Group and other leading universities.
The league table says RGS had an average class size of 19.6 pupils, with 62 per cent progressing to leading universities.
Its performance in A-level examinations was also rated above both the national and local averages.
The recognition comes as RGS builds on its reputation as a high-achieving co-educational state grammar school with day and boarding places.
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Its boarding provision attracts pupils from across the UK and overseas, giving families access to selective education without tuition fees.
RGS says league tables are only one measure of performance and gives equal weight to sport, music, drama, pastoral care and friendships.
RGS Sixth Form Open Evening, Thursday, November 5, visit www.ripongrammar.co.uk for more information or to book on an upcoming boarding open day