Outwood Academy Ripon

[Evasmum88]

Hi all

We are looking at moving to the North and have considered a number of locations, one of our front runners is Ripon but I have reservations about moving somewhere with a grammar school system if there be ones a real sense of segregation in the town as I wouldn't apply for the grammar for my children. I was just wondering what the Outwood academy is like and what the balance is of children going from primary to secondary versus grammar? As in do half the children go to the grammar and half to the academy? Many thanks

This is why we moved to Hexham and not Ripon. I don't know what's it's like now because we've been here for a while now. I didn't want to end up with our son having to bus to Harrogate for school if he didn't get into the grammar school. I didn't think coaching for the grammar school was the best thing for my child either.

There's definitely local people on here who will know what's it's like at the moment. Ripon is very lovely.

It is a very good school, rated outstanding and makes a bigger difference to progress 8 scores than the grammar school.

The grammar takes 10% of children who have passed the 11+.

Thanks for your replies, Desford interestingly Hexham is the other place on the top of our list, how have you found the schools there and the town in general? Would really appreciate any feedback. I think the academy in Ripon has improved a lot recently from what I can find on paper but it's hard to work out if that is experienced by kids day to day.

Riponian thanks that's really encouraging! I guess I'm concerned that my daughter may make friends at primary and didn't want half of them heading off to the grammar. It seems like quite a small school, is there a good cross section of kids with different interests e.g sporty, academic, etc

It’s a fabulous school. Like I said 10% of children go to the grammar, the majority of Ripon kids go to Outwood, some to Harrogate schools (no selective schools in Harrogate these days), some to Nidderdale.

The grammar 10% meant that only two out of my DC’s class went to grammar - state primary, we live in a village outside Ripon.

That's really interesting, I have to say when we visited Ripon we were really taken with it, it seems such a lovely area. Going to plan in another visit. Thanks again

it's very ok. in my parents' day (late 1960s) it was a full- on sink/secondary modern school, but by my day (1990s) it was vastly improved, sending a decent number of people to Russell Group etc, and my understanding is that it's since got at least marginally better.

Thanks rattus, it's such a big decision and ripon fits in so many ways, it was only the grammar school system that concerned me but so far so good!