Ghyll Royd School, Pre-School and Nursery has been announced as a finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2020.
This is the third time the Burley-in-Wharfedale school has been shortlisted in the awards, and the second consecutive year the local prep school has made the finals. Last year, Headteacher David Martin attended the national finals in London, missing out as the winner but emerging as the top school in the North of England in the Small School category. This year, Ghyll Royd hopes to go one step further and bring the award to the Wharfe Valley.
Finalists from across 20 different categories include Norwich School, Sedbergh Secondary School, Millfield School and Yorkshire’s Harrogate Ladies College. Just five schools have been chosen in the Small Schools category from hundreds of entrants around the UK.
The Independent Schools of the Year Awards aim to highlight the quality of the student experience in independent schools and celebrate the transformative and innovative ways in which the winning institutions prepare pupils for their future lives.
In the past 12 months, Ghyll Royd’s SATs results have been ranked in the Top 10 in the country in the Sunday Times Schools Guide. Parents praised the school for its handling of the lockdown in March with all pupils enjoying a full timetable and live teaching online for ten weeks before returning to school for the remainder of the Summer term. In total, 706 assignments were set for pupils in Reception to Year 6 and the teachers spent 187 hours online teaching live and facilitating virtual events for the children to socialise with their friends.
Headteacher Mr David Martin said: “This is wonderful news to end our 130th year and kickstart the new school term! It is an honour to be recognised nationally with the four other schools in our category. The finalist nomination reflects the work of our dedicated teaching staff and our children’s enthusiasm for learning. We always strive to provide the very best educational experience and this commitment did not falter when the lockdown restrictions came into effect back in March. This would not be possible without the support of our staff and families – thank you for your good luck messages.”
The winner will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 8th October. For more information on the award, visit the Independent Schools of the Year Awards website. To read more about why Ghyll Royd School is an Independent Schools of the Year finalist, read Mr Martin’s End of Year message.
