Student’s floral design becomes reality in Ripon Spa Gardens

A Ripon student’s floral design has been turned into reality at the city’s Spa Gardens.

Evie Wood, 17, won a competition open to schools across the Harrogate district to design a floral tribute to King Charles III.

It was organised by the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council in conjunction with local In Bloom groups.

The winning Ripon entry was assessed by the council parks team and Ripon in Bloom.

Evie’s design in Spa Gardens

Ripon Grammar School pupil Evie has now seen her winning entry translated from paper to flowerbed by the council’s parks team.

Evie, who plans to take a degree in fine art, said:

“I am very interested in the design side of gardening.

“I knew the flowers that I wanted to incorporate and the colours I wanted to use and so I just went from there really. It was so nice to see the flower bed I designed come to life as I didn’t expect it to, so it was a really nice surprise!”

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Calls for urgent action to stop North Yorkshire children vaping

Calls have been made for urgent action to tackle children vaping across North Yorkshire amid an “explosion” in young people using e-cigarettes.

A meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s children and young people’s scrutiny committee heard the authority’s annual health and wellbeing survey concluded more than one in three of children aged 13 to 15 years old had at least tried vaping, while 9% said they used them regularly.

Smoking of traditional cigarettes was continuing to decrease and the use of illegal drugs remained low, the meeting was told, but some children were starting to vape while still at primary school.

The study found some 5% of 10 and 11-year-olds pupils responded that they had at least tried vaping.

However, councillors were warned the vaping statistics in its Growing Up In North Yorkshire study were “woefully out” and the actual prevalence of vaping was likely to be much higher.

Earlier this year Dr Mike McKean, of the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health, said vaping was becoming “an epidemic” among teenagers.

He said if the growth of youngsters vaping continued at the same rate, almost all children would vape within five years.

Dr Tom Cavell-Taylor, who is a governor at Ripon Grammar School, told the scrutiny meeting: 

“I don’t think young people appreciate the dangers of vaping.

“Vaping was seen as a better alternative to smoking, but there is a bit of a health time bomb going on with vaping and I don’t think that message is fully appreciated with young people.”

Cllr Kirsty Poskitt, who is also a youth worker, added it was “not unusual for year five and six pupils to be vaping”.

She said: 

“What I’m really concerned with is how fast the public health is getting out. I have conversations daily with young people that vape that have no clue that it is in any way dangerous.

“The parents see it as a much better, they taste and smell nice, they’re trendy, you’re not going to have that first hacking  experience of cigarettes.

“It’s a huge explosion and it’s one of my biggest concerns with young people.”

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The meeting heard councillors call for the government to step up campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping in the way that it has highlighted the risks of smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol or ban the sale of single-use vapes.

Councillors said by looking at the images in the windows of vaping shops alone, it was obvious children were being targeted.

The authority’s director of children and young people’s services, Stuart Carlton, said while he appreciated the immediate need to raise of the risks of vaping, it would be worse to launch a campaign that wasn’t accurate.

He said one of the issues with tackling vaping was that “the market moves really quickly”, so it was important to get messages precise.

Mr Carlton said: 

“I would just ban them. I think they should only be available on prescription as part of a smoking reduction programme to adults only. That’s how you get them out of the system.

“Some of the things that are giving us the most concern aren’t the ones sold in shops, it’s the illegal market. These are black market vapes with cannabinoid additions which are causing horrendous incidents to children who experiment. You can do something about vaping, but then miss the thing that’s doing to most damage.”

The scrutiny committee was told public health officials were teaming up with a range of bodies, including the NHS and Trading Standards, to tackle the issue in a coordinated way.

Teenage Ripon golfer to complete 100 holes in a day

Ripon Grammar School sixth former Samuel Cann is aiming to complete 100 holes of golf in a day for charity this week.

The teenage golf fan, who only started took up golf two years ago, estimates the five-and-a-half rounds will take about 16 hours to complete.

He therefore plans to tee-off at Ripon City Golf Club at 4am on Wednesday and finish by 8pm this Wednesday, June 21.

Sam, 18, who will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, said:

“I am undertaking this challenge in support of friends and members at the golf club who are suffering or impacted by someone suffering from prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 143 men diagnosed every day, and 1 in 8 men being diagnosed in their lifetime.”

The charity’s Big Golf Race, which has been running since 2020, challenges golfers to take on either 36, 72 or — new for 2023 — the ultra marathon 100 holes in a day.

Sam will be supported by other Ripon City Golf Club members who will join him for a round during the challenge, which he hopes will raise up to £500.

Sam, from Sharow, hopes to study aerospace engineering at the Manchester University after completing his A-levels.

There is a JustGiving page for the event, which you can find here.

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Harrogate musician signs deal with global publisher

A young Harrogate musician has signed a global publishing deal after his music proved a hit on social media.

KiD RAiN – whose real name is Dan Reynard – has been working as a songwriter for many years, but has just signed with Peermusic, the largest independent music publisher in the world.

He has achieved 250 million video views and 30 million streams for previous releases, including I Hope You Never Fall in Love Again, and a cover of Counting Crows’ Accidentally in Love.

It’s on TikTok where he has become a real star: his music has been shared by celebrities including Khloe Kardashian.

Teasers for his new single Half got more than half a million views on the video sharing platform. He said the song explores the move from childhood to adulthood:

“I often find myself questioning whether I’m truly a kid or a grown-up. Half is a heartfelt anthem for those who find themselves caught in life’s limbo.”

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The former Ripon Grammar School student began writing music aged just 12.

After studying A level music technology, as well as history, economics and business studies in 2014, he toured the UK in his band :PM, formed with four of his schoolmates.

He has been a prolific songwriter throughout his career, having worked with songwriters for Little Mix, Years & Years, Lana Del Ray and Ed Sheeran.

After going solo in 2020, he climbed the Apple Music and Spotify charts, and had one of his songs chosen as a BBC Introducing Track of the Week. His music has also appeared on Nickelodeon, which declared “KiD RAiN is on his way up”.

Now being hotly tipped as the next big thing by music industry professionals, he still remembers his nerves when he embarked on his first headline tour:

“I was so certain we wouldn’t sell enough tickets and the venues would be mostly empty, but I was so blown away by how many people showed up.

“To go to places like Glasgow and see your name above the venue door and hear people sing songs you wrote in your bedroom was amazing. Surely they all have better things to do than watch an idiot dance around on stage? Apparently not.”

Teachers back plans for specialist autism school in Harrogate

Schools across the Harrogate district have given their backing to plans for a specialist school for students with autism.

The proposal for the site of the former Woodfield Primary School will be discussed by North Yorkshire Council leaders today – and teachers are urging them to support it.

Samina O’Brien, special educational needs coordinator (Senco) and inclusion manager at Ripon Grammar School, said a specialist facility for students with autism across the Harrogate district was badly needed.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We are getting so many more diagnoses of autism and a lot of these students can’t cope, to the point where they stop coming to school.

“When they come back, the school can’t change. The students can’t cope with the routine, the rigidity of the rules, and even when we make allowances they still struggle.”

Mrs O’Brien said schools did their best to help children with autism, but did not receive adequate funding to deliver the right support, such as one-to-one help or quieter rooms to work in.

She said Ripon Grammar School was not as badly affected by the situation as some schools because it was selective based on academic ability. However, she said many autistic students were highly academically able, but were unable to reach their full potential because they could not cope with the school environment.

When that was the case, specialist provision was often a significant distance away, she said, and students were not always able to make the journey.

There were private specialist schools students could attend, but cost was a barrier for most families. She added:

“There’s some stereotyping about the students in North Yorkshire, but the problems are the same wherever you are in the country. They don’t just change because you’ve crossed into an area that’s perceived as more wealthy or more rural.

“We’ve got a few students here who we know would be so much more suited to [a specialist school]. It would still be academic, but we would reduce the amount of stress the students went through.

“Our biggest concern is how unhappy some of those youngsters are. I think it would be so beneficial for all those students that are struggling.

“If this goes ahead, for some parents and more importantly the children, this will be what saves them and puts them back into mainstream where they should be and can thrive.”

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The proposal for the former Woodfield site is for a school catering for students aged between 11 and 19.  It would have capacity for around 80 children, who would not need to have a formal diagnosis of autism.

Rossett School is also in favour of the proposal. Newly-appointed headteacher Tim Milburn said:

“It is so pleasing to see significant investment being proposed for specialist provision in the area. This is such welcome news for children and families who have been seeking this support for a number of years.

“I will be really interested to hear how the investment will support children and families for whom mainstream education is the most appropriate setting.”

Liz Zoccolan, Senco and assistant headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, added:

“Any increase in provision which will meet the needs of the growing number of students with education, health and care plans is to be welcomed in the area. This would further enable potentially vulnerable young people and their families timely access to specialist support if that is their choice.

“We would be keen to work alongside and collaborate with the proposed provision so that as many students as possible may benefit.”

If the plans are approved by NYC’s executive member for children and young people’s services and corporate directors today, a consultation could be launched in two weeks’ time, running until late July.

Former Ripon Grammar School student designs Queen Camilla’s dress

A former Ripon Grammar School student designed the dress which Queen Camilla wore to today’s coronation ceremony.

Bruce Oldfield, 72, came up with the idea for the white silk dress which Camilla wore during proceedings at Westminster Abbey and later at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Camilla’s outfit was also embroidered with roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks to represent the four nations of the United Kingdom.

Mr Oldfield has been designing Queen Camilla’s dresses for more than a decade.

The 72-year-old grew up in Ripon after moving to West Mount, a Dr Barnados Care Home, when he was 13.

He went on to study at Ripon Grammar School before pursuing a career as a fashion designer.

Mr Oldfield told the BBC that Her Majesty was “wonderful to collaborate with”.

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Ripon Grammar School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Ripon Grammar School has been rated ‘good’ in its first Ofsted inspection for 11 years.

Government inspectors widely praised the 919-pupil school, and assessed its personal development and sixth form provision as ‘outstanding’.

But its overall ‘good’ grade is a notch down on the ‘outstanding’ it received in 2012.

Inspectors visited on January 25 and 26 and again on March 3. Their report has been sent to the school and is expected to be uploaded on the Ofsted website next week.

The report said leaders are ambitious for pupils and students “achieve very highly in their GCSE and A level examinations”. It added:

“Across the school, and particularly in the sixth form, teachers challenge pupils and students to stretch themselves academically and to take risks in their learning.

“Pupils benefit from the broad range of provision offered by clubs and societies, for example, in science, the arts, humanities and sport. Pupils are eager to seize the extensive opportunities presented to them.”

The report added the majority of pupils are happy and behave very well and staff deal with rare examples of bullying effectively.

Ripon Grammar School

Areas of improvement

It said support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been strengthened recently but “teaching and wider strategies used to support pupils with SEND vary across the school”.

Two other areas requiring improvement were highlighted.

The report said “a very small minority of staff do not speak to pupils in an appropriately encouraging manner” and recommends “leaders should continue to ensure that all staff are crystal clear about the responsibility on them to always speak appropriately to all pupils”.

It also said behaviour policy “is not always consistently applied” and “behaviour is weaker in a small minority of classrooms, particularly where a substitute teacher is leading the lesson”.

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‘We are committed to continuous improvement’

A letter to parents signed by headteacher Jonathan Webb and chair of governors Elizabeth Jarvis, said:

“Overall, we are pleased with the headline conclusions that RGS is a school which offers students a culture of high expectations, an ambitious curriculum, high academic achievement, strong teaching, outstanding opportunities for personal development and strong community-based relations, as well as effective and secure safeguarding.

“The report identifies some areas for improvement – ensuring all students, whatever their abilities, talents and skills, are nurtured and supported to do their very best. This includes high quality SEN support, positive encouragement and behaviour expectations which are consistent and high.

“The governors and leadership team are committed to continuous improvement and development, adapting to demands and challenges of modern life.”

Harrogate’s Finlay Bean scores first century of county cricket season

Harrogate-born Finlay Bean has scored the first century of the county cricket season while playing for Yorkshire.

Bean, 20, made headlines last year when he scored 441 for Yorkshire second XI — the highest score in second X1 championship history.

At the time he didn’t have a professional contract and played for York Cricket Club but he was subsequently signed by Yorkshire and made his first class debut against Lancashire in September.

Bean, who studied at Ripon Grammar School and Queen Ethelburga’s, scored 118 off 149 balls against Leicestershire in the opening day of the first fixture of the year at Headingley.

The four-day match is still ongoing.

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Headteacher urges frank discussions in schools about women’s health

A secondary headteacher living with endometriosis is calling for more frank discussions in schools about periods and women’s health. 

Emma Lambden, who lives in Ripon and is head of Thirsk School, was diagnosed with the women’s reproductive condition in her early 40s, but says she had had problems with periods since her teens. 

She said: “Diagnosis of endometriosis typically takes about seven years, so I just want young girls to have sufficient information that they will go to the doctor early if need be, rather than thinking they ‘just have bad periods’, like I did.” 

The headteacher, who was educated at Ripon Grammar School, said discussions with groups of her own pupils had already yielded valuable feedback. Students aged 15 to 17 suggested the introduction of lessons about what periods look like, the emotional impact of periods, and the need to remove the “taboo” from talking about menstrual health. 

Ms Lambden has also made sanitary products available on demand at three points in her school – a move that was prompted by some of her own sixth-formers, who wanted to combat “period poverty”. 

She is now making that just one plank of a wider approach. She said: 

“North Yorkshire County Council has put out guidance around menopause, and the teachers’ unions have created a menopause policy for staff. There’s a lot of talk around the menopause – and rightly so – but I’d also like to see us talk more about the other health issues women can face. 

“I wanted to broaden the issue out to include our students, so as a school we’ve created a draft women’s health policy, and we’re looking at drawing up a men’s health policy too. 

“This feels like an idea whose time has come. When talking about women’s health, everyone always sticks to the biology and emotions, but we need to talk more about the practicalities of it. 

She added: 

“It always feels as if periods are the last taboo – we just don’t talk about them. We need to be able to talk about these things without embarrassment.” 

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Children raise awareness of road safety issues affecting Ripon schools

Four pupils of Holy Trinity School in Ripon are working together to raise awareness of road safety issues on nearby roads.

Kofi, Seth, Arabella and Isla were so concerned about the potential risks posed by inconsiderate, careless and law-breaking motorists, using Church Lane and Trinity Lane, that they decided to take action.

The enterprising foursome, who have the support of their parents, teachers, governors and North Yorkshire Police, were appointed as the school’s first-ever road safety officers.

Ripon Illiegal parking on Trinity Lane

Illegal parking on Trinity Lane increases the risk for both children and parents. Picture: Adam Kitching

Through contact with the police, a meeting with Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams and use of the Holy Trinity newsletter, they have been sending out messages designed to make life safer for fellow pupils and  parents who walk to and from the school each day.

Kofi said:

“Each week in the UK there is an average of one death and 37 people seriously injured while going to school in the mornings or on their way home.”

Seth and Arabella both believe that children and parents on foot are put in danger by people parking illegally or stopping in the middle of the road to drop children off or pick them up.

Isla said:

“We just want people to be aware that they are putting their own children at risk as well as others, by behaving in a selfish way.”

Ripon Patrol Sign in Church Lane

Sue Sanderson, executive head of the Holy Trinity Federation of Schools, which includes the junior school on Church Lane and nursery on Trinity Lane, said:

“In a meeting I had with children they told me that road safety was the issue at the top of their list of concerns and that led to the appointment of our road safety officers, who have shown a great deal of initiative.”

Adam Kitching, who is vice-chair of governors at Holy Trinity and has board responsibility for health and safety, pointed out:

“Currently there is just one patrol at the crossroad between Trinity Lane and Church Lane and he does a tremendous job in looking after children and parents, but beyond that crossing point, we have  Holy Trinity and St Wilfrid’s Junior School on Church Lane.

“As it is also a route for students walking to and from Outwood Academy and Ripon Grammar, there are in excess of 600 children, plus parents and grandparents on this stretch of road on each school day and we are concerned about potential accidents.”

Holy Trinity believes that an extra crossing patrol on Trinity Lane, combined with more no parking hatched areas and the introduction of short stay drop-off and pick-up bays, would make the road safer, but in the meantime, the message to all pedestrians is to take care when crossing the road.

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