Article: Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy
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Academy Lancaster
Five 1 hour periods, 30 minutes form / assembly, 15 minutes break and 45 minutes lunch
Blackburn, Chester, Durham, York, Carlisle
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy is a mixed Church of England high school operating under academy status, in the city of Lancaster in the north west of England. The school has over 1700 pupils between 11 and 18 years old, 350 of whom are part of the sixth form.
History
The school started as Ripley Hospital, founded by Julia, wife of Thomas Ripley, a merchant who traded out of Lancaster and Liverpool. Thomas Ripley was born in Lancaster in 1791, and had been an apprentice to a grocer and linen draper. Since his mercantile career began later than 1807, whether Thomas Ripley was associated with the slave trade is open to speculation as the slave trade was not fully abolished in Britain until 1833. He was likely involved due to the nature of his mercantile work and how commonplace slave trading was during this era.
Indeed, much of his wealth stems from the fact that he was one of the first English merchants to embark on trade with China, and much of his subsequent trade was with the East Indies. As a devout Christian, he was keen to establish a charity hospital, modelled on the Liverpool Blue Coat School. Having no children, on his death in 1852 he left a considerable sum of money in trust to establish the Ripley Hospital to cater to fatherless children, especially those whose fathers had been lost at sea.
On 3 November 1864, it was designated to educate an equal number of boys and girls – 300 in total – providing they lived within either of Lancaster Priory or of Liverpool Cathedral.
In September 1996, Ripley was designated a Language College..
Today
The headteacher is Ed Goddard, who replaced Catherine Walmsley in 2017.
The farm has been the subject of media attention, with features from BBC North West Tonight, BBC Songs of Praise and Newsround, all of which praised the school on the 'Farm to Fork' initiative, as the farm provides produce for the school kitchen. The school appeared on CBBC's Blue Peter on 6 September 2012, with the programme also focusing on the 'Farm to Fork' initiative.
Ripley St Thomas has been approved as a Technology college, adding to the Language status. This means students must take at least one language and at least one technology course, e.g. Food Technology or Mechanical Technology at GCSE, continuing the curriculum students experience from Year 7.
In January 2012, an Ofsted report rated the school overall as "Outstanding", the highest of four achievable Ofsted grades. The grade of "Outstanding" was also assigned in all 33 of the areas assessed by Ofsted.
In December 2022, an Ofsted report rated the school overall as "Outstanding", the highest of four achievable Ofsted grades. The grade of "Outstanding" was also assigned in all 33 of the areas assessed by Ofsted, this was after Ofsted made changes to their policy.
In 2017, the Music Department was awarded the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence's award for Best School Music Department.
GCSE and A level results
Ripley St Thomas achieves outstanding results for GCSE and A level students every year, far outweighing the local authority and national average. The results for 5 or more A* to C including English and Maths has risen from 85% in 2010, to 89% in 2011, 31% higher than the national average.
Academy status onwards
On Sunday 1 May 2011, Ripley St Thomas became the third high school in Lancaster to be granted Academy status by the Secretary of State, and was re-designated as "Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy". The company has been registered with Companies House and an Academy Trust has been set up to run the company.
See also Ripley School Chapel References |
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> Home About Brief History Chaplaincy
Ethos & Spiritual Dimension
People & Governance - Governors - SLT
- Progress Leaders & Tutors
- Subject Leaders - Teaching Staff
- The Bay Learning Trust Accounts and Contact details
Results & Performance
Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
Ofsted and SIAMS Vacancies Alumni News & Events News Events Hire our Facilities COVID-19 Information
- COVID-19 Catch-Up Premium
Library Blog Curriculum Overview Careers
- Year 11 Hospitality & Catering Event @LMC
- Year 8 Cyber Girls First Event
- Year 10 Creative Industries Expo @LMC
Co-Curriculum
Libraries/Oliver – our online catalogue
- Ripley Reads Personal Development Reading
Religious Education at Ripley
Special Educational Needs School Life Exam Guidance Home School Contract
Leave of Absence Request
Online Safety Pastoral Care Policies
Positive Monitoring Report Cards
Positive Peer Mentors
Pupil Premium & Catchup Premium
COVID-19 Catch-Up Premium Ripley Houses Ripley Wellbeing Term Dates The Bridge
The School Day and Opening Hours
Transport & Travel Uniform Using Firefly
Year 6 Transition – New Starters
Young People's Mental Health Apps
Sixth Form About Admissions Policy
Apply to Sixth Form
Bursary Courses Curriculum Enrichment Expectations John Crewdson Library
Sixth Form Open Evening
Policies Results & Performance Student Leadership Team
Sixth Form Bridging Units
Ofsted and SIAMS Tutor Team
UCAS Predicted Grades/applying to university
Admissions Sixth Form Enrolment Main School
Open Evening for Sept 2024 intake
Academy Prospectus Appeals LA Website Contact Frequently Asked Questions Parent/Student Login Firefly VLE Pay Online Email Login Academy Download Prospectus Brief History
Ripley St Thomas School began life as Ripley Hospital, an endowed school founded by Mrs. Julia Ripley in memory of her husband, Thomas Ripley, who was a native of Lancaster and a merchant of Liverpool.
The school buildings and grounds are most attractive, occupying an elevated site giving open views to the City of Lancaster and the Lake District hills beyond. It was opened on the 3 November, 1864 “amid great public rejoicing”. Originally endowed for the education of an equal number of boys and girls – altogether 300 in number – the parents of whom had to have lived for at least 2 years immediately preceding the death of the father either within 15 miles of Lancaster Priory, or 7 miles of Liverpool Cathedral.
The original building was built in the early pointed style of the 12th century, using white sandstone from adjoining quarries. It had two wings, one for 150 boys and the other for 150 girls. Orphan children had priority of claim, motherless or fatherless children the second and the remainder made up of children of ‘indigent’ persons. The building, originally costing £30,000, included a first-class gym, woodwork and metalwork rooms, a domestic school for girls, and heated swimming-pool, four courts for playing fives and enough full-sized football pitches to allow 150 boys to play at the same time. A farm of some 40 acres kept the school supplied with home produced meat, milk and poultry, and a vast kitchen garden gave a constant supply of fresh vegetables. This was thus a school well in advance of its time. All pupils received a practical education based on Christian principles. When they reached leaving age, they were given special training in the trade or profession for which they showed an aptitude. They were also given help to find suitable employment. Many old scholars went on to become successful businessmen, journalists, teachers, nurses, social workers and skilled workers in many trades.
The work of the Hospital continued until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, when the building was requisitioned by the army. The pupils then moved out to Capernwray Hall. They expected to return at the end of the War, but the government requisitioned Ripley for another three years for use as an emergency Teachers’ Training College. By then, it was realised that the need for an endowed orphanage was much reduced. State pensions allowed more one-parent families to stay together, and the fashion had moved away from institutional units. After the trainee teachers left, the building became a National School, then a boys’ secondary modern school until 1966 when Ripley Boys’ and St. Thomas Girls’ Schools amalgamated to become Ripley St. Thomas Church of England School. In September, 1996, Ripley was designated a Language College. Whilst not changing in any way its status as a Voluntary Aided Church School, this enabled the school to develop its language facilities and so become a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for modern languages, including French, German, Spanish and Japanese.
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy
Today, 1650 boys and girls are educated at the school, many of whom continue to the age of 18 years and go on to complete university degree courses. Thomas and Julia Ripley, we can be sure, would be proud of their inheritance and our heritage. Recent additions include two new science laboratories, an English/MFL block, History/Geography block, and up-graded foreign languages and technology facilities. The school also opened a new Sports Hall complex in 2006, with fitness suite gym, classrooms and basketball size inside courts.
The school site is spacious and contains some exceptional features, including good sports facilities, the school farm, plant centre, walled garden and fine mature trees. Ripley is a very popular school with a long tradition of high academic and sporting achievement. It is often featured in the national press as one of the best State Schools in the country. Its results in external tests and examinations at Key Stage 3, GCSE and Advanced Level, and its value-added performance, places the school within the top 10% of secondary schools nationally.
In April 2009, a new centre for The Sixth Form at Ripley St Thomas opened, giving Year 12 and 13 students a fully independent space to be proud of. Facilities in the £3.25 million centre include tutorial and seminar spaces, lecture theatre named after former headteacher Mr George Phythian, Sixth Form canteen, training suite and private study rooms. The centre thrives on the traditional values with a twenty first century approach.
On Sunday, 1 May 2011, Ripley St Thomas was re designated as “Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy” by the Secretary of State. The school has been registered with Companies House and an Academy Trust has been set up to run the company. Whilst the name and branding of Ripley changed to reflect academy status, the ethos and beliefs of the school remain true to the heritage, as founded by Julia Ripley. The school still practises as a Church of England institution and the conversion to Academy status mainly concerns the back office running and funding of the school. In principle, the Academy Trust delegate the running of the school to the Governing Body.
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