Here’s to the next 500 years as Giggleswick marks quincentenary

Geoffrey Boult, the head at Giggleswick School in the Yorkshire Dales predicted that its mission and Christian ethos would remain the same as it prepares pupils for a changing world.

Giggleswick School first opened its doors in 1512 after Chantry Priest James Carr, its first head teacher, was given the lease of half an acre of land to build “a scole” on the site.

It is now preparing to celebrate its quincentenary with a concert performed by the internationally acclaimed Hallé Orchestra which will be led by Sir Tim Rice in front of an audience of up to 10,000 people on the school’s grounds.

Mr Boult said Giggleswick School was in as strong a position today as it had ever been and was confident that demand for its education would continue. He told the Yorkshire Post that English independent schools had proved to be the most successful education model in the world.

At Giggleswick School pupils are taught three sciences, three modern languages as well as Latin.

Mr Boult praised Education Secretary Michael Gove’s desire to recreate the ethos of independent schools in the state system.

But he warned politicians against creating targets which could have a negative impact on a child’s education, citing the knock-on-effect of the English Baccalaureate (E-bacc) as an example of this.

The E-bacc is awarded to pupils achieving six A* to C grades comprising English, maths, two sciences, a modern language and either history or geography. It was launched by the Government last year to encourage schools to promote core academic subjects amid concerns that schools were using vocational courses worth several GCSEs to boost their league table rankings.

Mr Boult said: “As soon as schools know they are going to be measured in this way then they start to look at how they can improve. They employ more history teachers, they are going to get rid of RE, of music and art teachers. They will look at which language GCSE is easiest to get – which is Spanish – and will start promoting that at the expense of, say, German.

“The Government cannot call this the law of unintended consequences because it was actually pretty obvious that this is what would happen.”

He also warned that a targets culture meant schools have focused too much on pupils who are at the borderline of getting a C and a D and also do not want to put a student into a subject they would struggle with.

“Every pupil takes three modern languages and does some Latin here. Why? Because they are educationally valuable. Our pupils take all three sciences. It does not matter whether someone is not very good at it. It is important that they have the chance to study these subjects.”

Mr Boult also dismissed two other constant criticisms of the education system – that pupils are being tested too much and that exams are getting easier. He said regularly testing was necessary for teachers to understand how much a student had learned and also helped prepare pupils for life beyond their education when they may be tested or expected to work to a deadline.

Giggleswick School has 400 pupils aged 11 to 18 in its senior school with a range of day, boarding and flexi-boarders. Pupils come from areas around Settle, Harrogate, Leeds and parts of Lancashire and Cumbria.

Giggleswick also attracts the children of expats and international students.

Mr Boult said having international students added to the diversity of the school but the decision had been taken to keep these numbers small to encourage students to integrate and not form cliques.

The school also has a network of Old Giggleswickians (OGs) living overseas. “We have OGs all over the world,” Mr Boult added “In Hong Kong, in Singapore, in New York and when you meet them they are classic grounded Yorkshire folk.

“I met an OG who is now a human resources director for Haliburton in the United States. You go to his home and you find there is a picture of Giggleswick Chapel in the snow.

“Giggleswick is a root for them but it also gives them wings to fly in whatever field they enjoy. Our students have really solid values.

“They know they have are privileged to receive this education and they know it comes with a responsibility to use their skills to help society after they leave.”