SATs success puts Ghyll Royd in the UK top ten

For the first time in the school’s 130 year history, Ghyll Royd School in Burley-in-Wharfedale has been recognised in The Sunday Times 2020 Good Schools Guide.

The Guide is an annual supplement celebrating the SATs results of UK primary schools.

Ghyll Royd School has ranked as the ninth top Independent School in the United Kingdom according to results published by the Department for Education.

The 2020 guide is based on the 2018 Year 6 examinations.

The average examination scores for the year group are 115 in Reading, 112 in Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar, and 110 in Maths.

Ghyll Royd’s Reading score is the second best in the country, one point behind top school St Martin’s Preparatory School in Grimsby.

Headteacher David Martin said he was thrilled by the latest news.

“Here at Ghyll Royd, we have been celebrating a mammoth year of achievements,” he said.

“On the back of being a finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year awards, we received an email from a Sunday Times journalist asking us to confirm our results which looked like they were going to be in the top 10!

“We have been doing the SATs examinations for the past five years, so this was the first time our school’s results were eligible to be included in the rankings.

“The buzz in school these past few months has been phenomenal.

“We owe this fantastic achievement to the dedication of all our staff who prepare our children for the exams and also to our children for their positive and dedicated approach to learning.

“This achievement is a wonderful way to round off 2019 and another accolade to celebrate in our 130th year.

“Thank you for the many congratulations and well wishes.”

Two more Yorkshire Independent Schools ranked in the 2020 league tables. Frobelian School in Horsforth ranked 21st and Lady Lane Park School in Bingley ranked 78th.

Ghyll Royd School was one of three finalists in the Small School Category in the Independent Schools of the Year in October 2019.