WHAT? WHERE?

Giggleswick school pictured from above with yorkshire dales behind

If you’re worried about VAT being added to schools, here’s some good news. Giggleswick School, an all-rounder co-ed day and boarding school in a stunner of a setting in the Yorkshire Dales, was one of the first to pledge not to pass potential price hikes onto parents, instead absorbing the cost to give current and future parents certainty. Of course, a few tweaks will be needed – notably a 45-minute cut to the long school day– but parents here know where they stand.

Set in 215 lush acres of woodland and hills near Settle, Giggleswick is one of the oldest public schools in the country, having celebrated a whopping 500-year anniversary back in 2012. The school buildings aren’t quite that ancient, with the handsome arch-windowed, stone structures that make up the main senior school campus dating back to the Victorian era, plus a few modern additions (including a state-of-the-art gym and sports hall). With 345 in the Senior School, 67 in the Prep School plus 33 in Mill House Pre-prep, it’s small enough that all the years mix and there is a tangible sense of belonging.

The name may sound Harry Potter-esque and there’s the odd similarity to Hogwarts (not least the gothic, copper-domed chapel that could double as Dumbledore’s study), but there are certainly no forbidden forests at Giggleswick. This is an adventure-embracing, fresh-air school where outdoor pursuits (OP) and making the most of the Dales on the doorstep are a huge part of life.

FACILITIES

As you’d expect from a school in such a rural location, there’s plenty of outdoor space. The Senior School and Sixth Form take up the stone buildings at the heart of the campus, with boarding houses close by. It’s short walk up the hill to the Prep which has its own music block, science lab, lovely library (with stunning Dales views) and art rooms. Just beyond, in a cute renovated cottage set in a self-contained woodland idlyll by a stream is the lovely Pre-Prep.

Up high on the hill by the cricket fields overlooking the campus and the Dales beyond, you’ll find the Gothic, copper-domed chapel. It’s take-your-breath-away beautiful with marble floors, cypress wood pews and stunning stained glass.

As part of a £1million investment, the assembly hall had a spruce up last year, there’s a new historical library, the boarding houses were reconfigured and there are plans to update the library, create a new Sixth Form Centre and repurpose buildings as modern new classrooms.

/SPORT

pupils at giggleswick school out rock climbing

Two sports halls, one with a meaty climbing wall (there’s an outdoor one too) for prepping pupils to get out onto the local crags. Outdoor Pursuits take a star billing here and, with plenty of teachers passionate about fell running, canoeing and climbing, they lead by example and pass on their enthusiasm for outdoor adventures that make the most of the local terrain.

Cross-country running is prized here and is one of the school’s headline sports (a lot of pupils are also members of Settle Harriers running club and a current pupil is in the GB squad). Everyone takes part in – and seem genuinely enthused by – the tough mud n’ guts annual Scarrig cross-country race. On the day I visited, Year 2 were running with husky-like endurance round and round a huge field with pure joy etched on their faces and very little flagging – it’s just part of life here. The ‘Gigg to Gigg’, a 35-mile three peaks challenge for charity is popular with older pupils and something to aspire to for younger ones.

kayaking in whitewater at giggleswick school yorkshire

Continuing the outdoorsy vibe, there are mountain bike trails on site, a golf course and a top-notch gym for prepping for sport and outdoor adventures. The swimming pool is plenty big enough to learn in but a bit small for wannabe Phelps’ or Peatys. All pupils, from nursery up have timetabled swim lessons here – a real winner for parents keen to skip the weekly slog to the leisure centre.

girls celebrate cross country run at giggleswick school

Sport is a mainstay of the week and there are plenty of pitches for rugby, hockey, football and netball plus a grass athletics track. Cricket pitches and grass tennis courts are in a gorgeous spot high on the hill with incredible views.

/CREATIVE ARTS

girl plays saxophone in chapel at giggleswick school yorkshire

With its own music block and practice rooms, all Prep pupils in Years 3 and 4 play a musical instrument and numbers are steadily growing across the senior school after a Covid-drop, with 35% of pupils now playing an instrument. There’s an orchestra in Prep, one in Senior school, plus plenty of chamber ensembles – a concert band, jazz band, folk ensemble, guitar ensemble, rock group and a Prep choir and three senior choirs (there’s also a strong choral tradition with the Chapel Choir, with up to 50 pupils singing). ‘The Gigg’, an annual rock concert, is popular and kids can use the house band, so they’re not up there rocking out on stage alone. It’s a supportive environment where year 7s are cheered on by y13s and everyone’s rooting for you.

Drama and the annual musical are popular, with a ‘give it a go’ mentality that encourages most to take part. The modern theatre, with full lighting rig, is well-used and about 40 pupils took external drama exams this year and the 18 pupils who most recently sat their LAMDA exams all received a distinction.

a boy pupil at giggleswick school makes a model car

Art and design is strong, with co-curricular options like Computer Aided Design (CAD) and pottery supporting skills and talents. There are all sorts of creative extras going on at Gigg – from the Sixth Form podcast Desert Islands Giggs (the Head was a recent guest) to drone building and CAD drawing.

ACADEMICS

Giggleswick school pupils walk through school grounds

Class sizes run at around 15-20 so small enough for attention, big enough for buzz. All applicants sit entrance exams but these are mainly used for setting rather than selection. Scholarships are offered in Academic, Sport, Drama, Music, All-Rounder plus Art, Choral and Design. Bursaries are completely means tested to reach the families who need it the most.

The academic approach at Gigg embraces a breadth of ability. 2024 saw the proportion of pupils achieving grades 7-9 rise by a whopping 43.5% compared to 2023 with particularly strong performances seen in Physics and History, where over 70% of pupils earned top grades of 7-9. A Level results were equally strong and on the rise with A*-A equivalent results increasing by 9% to 44%, and A*-C equivalents by 6% to 89%.

Alongside the academic curriculum, Giggleswick runs a compulsory, timetabled enrichment programme that’s the beating heart of the school. Called CASE (that’s Creative, Active, Service and Enrichment), it’s no perfunctory add-on but is whole-heartedly embraced as a way of boosting skills and unearthing passions. Giggleswick is big on developing leadership (Combined Cadet Force is compulsory in Year 10) and it’s common for the older pupils to be out pushing themselves and honing their skills while also teaching younger pupils the basics or helping out in Prep and Pre-prep.

SIXTH FORM

sixth formers on laptops at giggleswick school

There’s a dedicated Sixth Form Centre which has a grown-up, Student Union feel to it with a big, bright common room complete with pool table, food and a bar for responsible Year 13 fun. Open mic nights are popular. In January they’ll get a swish new home, with a move to the heart of the campus and radical refurb already underway. Classrooms are shared with senior school and, with around 120 students and a pretty even boy/girl split, classes are small (usually around 7-10). The kids give off a relaxed vibe; it doesn’t feel like a pressure cooker environment here (and I visited slap bang in the middle of A-level exams when pressure usually peaks!).

All the usual A-levels are on offer, plus a few more unusual options like Music Technology, along with a choice of three languages. There’s a willingness to step beyond ‘traditional’ routes and take a more modern approach to next steps, with BTECs in Business and Sport on offer and many pupils snaffling prestigious degree apprenticeships. Most (83%) bag grades A*-B, half of leavers head off to Russell Group universities and most years someone is Oxbridge-bound (two last year), but all options are explored and encouraged here.

Boy pupil at giggleswick school yorkshire sings on stage with guitar

There’s plenty to prep them for life beyond school. Specialist speakers visit regularly to take a deeper dive into subjects and there are weekly careers-focused lectures to spark passions and debate. Pupils take an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) or Gold Arts Award, power up with a Digital Future Ready Programme, take a weekly timetabled PHSE lesson (covering health/wellbeing, relationships, and living in the wider world), well as a range of timetabled co-curricular activities. Head Boy Josh, for example, raved about the cooking skills he is learning, his confidence clearly boosted by being able to cook up a storm for himself once he leaves.

No surprise for a school led by a Head keen to cultivate leadership, that there are plenty of ways for sixth formers to step up – be that dreaming up their own ideas to lead clubs or coaching younger pupils. The expectation is that these guys are role models and it’s clear the kids relish it, most brimming with an endearing eagerness to make their school proud. Perks? As long as they can show they are on top of their work, sixth formers are allowed into the local town with a friend during free periods and at weekends.

PREP SCHOOL

boy on potters' wheel at giggleswick school

The self-contained Prep has plenty of its own specialist facilities (including a potters’ kiln and CAD 3D printer), but also uses the rest of the school’s very grown-up facilities (and specialist teachers), including the indoor swimming pool, sports halls and chapel. These close links mean that the big school’s popular Outdoor Pursuits activities, like climbing, are timetabled from the start, twice weekly 1:1 or 1:2 swimming lessons kick off from age 3, and pupils learn French and Spanish right from the get-go in Reception and German from Year 6. Got a bright spark? Close links across year groups in key stage 1 means that more able kids can be stretched and brought into join Year 1 and 2 where appropriate.

LITTLIES

nursery pupils run through woods at giggleswick school

Oh, to bag a nursery place here! Oversubscribed Mill House Pre-School has grown up around an idyllic little cottage next a babbling brook, woodland and gorgeous gardens. They learn French, Philosophy, Drama and yoga and spend stacks of time outdoors doing nature-based activities in one of the four dedicated outdoor areas. Pupils have 1:1 or 1:2 swimming lessons twice a week from age 3 – a real boon for parents. Children are catered for as individuals, with teachers more concerned with stages not ages and the curriculum guided by the kids’ interests. Bonds with Prep start early (there are also strong links with the local state primary), with Friday’s popular buddy lunch with the older kids. Wrap-around care starts at 7.30am with breakfast club and an extended afternoon package including tea allows for pick-up through until 6pm. There’s also the option of year-round 50-week provision – a godsend if summer holidays are a struggle.

SEND

A quarter of pupils have SEND needs of some kind and pupils are offered additional learning support lessons, often having a SEN lesson in place of a language lesson.

BOARDING AND PASTORAL CARE

Boarding is now available from Year 4 right up to Year 13. There’s a well-balanced mix of full boarders (190 of them), flexi and day pupils here, which means your child will make friends with kids from the local area, across the country (many are from forces backgrounds) and around the world.

Bight, welcoming and homely Catteral House is dedicated to the younger kids (up to Year 8). It only re-opened for boarding in 2023 and has a family feel. A lot of effort goes into making kids feel safe and secure. From Year 9 boarders move into one of six senior boys or girls boarding houses where they start off sharing 3 to 4 in a room, and then mainly twins with the odd triple. Full boarders are usually given a room with a flexi boarder, so there are some nights alone and some nights with a friend. Generally, it’s not until Sixth Form that boarders get their own room, although some houses offer single rooms from Year 11.

two boarding school pupils at giggleswick laugh with laptop

A couple of the houses have been recently refurbished or converted, so feel pretty fresh, with cosy common rooms with facilities like games consoles, pool tables and decent-sized TVs, as well as kitchens for making snacks in between the three meals a day on offer for all pupils. The extended school day during the week and full day of school on Saturday (including for day pupils) means that boarders are never left on their own. Even Sundays mean activities and trips (as well as the odd bit of downtime for R&R). Boarders will have a choice after Prep of having time out in House or visiting friends in other Houses, or doing another activity, usually sports based such as going to the gym.

Just need the odd overnight option? No problem. Day pupils can board overnight for £95 a night, if there is a bed space available.

The Housemaster or Housemistress is a key figure in boarders’ pastoral care, along with the resident house staff. Every child – boarders and day pupils – has a personal tutor. Students in Years 7 and 8 meet theirs daily, students from Year 9 upwards meet three times a week. There is always a member of staff in each boarding house should they need to speak to someone they can trust outside their tutor time, and every tutor does evening duty in the boarding house one night a week. There’s also a wellbeing centre open all day (manned by two nurses plus an administrator), either for medical help or simply for time out. A counsellor visits the school by appointment. The pastoral team are also based in, or next to, the wellbeing centre. Sixth Form mentors are another source of support for younger pupils, with Year 12 students given the chance to train to become mental health ambassadors.

THE HEAD

sam hart head of giggleswick school yorkshire

Senior School Head Sam Hart joined Giggleswick in 2022 and has already left his mark on the school. A well-travelled, sports-loving, former Army helicopter pilot, he is gentle, with a calm confidence and clear values. Down-to-earth but driven, he gives off all round top bloke vibes. This is his first time in the hot seat, having come from Winchester College where he was Director of Sports, head of CCF and a physics teacher. An adventurer at heart, he led the international trips and was housemaster responsible for the pastoral care of 63 boys. Chatting with him it’s clear that all this experience informs his leadership style and helping kids feel they belong and are part of something is as important to him as the academic stuff.

Top of his list on arrival was driving academic performance – not just collecting As and A*s but adding value and boosting outcomes for the wide range of abilities at Gigg. Hart recruited key high-level staff to this end and has already seen GCSE grades rise. He also made changes to the school day with supervised homework for the less-than-keen and is hell bent on raising aspirations. But his passion project has been overhauling the CASE programme and embedding it into the day to make it a core part of the school experience – not just a frilly extra. As you’d expect from an Army vet, teamwork and leadership are really important to him, as are the views and experiences of the governors and students. He meets his senior pupils three times a week, that’s more than the house masters!

QUIRKS

pupils at giggleswick school yorkshire running in annual scarrig cross country race

The annual cross-country race, feared in many schools but beloved here, is called the Scarrig and kids take on the hills and mud of the stunning landscape around the school from Year 7 upwards. It’s all about grit, resilience and getting out of your comfort zone.

Adventurous event planning at Giggleswick sums up how this school ticks. This year it was Gigg to Gigg relay challenge. Pupils in The Gigg Adventurers planned it (right down to health and safety), creative kids in Gigg Media record it, the newspaper team write about it and everyone is pulled into it somehow.

The beautiful chapel is beloved by all. Giggleswick is a CofE school and has a religious service in the charming chapel on Thursdays, but this ain’t some rarely-used hallowed hall. Pupils gather several times a week for awards assemblies and to lead themed, and often quite personal, non-religious services (those I spoke to love it as a chance to hone public speaking skills and learn things about one another). It’s used as a centre for wellbeing and spirituality, where other cultures are embraced.

‘Stidge break’ is Gigg-speak for when pupils meet in house at breaktimes for a snack and a catch-up between lessons.

WRAP AROUND CARE

The Prep school day starts at 8.20am with co-curricular activities, prep and tea taking kids up to a 6pm home time. Senior school pupils have co-curricular activities timetabled after the day’s lessons and finish at 6pm too, but if the VAT exemption is removed, the school day will finish earlier at 5.20pm. Prefer to get out of cooking the kids’ dinner? There will be an option to pay in advance for them to continue to scoff it at school. Saturday school will continue to be part of the school week for seniors and finishes around 1pm before an afternoon of clubs or private study.

TRANSPORT

Eight daily return bus routes, cover up to a 50-minute drive-time radius of the school and a bus route to York is available for Exeats and holidays.

ISI REPORT

Inspectors last had a nose in 2023, the word excellent is used often, noting how resilient, confident and respectful the children are. Read the latest ISI reports here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Banned in school during the day and must be handed in to boarding house staff at night. Years 7-11 hand in their phones at 8.20am until 6pm, before surrendering them again before bed. Sixth Formers are exempt (although phones mustn’t be seen during the working day), but the school actively encourages students not to spend an excessive amount of time on their phones.

FEES

Pretty good value compared to nearby boarding schools, especially with the VAT price hike (both Sedburgh and Ampleforth are much bigger but have the reputations and fees to match). Boarding fees cost from £8,335 to £13,970 for boarders from Year 7 upwards and between £6,715 to £8,600 for day pupils.

WORD ON THE GROUND

With results improving and a co-curricular programme that’s been shifted to the heart of the school, the view from parents seems to be that Hart’s changes have been for the better. The kids I spoke to enjoy a strong sense of community and describe feeling like a big family, with friendships across year groups commonplace. Older kids genuinely enjoy the company of their teachers and, even when there’s stuff they dislike (a student I spoke to was not a natural for cadets), they can see the benefits.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Outdoorsy families keen to upskill their kids in adventure will absolutely love it here. But it’s adventure with boundaries – fresh air is encouraged, but kids aren’t free range. If a sense of community is important, Giggleswick a great pick and there’s no danger of your child being an anonymous face here.

Not for: Super-talented hockey and rugby players with aspirations to make national teams might be better suited elsewhere. If unscheduled downtime is a priority, you may find there isn’t enough of it for you here.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest. The next Open Day is scheduled for Sat 12 October.

Giggleswick School, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 0DE. Tel: 01729 893000

Giggleswick School, Settle, North Yorkshire

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