A new education partnership has been launched between Giggleswick School and a prep school in Yorkshire.
Giggleswick, a co-ed day and boarding school for pupils aged two to 18 in North Yorkshire, will share expertise with Ghyll Royd, an independent prep school for children aged two to 11 in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
The partnership will see Ghyll Royd retain its own identity, leadership and day-to-day operations, while benefiting from the expertise and resources available through a closer relationship with Giggleswick.
The schools will work together on a range of areas including curriculum development, sport, outdoor education, STEM subjects, creative arts, wellbeing and staff professional development.
They will also establish a closer pathway between Ghyll Royd and Giggleswick for families who choose Giggleswick for senior education.
Sam Hart, Headmaster of Giggleswick School, said: “Independent education is changing, and schools need to be prepared to think differently about how we respond. For us, partnership is not about making every school look the same. It’s about helping schools remain distinctive by working together to make us stronger.
“Ghyll Royd has a very clear identity and a strong sense of community. We have expertise and resources at Giggleswick that we can share, and there is expertise within Ghyll Royd that we can learn from in return.”
Hadley Nicholson, Headteacher of Ghyll Royd School, said: “Our size means we know our children and families incredibly well, and that close-knit, nurturing environment is fundamental to the education we provide. The partnership with Giggleswick allows us to retain that while drawing on the experience, expertise and resources of a larger school.