Introduction from the Headmaster 

A warm welcome to the website of Ripon Cathedral Choir School, the only independent prep school situated in this beautiful Cathedral city on the edge of the Yorkshire dales. 

The Cathedral Choir School is a co educational boarding and day school for children aged from 3 to 13. It is a very happy and friendly school where we aim to identify and nurture each individual child’s talents and skills. With small class sizes and subject specialist teaching from the age of seven, we have an enviable record of success at 11+ and 13+ common entrance. Our pupils invariably move onto their first choice of school and over the past ten years nearly 70 scholarships have been awarded to the Choir School’s pupils from many of the country’s leading independent schools. 

As a Christian school, we place great emphasis on the spiritual and moral development of our pupils. We enjoy a unique relationship with the Cathedral community and our boy and girl choristers play a vital part in the daily life and witness of the Cathedral. The Cathedral clergy are regular visitors to the school and the Canon Precentor is also our Chaplain. 

In keeping with our broad aim of educating the whole child, we place great importance on the provision of extra curricular activities. The school enjoys an enviable reputation for the quality of its music making and many pupils, both chorister and non chorister alike, are regularly heard performing both in school and in the wider community. A significant amount of time is given over to games and PE and all pupils, from the very young to the most able, benefit from expert coaching and the opportunity to represent the school in all the major boys' and girls' sports. In addition, all pupils have the opportunity to take part in a range of weekly activities as well as fieldtrips and outward bound courses. 

As with all schools, our website can only provide a glimpse of what life is like here at the Cathedral Choir School. The choice of school that we, as parents, make for our children is perhaps the most difficult, but certainly the most important. I warmly invite you to come and see us; I would be delighted to personally show you around the school, when you can meet the staff and talk with the pupils and see for yourself why the Cathedral Choir School is such a very special place. 

I very much look forward to meeting you. 

Chris McDade