Director of Co-Curricular Activities

HYMERS COLLEGE

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Reverend John Hymers, Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge and Rector of Brandesburton, a village 10 miles north of Hull, left money in his will for a school to be built “for the training of intelligence in whatever social rank of life it may be found among the vast and varied population of the town and port of Hull”. Hymers College opened in 1893 as a school for boys. Although the school has remained true to its Founder’s intentions, the catchment area now stretches from Scarborough to Grimsby and Scunthorpe, and the school has been fully co-educational since 1989. The school is an independent day school and the Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC).

Hymers College is recognised as one of the leading schools in the north east for its academic, sporting and musical achievements. Pupils and ex-pupils, parents and staff often highlight the all-round education, the friendly and supportive atmosphere within an ordered framework, and the positive relationships between staff and pupils that are found at Hymers.

The vision of the Head and Governors for the school in the 21st century is to maintain an emphasis on excellence in all that we do, providing a broad education that will enable our pupils to become well-rounded and balanced people. We will continue to offer outstanding value for money to parents, maintaining as wide a social base in our pupil intake as fee-remission funds permit. We will respect and cherish our heritage while adapting appropriately to prepare our pupils for their future. We are committed to a process of continuous improvement in services and facilities, funded by healthy annual financial surpluses and in recent times by several substantial legacies and benefactions. Priorities are reviewed regularly.

In September 2022, Hymers acquired the pre-prep school Hessle Mount. Hymers now offers education from Pre-School through to Sixth Form, with Pre-School - Year 2 based at Hymers Hessle Mount and Years 3 - 13 at the main Hymers campus.

2. PUPILS

Pupils numbers at Hymers Hessle Mount have continued to grow since the merger in 2022. We have a very healthy Pre-School roll and there are two classes in each of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Pupils from Hymers Hessle Mount transfer automatically to the Junior School without taking an entrance assessment.

Our Hymers College site consists of a Junior School of 213 pupils aged 7-11 and a Senior School of 735 pupils, with 172 in the Sixth Form. The Junior School usually has an entry of about 44 into Year 3, divided into two classes. All applicants for the Junior School take entrance assessments except those from Hymers Hessle Mount. At transition from Junior to Senior School, nearly all Junior School pupils move into the Senior School along with applicants from outside to create four or five forms of maximum 27. Approximately 7-15 new students come into the school in Year 12. The boy/girl ratio in the School as a whole is 50/50.

Hymers College has always sought to take a wide social cross-section of pupils. With the loss of the Assisted Places scheme, the Governors decided to fund a Fee Remission scheme, also known as a bursary scheme, from annual fee income which allows children whose parents are unable to pay the school fees to attend. At present around 12% do so. This scheme is available for Year 3 applicants and above and not at our Hymers Hessle Mount site.

One of the great strengths of Hymers is the excellent relations that exist between the pupils and their teachers. This was something highlighted by the school’s last full ISI Inspection in 2022 which said, “Pupils of all ages have excellent knowledge, skills and understanding, effectively applying these across all subjects” and “Pupils are highly respectful towards each other and appreciate each other’s differences as well as everyone’s common humanity”.

3. LOCATION AND FACILITIES

Hymers Hessle Mount is located in west Hull. In the last two years we have made very considerable investment into the buildings and facilities to enhance the learning environment for pupils. Hymers College itself stands in over 45 acres of beautiful grounds, a mile from the centre of Hull. The original building still forms the core of the school but many buildings have been added including a theatre, additional science laboratories and Sixth Form Common Room. The purchase of additional land allowed us to expand our games pitches, build new tennis courts and a flood-lit all-weather astro pitch. A large multi-purpose sports hall provides indoor sporting facilities.

Further development included a magnificent replacement Junior School in 2003 and a Sports Centre with a 25 metre swimming pool in 2004. In September 2014 a new Music Block was opened providing facilities including a recital hall, rehearsal and music technology rooms plus a recording studio. A new Learning Resource Centre was completed in 2016 and was awarded the School Library Association’s Innovation Award in 2017. In recent years the school has refurbished a total of eight Science laboratories, as well as the Sixth Form Common Room and Reception area.

4. JUNIOR SCHOOL

The Junior School is housed in a beautiful, fully-equipped, purpose-built building on the same site as the Senior School. Opened in 2003, the new building has been a wonderful success, mainly because the views of the teachers were sought during the design stage and played a major part in the planning process. The school houses Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The school has outstanding facilities including a music room, art room and laboratories for design technology and science. Recently we have invested in VR headsets to support the pupils' learning. The academic curriculum is taught by subject specialists and is planned in close co-operation with the Senior School Heads of Department. The PE and games curriculum is delivered by the teachers of the Junior School as well as PE specialists from the Senior School. About three-quarters of the pupils learn a musical instrument and the Junior School has its own orchestra and smaller instrumental groups. Most children sing in choirs and there are several concerts each year. There is also a major Drama production each year.

5. ACADEMIC

Hymers College is very proud of its academic standing. Results show we are one of the highest achieving schools in the north east and, indeed, we are consistently ranked as one of the top co-educational schools in the country. In recent years in the national league table of GCSE results for co-educational independent schools published by the Times newspaper Hymers has been placed 50th. This summer a total of 89% achieved A*-C grades at A Level and at GCSE 65% of all exams were awarded grades 9-7. The school has a strong record in preparing students for successful applications to Oxbridge, as well as other highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. In 2023 twelve of our students have taken up a place at a UK medical school. We do not sit Key Stage 2 and 3 SATs.

6. CO-CURRICULAR

Co-curricular activities are an important part of school life at Hymers. Pupils are encouraged to engage in the wide range of activities on offer and high standards are achieved. Hymers is renowned for its music. Large numbers of pupils play in orchestras and sing in choirs; in recent years several pupils have been members of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. The Junior School’s Year 6 Choir have been finalists in the Barnado’s Choir of the Year competition on multiple occasions, winning at the Royal Festival Hall in 2020. They have also appeared as a finalist in the BBC’s Songs of Praise competition. Pop and rock bands enjoy frequent opportunities to perform both in school and in external competitions. Drama is facilitated by the excellent Judi Dench Theatre with a number of outstanding productions each year. Sport is also strong: the main school sports are rugby, football, cricket, tennis and athletics for boys and hockey, netball, cricket and tennis for girls. Other sports are also available including swimming, fencing, badminton and dance. In recent years a good number of schoolboy rugby and schoolgirl hockey international players have been produced, and several fencers have also represented Great Britain. The school has also had tennis, athletics, hockey and netball teams reach National Finals in recent years. In 2023 over sixty of our students enjoyed a life-changing multi-sports tour of South Africa.

Hymers is rooted in the local community and our students engage in a wide range of charitable projects in the local area. This led to our students winning first prize in the Goldsmiths' Company's National Community Engagement competition in 2022. Hymers is the only independent school that acts as a service provider for the National Citizen Service (NCS). Each year our students work alongside young people from schools and colleges across the region to take part in residential activities and local volunteering projects. There is also a flourishing voluntary Army Cadet Force (ACF) and the Duke of Edinburgh Award is strong at all levels. Young Enterprise in very popular and successful with Year 12 students. In recent years pupils have reached national finals in a variety of activities including spelling, chemistry, badminton, singing, cryptography and debating.

7. PASTORAL & SPIRITUAL

The religious tradition of the school is Christian, but children of all faiths or none are welcome. The pastoral system is based on form teachers and Heads of Year, and much emphasis is placed on ensuring that pupils are happy and fulfilled.

8. STAFF

The teachers are well qualified, experienced and enthusiastic. There is a good age-range. Many teachers contribute towards the co-curricular activities programme.

9. GOVERNORS

There are 20 governors who represent a wide cross-section of the business, legal and academic interests in the area. Some are parents or ex-parents and some are Old Hymerians. The main work of the Board is carried out by committees and working parties, most of which meet termly and all of which the Head attends. Members of the Senior Leadership Team attend the Governors’ Education Committee meetings. The Governors are very committed and fully appreciate the ethos of the School and the demands of running a school.

10. THE AREA

Kingston-upon-Hull is a pleasant and vibrant city offering an excellent quality of life. There are many open spaces and parks and the Humber Estuary is a haven for wildlife.  The surrounding towns and villages are popular commuter areas and are situated within easy reach of beautiful countryside. The University of Hull, with which we have good connections, is situated within two miles of Hymers College. House prices in the area are low compared to the national average and there is a range of types of housing both in the city and the area beyond. There is a good transport network, which makes travel to all parts of the country easy. There are many excellent sporting and cultural activities in the area in which many members of staff are involved.

The city of Hull very much benefited from being the UK’s City of Culture in 2017. The school played a major part in the city’s celebrations hosting a number of major events such as Radio Four’s Any Questions, a T20 warm-up match for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and a major outdoor classical concert. Since then cultural opportunities and facilities in the city have increased further.

11. FURTHER DETAILS

In 2022, we were awarded the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in a glowing report from the ISI inspection team. The school was also inspected by The Good Schools’ Guide in 2021 and received a similarly excellent report available on the school’s website. Hymers College has again been nominated as a ‘Top Ten School in the North of England’ by Sunday Times Parent Power. Further details about Hymers College may be found in “The Independent Schools’ Year Book” and on the school’s website - www.hymerscollege.co.uk.

JPS, November 2023