Ryde School

Ryde School with Upper Chine was founded by in 1921 by William and Constance McIsaac as Ryde Grammar School to provide a Christian education for boys. Ryde became the independent school of choice for successful Island tradesmen and professional classes wanting their boys to be well educated without the need to send them away to boarding school on the mainland.

As the leading independent day and boarding school on the Isle of Wight we welcome not only a diverse community from across the Island; children aged 2 1/2 to 18, from West Wight to Ventnor but many pupils who travel the short distance across the Solent to us from Portsmouth and surrounding areas and a growing number of international students and UK boarders from Scotland through to France, the USA, Hong Kong and beyond. With a full range of skills, needs and talents, all our pupils come together in our ambitious, vibrant and supportive community.

Whilst justifiably proud of our academic results, both for those who go on each year to universities such as Oxford and Cambridge or those who, with great effort and determination from teacher and pupil, secure GCSE results way above their national predictions, we are committed to educating the whole child. Our sport, music and drama all flourish, we have very active Duke of Edinburgh's Award and CCF groups and our new award-winning Bembridge Building hosts innovative and creative Art and Design Technology departments.

Our purpose is to provide world class education on the Isle of Wight, enabling our boarding and day pupils to flourish in MIND, BODY and SOUL. We will nurture the CHARACTER, SKILLS and VALUES to help them make a positive difference and embrace the opportunities of the wider world.

Ryde is a Church of England School. Christian values inspired and guided the founders and we were recognised as a designated church school in June 2006. The Bishop of Portsmouth is our visitor and we have a special relationship with All Saints’ Church where we hold major services and where the Senior School meets fortnightly for a service of reflection. The inculcation of Christian values is important to us, but we recognise the values of other faiths, offer opportunities for other faith leaders to speak in the School and teach world religions in RS classes.

We expect all pupils to attend our assemblies and church services which reflect the broad and inclusive nature of Anglicanism. We hope that pupils who profess not to have a faith will grow spiritually in that they develop a sense of awe and wonder of the world in which they live.

Our purpose is to provide an exceptional education on the Isle of Wight, enabling our boarding and day pupils to flourish in mind, body and soul. We nurture pupils to make a positive difference and embrace the opportunities of the wider world.

Our Aims
Our four aims, derived from our Mission Statement, provide a clear sense of purpose to drive the delivery of our mission statement.

• EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL – We are an exceptional school, providing an exceptional education in an outstanding learning environment.
• MIND – We develop pupils to have a love of learning, a sense of curiosity and an ability to think independently.
• BODY – We recognise the importance and benefits of a healthy lifestyle, physical exercise, indoor and outdoor activities and personal challenge.
• SOUL – We encourage all members of our community to develop a sense of their own wellbeing and to foster self-reflection.