Hymers College celebrates 35 years of co-education

LEARNING TOGETHER: Boys and girls representing each year group at Hymers College

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

An independent Hull school is celebrating 35 years of transformational co-education.

Founded in 1893 as a boys’ school, Hymers College opened its doors to girls in 1989.

There is now a 50-50 split between girls and boys, and the school has been hosting a series of events and activities to mark the landmark anniversary.

These included a celebration lunch which alumni, partners and stakeholders were invited to.

FROM FIRST COHORT TO CURRENT WORKFORCE: Emily Pennack, left, and Vikki Bastiman

Current staff members Emily Pennack and Vikki Bastiman were among the first cohort of girls at the school.

Head of development Emily, who has responsibility for alumni engagement and raising funds for the school’s bursary scheme, joined as a Year 8 student when she was 12.

She said: “It was very different back then. There were only 15 girls in that year group, compared to 90 boys.

“They had to very quickly invent a PE kit for girls and build changing rooms. We had to mix with other year groups if we wanted to play sport against another school.”

EARLY DAYS: Hymers College shortly after co-education was introduced

Emily, whose two daughters now attend Hymers, left the sixth form in 1995. She returned as a member of staff four years ago.

“It changed a lot during my time here as a student, and it changed a lot more after I left,” she said. “It’s much more modern now, and there’s an equal split between girls and boys.”

Alumni engagement officer Vikki also joined in 1989, in the year below Emily, when she was 11. She too continued through sixth form, and returned to work at Hymers three years ago.

Vikki said: “We were very much in the minority back then, but we got on really well and the boys actually helped look after us. That first year was unique, because after that there were more girls every year.

SINGLE GENDER: The school when it was all-boy

“The school’s changed a lot over the years. It’s much bigger now, with fantastic facilities, but it still has the same supportive, friendly atmosphere I enjoyed.

“My son’s here now and has really good friendships, which is very similar to my experience.

“There are a lot of staff who also came here as students, and that’s because there’s a real fondness for the place – people just want to come back.”

Hymers headmaster Justin Stanley said: “Girls and women have driven huge improvements to Hymers over the past 35 years, and they continue to do so.

‘HUGE IMPROVEMENTS’: Hymers College in Hull

“There were a small number of girls that had joined the sixth form prior to 1989, but the change to co-education across the school was significant, and something the staff at the time were all hugely enthusiastic about. The whole initiative was readily embraced and the intake of girls was like a breath of fresh air.

“We’re now 50-50 co-education, our girls continue to be high achievers and our Hymerian women are doing wonderful things in all walks of life. Long may that carry on.”

Hymers College educates students from the age of three at Hymers Hessle Mount, through to 18 at its sixth form.

The extra-curricular sports it offers range from badminton to water polo, and the programme also now includes mixed-gender activities. Almost all senior school students participate in at least one extra-curricular activity.

The school also works closely with its extensive alumni network of ‘Old Hymerians’, who help inspire current students with work placements and experiences, as well as motivational talks.