Did you attend Malton School (or have parents or grandparents who did)?
Then you may be able to help staff with a project they are currently working on. Rob Williams, Headteacher, and Steve Fearnley, former Deputy Head are aiming to create a complete history of both Head Boy and Head Girl winners as well as House Cup winners. They have records dating back to 1911 when the school moved to its current site – but there are gaps which they were hoping readers may be able to help them complete.
The House Cup has been awarded since 1912 to the house with the largest number of house points, obtained through good behaviour as well as sporting and other extra-curricular activities. When the school first opened in what is now the East Wing, there were 4 houses, which increased to 5 in 2017 as the school roll continued to grow. Over the course of the last 100 years, the names of the houses have also changed several times but have now reverted to the original names of Carlisle, Fitzwilliam, Holgate and Willoughby, with the addition of Tudor in 2017. However, in their time, the houses were also named after local abbeys – Byland, Kirkham, Rievaulx and Rosedale, local rivers – Derwent, Rye and Seven, as well as the elements – Air, Earth, Fire and Water.
Steve Fearnley, who has spent hours researching the history of Malton School has found records for most of those years but is missing some key dates: 1912, which would have been the first winner of the cup; 1932-1938, and then 1971-1999.
As for the list of Head Boy and Girl, again, hours of painstaking research for Steve have revealed an impressive list of names, but there are still gaps. Steve has been unable to find any records relating to the periods: 1912-1920 and 1922-1940 for the Grammar School; 1960-1971 for the County Modern, and 1975-1982 and 1984-2000 for Malton School, although Steve believes that the tradition of electing a Head Boy and Girl died out in the 1980s and 1990s.
Once, Steve and Rob have produced as complete a list of names as they can, the School will design two Roll of Honours Boards to be fitted in the West Wing Hall at either side of the main stage. Winners in future years will then be added to the list.
Anyone who may either have been Head Boy or Girl or remembers who was or has details of the House Cup winners is invited to contact the school on 01653 692828 or to email: admin@maltonschool.org. If you are interested in the history assembled so far, you may like to visit the Old Maltonians website run by Steve Fearnley: https://maltonians.maltonschool.org/