We’ll be sharing photos, memories and updates from the people who enriched the life of Terrington Hall and helped co-education thrive. We plan some reunions, too, so please watch this space.

The first girl to come through our doors was Melissa Bates in 1985. She was quickly followed by three other girls, thought to be Katie Earle, Hannah Gibbeson and Sarah Hartley.

In 1986, they were joined by Michelle Wood, then aged seven. Michelle, who now lives in New Zealand, said: “I remember my first day very well, and being met in the driveway by Hannah Gibbeson who was my ‘looker after’. I started in Miss Blyth’s form, and I was the only girl with five other boys. Quite brave really as I can’t imagine sending my daughter into a class with no other girls.”

She added: “There was another new girl who started in ’86 called Caroline Redgwick, who went into year 4. We became friends pretty quickly, along with the other girls as there were only six of us.

“We just had to join in with the boys, and we played the sport they did until there were a few more girls. I really loved sport so was quite happy about this, but I think not everyone was. The staff were definitely much kinder/gentler to the girls: Mr Hamer, Mr Chapman and Mr Wright in particular.

“I loved my time at Terrington, and was very upset to leave.”

Michelle went on to Bootham School, then Glasgow University to study Molecular biology, followed by Veterinary Medicine. She met her husband Andy at university, and they married in 2006. A move to New Zealand for a year has turned into many. They currently live in Auckland and have three children.

If you have any memories of your time at Terrington Hall, either as a girl who helped make co-education a success, or as a boy who welcomed – or otherwise! – the first girls in school, we’d love to hear from you. Please email: alumni@terringtonhall.com.