It accepts both boys and girls and serves a wide catchment area across most of the north-west corner of North Yorkshire, including Swaledale.

It was awarded a charter ratifying its status on 14 March 1568 by Queen Elizabeth I and was one of the first free grammar schools in England.

[citation needed] In 1940 a Girls’ High school was built, designed by Modernist architect Denis Clarke Hall.

[8] A large factor that played a part in the grant was that Richmond is the only school in North Yorkshire to have sites which are 1 mile apart.

[10] In the resignation statement, the Full Governing Body rejected the assertions in the Warning Notice as unevidenced and contrary to the opinions expressed in Ofsted's recent inspection report.

For several years Richmond Grammar School published an annual collection of poetry and prose writing by pupils in a small publication called "The Compostelian".

His feet are bare, he has a bushy beard, wears a long, loose dress, has an escallop shell on his broad-brimmed hat, a strip or wallet hangs at his side from his girdle, his left hand holds a rosary and a small barrel or gourd, while in his right hand he carries a palmer's staff.

The whole legend, in Elizabethan Latin, means in English "The common seal of the independent school of the town of Richmond".

[12] The school allows the local community sports programmes to use its facilities out of term time and multiple training sessions take place at the site.

The school offers primarily a choice of rugby or football to boys and hockey and netball to girls as part of their compulsory education.

However, the school offers multiple extra-curricular clubs and teams including athletics, golf, trampolining and cheerleading among others.