We are proud of our status as a Voluntary Aided Church of England Secondary School, the first established in the Diocese of Durham and, indeed, in the North East.  We believe that we play a small part in that long tradition of Christian learning dating back to Bede and the Northern Saints.

Approximately one third of our pupils come to us on "Church" places, with the remainder from our catchment in the local community and a number of "secular" places from outside our catchment.  We are not a "faith community" in the sense that all our families subscribe to the Christian faith.  We do, however, believe that the Christian traditions, and certainly Christian values, are vital ingredients in what we are and in what we do as a school.

Ian Ramsey is supported by a School Chaplain and each year group has a Year Chaplain who supports worship and other school activities.

Pupils have the opportunity to be involved in school Communion Services and services which celebrate the Festivals of Christmas and Easter.

Ian Ramsey has an active Christian Union.

We believe our Ethos is distinctive and supports our desire to offer real opportunities and achieve high standards within a Christian Learning Environment.