In 1864, the Trustees received & report from the Charity commisioners for the reopening of the school and agreed to a detailed examination of the existing School buildings and available accommodation.

Before reopening. the school, the Trustees could either have repaired the buildings or erected new ones in their place. Neither course was adopted, however, for in 1865 it was recorded that they considered it inadvisable to spend too much money on the existing buildings, and they also felt the estimated cost of £1000.00 for new buildings could not
be found. As a consequence nothing seems to have been done to preserve the buildings and a severe state of dilapidation seems to have set in.

In January 1866, an application was node for the use of the school room by by John and Jane Craddock. No objection

was raised to this and it seems possible that they used one of the rooms as a small Parish school for a while, giving probably only the most rudimentary education to a few village children.

By 'the year 1875, the buildings were in such a state disrepair that future meetings of the Trustees (soon to be
known as the Governors) were arranged in the Black Bull Inn next door.

It is perhaps worth noting in that the Trustees chose this venue rather than the Scorton Vicarage, which in some ways might have seemed more suitable. Anyway, whatever their reason, the Governors continued to meet here for many years, even after the 'Black Bull' became the Royal in 1895 (to commemorate an earlier visit of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria) .

In 1875, a request was made to the Charity Commissioners to view the school with a view to reopening it.In 1876
tenders for the restoration work were invited and that of a Mr Pallister of Northallerton was accepted.
the school cost £991 11 0d, and work on the house cost £961 14 0d, a total of nearly £2000.00 The work took eleven
months

Very extensive alterations were made to School House. In the hall of the Headmaster's house, a reputedly fine Inglenook was built up and an ordinary fireplace put in its place The hall was reduced in size. A dividing wall was created between the then boarders hall and the Headmasters study. Alterations were made too to the Dining hall and the dormitories were reduced in size.

Changes Were made at the same time to the school building. Originally, the main entrance was through a doorway in the middle of "is south (front.) wall, and this was bricked up and a doorway was made at the west end of the same wall.

The fully restored school was finally reopened in 1877 and was run as a mixed school until 1882. in 1878, Mr. Charles Metcalfe Bragg of Batley became Headmaster At this time the school was divided into two departments. In the Upper Department, tuition fees were fixed at £3 and the entrance fee was 10/ for each scholar. Boarding fees were £30 a year, and this included washing. In the Lower School, fees were not more than 6d weekly and not less than 3d, and were to be paid in advance. Needlework wag to be taught, and at this time Drawing was an extra subject at £2 a year, Shorthand at £2, and French at £1.

It seems quite likely that since this division of the School followed so closely on to building operations that it is here that the origins of the later room names "upper school" and "lower school" are to be found

By 1880 however, there is evidence of dissatisfaction with the running of the school again and a visit was arranged from government inspector. In 1882, a new scheme for its future organisation was prepared and sanctioned by the Charity Commissioners.

The scheme which was approved by Queen Victoria on the .advice of the Privy Council on July 19th 1883, outlined in
detail the future management of the school under the terms of the Endowed Schools Act of 1869. Thus Scorton reopened in 1883 as a day and boarding school for boys, with income from its foundation, fees and a grant for technical education which came from the North Riding County authorities