Welcome to our Virtual Open Day

We know how important your choice of secondary school is, never more so than in the current climate.

We are delighted to welcome you to our Virtual Open Day.  Although there is no substitute for visiting a school in person, we hope our remote experience provides a genuine feel for what is such a vibrant, dynamic and welcoming community.  Our Virtual Open Day also allows you to access the RGS from the comfort of your homes at a time to suit to you and your family.  We hope you enjoy the experience.

The welcome from the Headmaster video provides a great starting point to gain an overview of the RGS: our 500 years of history, our ethos and our values. You can then hear from boys, staff and parents as they provide an honest insight into various aspects of the RGS experience, as well as following a typical day-in-the-life of one of our wonderful students.  We also invite you to view our FAQS which we hope you find helpful.

Our Admissions for September 2022 (Year 7 entry) and September 2024 (Year 9 entry) have now closed. However, we are always here to guide you through our admissions process, and we will be running further Q&A Forums focused on Year 7 and Year 9 entry in the Michaelmas Term 2022. We recommend that you register your interest to join us at one of these forums. We will then contact you nearer the time with a link to the event. Alternatively please email admissions@rgsg.co.uk.

We hope to welcome you on a visit to the RGS in the coming months. In the meantime, we hope that this Open Day gives you a good sense of our thriving school community.

Dr Jon Cox, Headmaster

Virtual Open Day Videos

Live Q&A Forums

The admissions process to secondary schools can seem daunting.  We are here to provide reassurance and clarity over the whole process and support you and your son.

These events focus on providing an overview of the admissions process, providing an insight into daily life, as well as the ethos and values of the RGS, and giving an opportunity to ask questions.  After an introduction from the Headmaster, panel of senior staff answers questions which have been submitted prior to the event as well as those which are posted during the event.  Booking is essential.  Please click here to register your interest in attending a Live Q&A Forum and to find out about the next available dates and times.  The events typically last no longer than an hour.

Register for Q&A Forum

Please register your interest in attending one of our online forums. A link to the Live Q&A Forum will be emailed to those registered closer to the event date. 

Parent details

Student details

If you have a question(s) you would like answered at one of our Q&A forums focusing on our Admissions Process, please enter it here. If you don’t have a question now don’t worry, you will also have the opportunity to submit questions in the run up to and during the event.

FAQs

To help prospective parents while we are unable to welcome you to the School in person, we have answered many common questions below that are often asked at Open Days.

What is the pastoral provision at the RGS?

Treating each boy as an individual and providing a supportive, positive environment is at the heart of our philosophy.  The boys establish lasting relationships within the year group; in addition, the house system, mentoring, and role of all senior boys as prefects ensure friendships are forged throughout the School.  The outstanding pastoral care on offer from dedicated form tutors, Heads of Section, Heads of Year, peer mentors and personal tutors, all overseen by the Deputy Head (Pupils), enables the boys to thrive in a mutually supportive environment where every boy can flourish as an individual in a community which is felt to be secure, sympathetic and supportive.  The presence of the School Nurse, Head of Learning Support and the School Counsellor provide further professional, bespoke support as required.

How many boys join in Year 7 and how many join in Year 9?

The intake in First Form in Year 7 is usually around 125 boys from state Primary Schools, Independent and Prep Schools.  Two years later, they are joined by approximately 25 boys from Prep Schools.

For those boys at Prep Schools, is it better to join the RGS in Year 7 or Year 9?

This is totally up to you.  We would be delighted if your son joined us in either Year 7 or Year 9 from his Prep School.  This decision has to suit you, your son and the rest of your family.  You know your son the best and in discussion with the Head of his Prep School, you will be able to make an informed decision.  If your son joins us in Year 7, he will join with the majority of boys and join the RGS at the start of his RGS journey along with all the Primary School boys.  If he joins us in Year 9, he will join with a smaller number of boys from Prep Schools having had the opportunity to be the ‘big fish in the small pond’ for those final two years.  To provide extra reassurance that your decision will be the right one whichever one it is, the entrance point shows no difference in GCSE and A Level examination results.

Are boys ‘set’ in First Form for any subjects?

No.  The reality is that there is such a small difference in ability between all the boys joining that there is no need to set them in any subjects.  The only decision they have to make is whether to study French or Spanish as their core language when they join us.

What kind of support is there if my son has a special educational need like dyslexia?

The School is committed to helping every boy at the RGS achieve his full potential academically, socially and in co-curricular activities.  There is a Head of Learning Support (HoLS) who oversees the identification of specific learning support needs, the arrangement of suitable support, and communication with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure consistency of approach.  In addition, the HoLS has an additional dedicated member of staff to assist them and the department works closely with colleagues in the Mathematics and English Departments to provide additional support classes where necessary, including dyslexia support, study skills, and classes to support emotional intelligence.

If your son has had any learning support in his previous school, it is very important that we are fully informed.  Please send a copy of any reports from the school or any other professionals such as Educational Psychologists to me, so that we can ensure this is taken into account in our provision of support for your son.

Do boys have to play rugby in First Form?

For the first two years in their games sessions, the boys are expected to play rugby in the Michaelmas Term, hockey in the Lent Term and cricket and/or athletics in the Trinity Term.  This arrangement is both to offer boys experience of a broad range of sports and to develop their wider sporting skills.  As part of the First Form weekly timetabled Physical Education lessons, the boys have a half-termly rotation of swimming and a general sports programme.

How much homework is there each evening for First Form?

Boys will be set three to four homeworks on each day of the school week that should last no more than 20 minutes per subject.

What time does school start?

The school day begins with form registration at 8.45am; boys are allowed to access the School from 8.30am.  Should boys wish to access the school earlier, the Mallison Library opens for quiet study from 8.00am and the canteen is also open for boys to buy breakfast.

Parents’ Feedback

Read some of the heartwarming messages received from our School community.

A sense of kindness

We have been delighted with how the RGS have handled all the Covid-19 drama.  We feel our son is in the best possible hands, he feels the learning has continued very smoothly and we have such huge confidence in the school and staff.

Reassuring

With all the uncertainty in the world right now, it’s reassuring to know that
the RGS has our boys’ education covered. Please would you pass on our thanks to all those involved. Your efforts to make blended teaching work so well really is appreciated.

Hugely Welcoming

Just to thank you and the staff for the hugely welcoming start to the new term.  Clearly a great deal of thought and work is going into all that you are doing.  The boys, and parents, are very lucky to be at RGS!

Live Q&A Feedback

A very useful and helpful session, thank you.

Endless hard work of staff

We would like to thank you and all of your staff for the endless hard work that you do to make the school the very special place that it is.

So impressed

We have been so impressed with the whole approach that the RGS has taken, supporting the boys academically as well as pastorally as well as the whole RGS community, and are very grateful to you all.

Remarkable community

I just wanted to say that I am continually amazed at how lovely a school the RGS is! The RGS is truly a remarkable community.

 

Live Q&A Feedback

This has been really helpful and informative. Thank you so much.

So blessed

I want to thank you for all that you and all RGS staff are doing through this challenging coronavirus episode. In particular I want to commend you on the expansive offering of support to the wider community.

Remote success

Just wanted to thank you and all the staff at RGS for the incredible work you are doing to ensure the boys education keeps moving forward.  Your online teaching system is brilliant.

 

Live Q&A Feedback

A very useful session, thank you very much for your valuable time. It was
incredibly helpful.

Grateful thanks

We are so grateful our son has the RGS to help him through this period academically and also mentally.  The emails and support he is getting from all departments are second to none and we cannot thank you all enough.