PARENTS’ HANDBOOK 2025


How you can communicate with us
This version was updated July 2025
Please find the most recent version at rgs-surreyhills.org/parents-handbook
How you can communicate with us
This version was updated July 2025
Please find the most recent version at rgs-surreyhills.org/parents-handbook
Headmistress
Chief Operating Officer
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
Deputy Head (Academic)
Assistant Head (Pastoral & Boarding)
Assistant Head (Sixth Form)
SENCO
Reception (+44) 01372 373 382
Executive Assistant to The Head
Second Hand Uniform &
Ms Hayley Robinson
Mr Stuart Ansell
Ms Kate Cobb
Mr Chris Bond
Mrs Claire Ellis
Mr Anthony Bainbridge
Mrs Shelley Marsh
Ms Hayley Dudley AM
Mrs Sarah Brown PM reception@rgs-surreyhills.org
Mrs Heather Buchanan hmpa@rgs-surreyhills.org
Ms Helen Sage
Transport Coordinator helen.sage@rgs-surreyhills.org
IT Support support@rgs-surreyhills.org
Bursary fees@rgs-surreyhills.org
AUTUMN TERM 2025
Wednesday 3rd September
Thursday 4th September
Boarders return by 8pm
Induction Day for new pupils and all Year 12
Existing Boarders arrive by 8pm
Friday 5th September Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Friday 17th October
Sunday 2nd November
Half Term – 4.30pm finish
Boarders arrive by 8pm
Monday 3rd November Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Friday 21st November
Friday 12th December
INSET Day – No Day Pupils
End of Term – 12pm finish
SPRING TERM 2026
Tuesday 6th January
Boarders return by 8pm
Wednesday 7th January Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Friday 13th February
Half Term – 4.30pm finish
Sunday 22nd February Boarders return by 8pm
Monday 23rd February Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Friday 27th March
End of term – 12pm finish
SUMMER TERM 2026
Sunday 19th April
Monday 20th April
Saturday 16th May
Friday 22nd May
Monday 1st June
Tuesday 2nd June
Thursday 2nd July
Boarders return by 8pm
Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
Speech Day
Half Term – 4.30pm finish
Boarders return by 8pm
Day Pupils arrive by 8.15am
End of Term – 12pm finish
The online calendar can be found on the main website, and via a link in the Parent Portal in Useful Links. Please do check on a regular basis for changes and additions as the term proceeds. Sports Fixtures can be found here, and also on the Sports Calendar on the website.
Annual School events include:
Christmas Carol Services
Autumn term
Cross Country
Autumn term
Box Hill Day
Spring term
Summer term
Valedictory Ball
Summer term
Speech Day
Summer term
Sports Day
Summer term
Production
We aim to put on 3 productions a year, one musical, a play and a junior school production.
Over the course of the academic year there will be 3 whole School open events for prospective families. Scholarship and award holders are expected to contribute to these events by attending as tour guides. Many other events are run by the School and we will communicate these to you in advance. The calendar is regularly updated to include new events.
Tutor time 8:15am - 8:35am
P1 8:35am - 9:35am
P2 9:35am - 10:35am
Break 10:35am - 10:55am
P3 10:55am - 11:55am
P4 11:55am - 12:55pm
Lunch 12:55pm - 1:45pm
P5 1:45pm - 2:45pm
P6 2:45pm - 3:45pm
P7 3:45pm - 4:30pm
End of School 4:30pm
The School operates a two week timetable known as Week A and Week B. Certain School events involve weekend as well as week-day evening attendance, and students may be asked to be present on these occasions. Most of these can readily be identified in the Calendar but others may be added at short notice.
Year 7 & 8 students recieve a breaktime snack in their area, included in the fees. Students in Year 9 + are able to buy a snack at breaktime in the Dining Hall. They will need tokens to buy these. 1 token is required per item. Tokens can be purchased by Parents/Guardians by the ‘Snack Service’ form which can be found on the Parent Portal under Links > Forms.
There will be suitable options for vegetarians.
Students will have access to their common room where they can spend lunchtime with their year group. These will be supervised and offers a place for socialising regardless of the weather.
We ask please for all parents picking up their children in Years 7 - 9 (and those with older siblings in Years 10 - 13) to arrive no earlier than 4.20pm and to pick up between 4.30pm and 4.45pm. Please can all parents of students in Years 10 – 13 (who don’t have younger siblings at the school) arrive no earlier than 4.45pm. At all times, please respect our neighbours by not blocking driveways or parking on double yellow lines.
Students using the minibus service must arrive promptly to their minibus pick up point at the start and at the end of the school day. We would be grateful if parents can remind students about behavioural expectations – these can be found on the bus route form.
Parents will have access to BatOnRoute which gives them real-time tracking of their child’s bus route on a map, notifications for the bus approaching the stop and school arrivals/departures, as well as delay reasons and bus locations. They can also send absence notifications or request bus changes.
1. Reception
2. Dalewood House
3. Library, Reading Room and Sun Room
4. Admissions and Marketing
5. Dining Room
6. McComish Hall
7. Music School
8. Climbing wall, high ropes and caving
9. Sports Centre
10. Multi Use Games Area
11. Modern Foreign Languages, ICT 2, Student
Reception and Exams Office
12. Atwood House
13. The Hub
14. Ralph House
15. Dance Studio
16. Medical Centre
17. Burford
18. Careers, ILC and Computer Science
19. Sixth Form Centre/ Winthrop Young Building
20. Maths and English (ground and first floor)
21. Burmester House
22. Larg Cottage
23. Allotments
24. Old Cottage
The School will regularly communicate with parents, either about whole school, year group and individual matters relating to your child.
It will most likely come from your child’s Tutor or Head of Year.
The most usual way to receive communication is via the school email system. Once your child has joined, our IT department will send you log ins for the following useful platforms:
Here you’ll find reports, useful forms, exam results, documents, and a link to the billing portal and calendar.
You can find your child’s timetable here, as well as contact details for members of teaching staff.
RGS Surrey Hills uses SOCS for sport and co-curricular activities. This includes fixtures, team sheets, results and for selecting activities at the start of each term. You will use your child’s details to log in.
This is the online system where all homework is assigned.
Once at the School, your child’s Tutor is the first port of call. If you are contacting us regarding a routine matter, it would be usual to contact the Tutor directly. However, more significant issues should be directed to the Head of Year in the first instance.
They will all introduce themselves to you via email, and there is usually an opportunity to meet in person.
During the first fortnight, you will receive logins to Satchel:One, the Parent Portal and the iParent App. Students will get all their logins upon joining.
If your child is late, absent or unwell, please ring Reception on (+44) 01372 373 382 and/or email reception@rgs-surreyhills.org. If we do not hear from you on the day of absence, the register will be marked as “unauthorised absence” and you will be contacted by Reception to confirm the absence. If the period of absence is due to illness and likely to be prolonged, you should also please contact your son or daughter’s Tutor.
If your son or daughter is late to School and will miss being registered by his/ her tutor, they must sign in at Reception on arrival.
Please note that absence from School disrupts your child’s education and is discouraged. In particular, please do not take your child on holiday during term time (dates are published on our website and on page 3 of this booklet). Requests for planned absences need to be approved by the School and must be requested using our ‘Pupil Leave of Absence Request’ form which can be found on the Parent Portal under Links > Forms, or here: https://forms.office. com/e/XVLapweG2C
Routine dental work and optician appointments should be arranged by parents or guardians during the School holidays wherever possible.
Please bear in mind, if you send an email to a member of RGS Surrey Hills’s staff, you may not get an immediate reply. At times, staff also run a variety of activities and trips which can keep them from being able to access a computer. During lessons, duties, meetings and activities, email is unlikely to be a focus for staff.
For urgent communication, particularly which requires a quick response or information to be passed on that day, please consider whether email is the most effective means to communicate. The main office can be emailed on reception@rgs-surreyhills.org or reached by telephone on (+44) 01372 373 382.
For incoming emails requiring a response, we aim to reply as soon as possible. Certain emails may need to be prioritised in light of their content – professional judgement will be exercised here. A holding reply may be sent where further action/investigation/clarification is required.
To contact a specific member of staff by email, a list of staff with job titles and contact details can be found on the Parent Portal in the School Directory.
If you need to contact your son or daughter during School hours in an emergency, please call Reception (+44) 01372 373 382. Students in Year 7 - 11 will not have access to their mobile phones without specific permission during the School day. Therefore, it is possible that they will not pick up a text or message left on their device and it is usually better to contact Reception. Although Sixth Form (Year 12 & 13) students are allowed to use mobile phones appropriately during the School day, it may still be easier to contact them via Reception.
Consent must be obtained for students to leave the School site during the School day (8:15am - 4:30pm) and they must sign out at Reception on departure.
Please update your contact information via the Parent Portal, or by informing contacts@rgs-surreyhills.org of any change of address and/or telephone number. The School is required to keep parents’ and students’ details up to date and we will periodically contact parents about this.
Students should be in full school uniform each day. We remind students that as representatives of School they need to present a tidy appearance and conform to uniform and appearance rules. We draw your attention to the specific rules regarding items of uniform: https://www.rgs-surreyhills.org/school-life/uniform/
To purchase new uniform items, please visit our uniform suppliers’ website; Unismart, where all our School uniform is available to buy online – www. unismart.co.uk/product-category/our-Schools/box-hill-School.
They can arrange delivery of uniform to a destination that suits you; either your home address or the on-site School shop, or for boarders to school.
Appointments are available at the on-site uniform shop. To arrange an appointment please contact Unismart on unismartltd@gmail.com. Please note appointments for the on site shop must be booked in advance, unfortunately we can not accommodate direct walk ins.
Consultations are available if you need any help or advice with sizing and quantities, please contact Unismart directly.
We have a limited supply of secondhand uniform and to see what is available, please email helen.sage@rgs-surreyhills.org. These items will be recharged. To collect, students must visit Student Reception (located in the Languages Block).
To donate secondhand uniform please email helen.sage@rgssurreyhills.org and hand into Dalewood Reception. We welcome donations of items in good condition.
Standards are the same for both boys and girls.
Hair should be kept tidy. In Years 7-9 long hair should be neatly tied back and in Years 10 - 13 hair may be worn long and is not required to be tied back. Unnaturally coloured or excessively styled hair that draws attention to the wearer is not allowed. The Headmistress is the sole judge of this standard.
Jewellery may not be worn apart from a watch and small, stud earrings – no hoops. You are able to wear a religious necklace but it must not be visible. In Years 12 & 13 neck chains are allowed and must be short.
Other body jewellery (for piercings) must be removed during the school day.
Make-up is not allowed in Years 7 – 9 and in Years 10 - 13 it must be worn discreetly. Only clear nail polish is allowed. No artificial eyelashes or nails are permitted.
For the full Uniform List please visit: https://www.rgs-surreyhills.org/school-life/uniform/
The School Curriculum broadly shadows the National Curriculum but provides additional breadth. In Years 9-11 students typically study 9 (I)GCSE subjects. Students on the intensive 1 year programme study 6 (I)GCSE subjects. Sixth Formers study either 3 A level subjects, or 6 IB subjects. The (I)GCSE and Sixth Form Handbooks which detail the curricula are distributed during the Autumn term.
7 & 8
Tutors and Head of Year
9 - 11 (I)GCSE
1 year (I)GCSE
Tutors and Head of Year
English, Maths, Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), History, Geography, Computer Science, Art, DT, Physical Education, Music, Drama, French or Spanish.
Finalised subjects can be found in the (I)GCSE Booklet: https://www.rgssurreyhills.org/GCSE-curriculum/
Tutors and Head of Programme
12 & 13 Sixth Form Tutors and Sixth Form Team
A selection of (I)GCSE subjects can be found in thehttps://www.rgssurreyhills.org/intensive-one-year/
Finalised subjects can be found in the A Level & IB Booklet: https://www.rgssurreyhills.org/sixth-form/sixth-formcurriculum/
Students will have assessments in all subjects each half term and more formal end of year assessments during the summer term. Years 11 and 13 have mocks in the Autumn and Spring term.
Parents are able to access their child’s reports and assessment grades via the Parent Portal and iParent App.
This is an opportunity for parents to be updated about their child’s academic progress. These may be virtually or in-person. Details will be communicated to parents in advance.
Homework (also can be known as ‘Prep’) is assigned to stimulate curiosity, encourage responsibility, and of course, further the students understanding and learning of a topic. Students are currently set homework via Satchel:One and are expected to complete this at home. Below you can see the table of daily prep expectations.
For each group, the homework timetable is also available on the Parent Portal at the start of the term.
They can access homework via satchelone.com.
- Year 7: 2 pieces per night, 20 minutes each
- Year 8: 2 pieces per night, 30 minutes each
- Year 9: 2 pieces per night, 40 minutes each
- Years 10 & 11: 2 pieces per night, 1 hour each
- Years 12 & 13: Approximately 2 hours per night
To help all new students settle in at RGS Surrey Hills, there are numerous induction events. The Admissions team or Head of Year will notify you of these. For those joining the School, in September there is an Induction Day in June so that students can meet others in their year group, meet a number of key pastoral staff and get to find their way around the School site.
The first day of the Autumn Term is also an Induction Day when all new students will continue to find their feet a day before the whole School assembles. Tutors will also help the students to settle in as quickly and smoothly as possible.
There is a Parents’ Welcome Evening early in the Autumn Term which serves as an additional mechanism through which parents and staff can help with the settling-in process. This may be in person or virtual, details will be communicated to you.
Each student will be assigned to a Tutor group. These groups are small (12-15 students). They meet daily in the morning for tutor time, digital literacy and to be given any updates on the week ahead.
Tutors are the primary point of contact for the student and parents. Tutors are supported by the Head of Year and the academic team, as well as the Senior Management Team.
There are plenty of opportunities for students to become involved in shaping aspects of life at RGS Surrey Hills. There is the Student Council which deals with whole School issues, as well as sub committees to give students a voice on relevant subjects. There is also an active Environment Committee as well as a Food Committee. Beyond these groups, students can become involved in various ways through activities and within departments.
These activities are within each student’s timetable. They will sign up for their chosen activities at the beginning of each term via SOCS (Our School’s co-curricular and Sports Communications System). You can see the full list of activities here: https://www.rgs-surreyhills.org/school-life/co-curricularprogramme/ They will have an opportunity to change their activities each term. Co-curricular activities take place as follows:
Tuesday Enrichment Activities P5 - P7
Friday Games (Sports) P5 - P7
Tuesday Games (Sports) P5 - P7
Thursday Enrichment Activities P5 - P7
Tuesday Enrichment Activities P6 & P7
Wednesday Games (Sports) P5 - P7
SOCS also includes information on teams, fixtures, results and timings. You can see the details here: https://www.boxhillschoolsport.com/
We regularly play competitive team sports. All our sports fixtures are accommodated during the School week, no weekend matches are played. Matches are organised mostly within the School day where possible. From time to time fixtures may run after School. You will be notified if this is the case in advance as pick up will be the parent’s responsibility. Students are allowed their mobile phones on fixtures so are able to communicate this too.
Each student is assigned to one of our four Thirds when they join. They will stay in this Third until they graduate. Students will represent their Third during inter-third competitions such as cross country and Sports Day to gain points. Students staying on for Sixth Form retain their Third
The Medical Centre is open for all RGS Surrey Hills students from 7:30am to 5:00pm Monday - Friday. Students are expected to attend the Medical Centre between the following hours unless permitted by a teacher.
Break time 10:40am - 10:55am
Lunchtime 12:55pm - 1:45pm
We take a holistic approach to student care, considering their physical, emotional, and psychological needs. The Medical Centre provides a welcoming and supportive environment, where all students with diagnosed medical or additional needs have an Individual Welfare Plan (IWP). To enhance safety on trips and fixtures, a duplicate supply of medication will be stored in the Medical Centre, alongside the emergency medication students must carry. We work closely with students to support their health, encourage responsibility, and help them stay fully engaged in their education.
We are always pleased to talk to any parent/guardian about their child’s health, either on the telephone or in person, and we are always available for students to talk to us. Sometimes individuals talk to us in confidence, and we respect this, except where their welfare is at risk.
We ask parents to complete a medical form and for boarders an emergency consent form IN FULL and return them to School before students starts at RGS Surrey Hills. Information supplied is confidential and is not released to other departments in the School without appropriate consent.
We would be grateful if you could keep us informed of changes to your child’s health status during their time at RGS Surrey Hills. We DO NOT send out annual update requests, but DO expect prompt, open communication where health information changes.
The school requires up to date vaccinations. We request ALL vaccination dates from the GP’s immunisation record, a photocopy of the child’s records, or any other international vaccination certificates. We will contact you should your child require any boosters or further vaccinations.
We are keen to ensure that appropriate immunisations are given. Please inform the nursing team if any immunisations are given at home so that we can amend pupils school health records as appropriate. Surrey Child & Family Health Team come to the school annually to vaccinate for flu HPV (cervical cancer vaccination in Year 8) and Td/IPV (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio booster) and Meningitis ACWY in Year 9. Notifications will be sent out prior to these events asking for parental e-consent via the NHS portal.
In the case of an emergency, everything possible is done to contact parents/ guardians immediately. In exceptional cases however, if this is not possible, the Head (or authorised deputy) must act in loco parentis and in such circumstances, has the right to authorise medical and surgical treatment, including the administration of anaesthetic. Pupils over the age of 16 are permitted to give their own consent to medical treatment. Pupils will normally be admitted under the NHS. If parents would prefer, or are insured for, private medical care they should include details of the relevant policy. Where a pupil needs medical attention outside school, they would normally be accompanied by a member of staff. The cost of transport/taxis etc. will be recharged to their school account.
The school provide over the counter medications such as paracetamol. Pupils must not bring these medications into school. The school policy is that all prescribed medications brought into school should be clearly labelled with the pupils name and must be handed in to the nursing team. All prescribed medications must have a consent form and current prescription from the authorised prescriber attached (please e-mail nurses@rgs-surreyhills.org for the form). It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that medication brought into School is in date.
Asthmatic pupils must always carry their inhaler on their person at all times. There are emergency asthma kits around the School, in the event of an emergency. Pupils with Adrenaline Auto Injector pens (AAIs) are required to keep two on their person at all times. Spare AAIs are located in the Medical Centre and Reception in the event of an emergency. Two AAI pens are required for all school trips. All boarding pupils bringing their own prescribed medications into school who wish to self-medicate, must see the School Nurse to be assessed and sign a self-medication form to meet School and ISI guidelines. Medication prescriptions must be written in English; non-English prescriptions will not be accepted.
The Medical Centre comprises of five beds, two shower rooms, three offices and a waiting area. The nursing team are responsible for all medical issues around the school. There are first aid kits available in most departments and two defibrillators located in the sports centre and outside Dalewood. The nurses have a wide range of medical policies some of which can be found on the school website, others are available on request. These are reviewed regularly in accordance with governance.
We ask please that students do not bring any nuts into school as snacks as we have students who have serious nut allergies.
Students are responsible for their personal belongings and all clothing and equipment should be named. Students should be made aware that they bring valuable items onto the School site at their own risk. Each student will have a locker in which valuable items, sports bags and equipment should be secured. When brought into School, musical instruments should be kept in the Music department’s instrument store. We do our best to find lost or missing items using our Lost Property system. Parents and students should be aware, however, that the School insurance does not cover loss of or damage to personal possessions.
In years 7 - 11, students hand in their mobile phones during tutor time at 8.15am and will receive them back at 4.30pm, or at other times with the express permission of a member of staff during the day. Students in the Sixth Form may use such devices during the School day but should only use them in the Sixth Form Common Room and during break and lunchtimes. All mobile phones should be made silent and put away and must not interfere with lessons.
Students taking part in away sports fixtures will be permitted to have their mobile phones in the event of a delay in returning to School.
Our digital device initiative ensures that every student has access to a Dell Latitude 5340 2-in-1 device, enhancing their learning experience with powerful and versatile technology. These devices support a wide range of educational activities, from interactive lessons to collaborative projects, and come equipped with robust security features to ensure a safe online environment. By integrating these digital tools, we aim to prepare our students with essential 21st-century skills, fostering both academic success and digital literacy. Parents can order the laptops through a dedicated Easy4U web portal, details of which will be provided. You can learn more about it here: https://www.rgs-surreyhills. org/school-life/academic/digital-literacy/
Although the School will exercise all possible supervision, parents must accept the risk of loss or damage to bicycles. All students owning bicycles should, in their own interests, take out a comprehensive policy. There is a secure cycle shed for those who ride to School. Bicycles must not be ridden on the School grounds. Cyclists must wear a crash helmet of an approved type.
All items of clothing and equipment (where practical) should be named. A system is in place whereby items of clothing and equipment which are left lying around the School are collected and stored in the Lost Property store.
Un-named or non-uniform items will be cleared at the end of each term. Similarly, water bottles, for reasons of hygiene, will only be held for one term. Valuable items such as mobile phones are usually handed to Reception.
We do not allow chewing gum at School and students should not be bringing it in.
As you would expect, the School has a variety of policies covering the many aspects of school life. Please visit our website on www.rgs-surreyhills.org/ about-us/school-policies/ to view a selection of them. Some are also available to view on the Parent Portal.
We believe staff, students and parents are entitled to a safe and protective environment in which to work together. Our aim is for all members of the school community to treat each other with respect and for adults to set a good example for students. Behaviour that may cause alarm or distress to members of our community is considered unacceptable.
Types of aggressive or abusive behaviour considered unacceptable include:
Language (verbal, written or online) that causes threat or offence:
• Shouting either in person, over the telephone or during an online meeting;
• Speaking in an aggressive or threatening tone including swearing;
• Sending aggressive or abusive emails, texts or letters;
• Posts on social networking sites that are deemed as bullying and/or defamatory;
• Racist, sexist or any discriminatory comments.
Physical threats and aggression:
• Physical intimidation. For example, standing too close, aggressive hand gestures and shaking or holding a fist towards another person;
• Physical contact or threat of violence;
NB: Any threat or use of physical violence will be reported to the Police.
The school will not respond to any correspondence that contains aggressive or abusive statements. Staff will end telephone calls or meetings if they consider the caller aggressive or abusive. In such circumstances, staff are encouraged to make this decision, to tell the caller that their behaviour is making them feel uncomfortable, and to end the call or meeting.
All incidents of unacceptable behaviour will be referred to the Headmistress.
Sanctions for unacceptable behaviour
The school uses sanctions for students as opportunities to educate and draw a clear line between unacceptable behaviour and that which school and society expect from good citizens. Parents are asked to work with the school to guide this important part of a student’s learning journey. We do not give sanctions lightly. Incidents are investigated and a professional judgement reached.
Explicit parental support for the school’s decision is important to help students learn and to reinforce our capacity to educate and keep children safe.
If a parent is contacting the school, we ask that they keep the tone of the email or conversation courteous and objective. We understand that a child’s education can be an emotive subject but if, during a meeting or conversation with a member of staff, the parent feels that their emotions are running high, then we would encourage them to ask to resume the conversation later when the matter can be approached more calmly.
The Parents’ Association, which is known as Friends of RGS Surrey Hills, is made up of volunteer parents from each year group.
Their roles are to liaise between the School and the year groups to provide communication and organise social events for parents. If parents have questions they can act as a point of call for a source of informal information.
There is a Parents Forum at least once a year where Year Reps will gather and collect issues/comments from the year group and present them anonymously for discussion with the School. However, if there are any issues please do contact your Year Rep or Tutor.
Notification of events and other activities run by the FRGSSH will be sent via email and Year Reps. Some events may be fundraisers.