Term time plus five weeks
“ ”Leaders maintain a school culture that actively promotes inclusion and mutual respect highly successfully. This is a significant strength of the school.
ISI Inspection - 2025
Extensive individual support enables pupils to...develop a breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm for scholarship. This is a significant strength of the school.
ISI Inspection - 2025
Thank you for your interest in a position at the Royal Grammar School Guildford.
The RGS boasts a diverse, vibrant community of individuals in both teaching and support roles and we take pride in the success of our School.
The latest ISI inspection report identified two significant strengths within our School; "mutual respect" and "scholarship". We are incredibly proud of this achievement. Not only does it recognise the consistently high efforts by staff across the School, but the award of not just one, but two significant strengths by the ISI is extremely rare.
The academic standards in the School are excellent and are enriched by an extensive extra-curricular programme in which all academic staff are expected to participate; sports and the arts are important elements in School life.
This brochure will give you a flavour of our School, but the benefits of working here go beyond those listed in the job description. If you accept an offer of employment, you would be joining a staff body that collaborates professionally and socially across all departments.
The RGS is an exciting place in which to be a member of staff; I look forward to receiving an application from you.
Dr Jon Cox, Headmaster
“ “
The school is an inclusive and welcoming environment where pupils succeed academically and make the most of the extensive range of opportunities.
ISI Inspection - 2025
Job Title: School Receptionist
Responsible to: Cover & Logistics Manager
Responsible for: No direct reports
Job Summary
An indicative list of duties is shown below. This is not exhaustive, and the Receptionist may be called upon to perform other administrative tasks, as directed by the Cover and Logistics Manager.
To be the first point of contact for visitors arriving at the school. Ensuring they receive the highest level of customer service regardless of whether they are pupils, parents, staff or contractors. To undertake various administrative tasks for members of staff as requested.
Key Responsibilities:
To act as the first point of contact to anyone entering the school ensuring they are dealt with in a polite, timely efficient and welcoming manner. Ensuring they have the best first impression of the Royal Grammar School as is possible.
To ensure all visitors to the school are signed in and out of the school as appropriate and display the correct visitor badge in accordance with Health and Safety and Safeguarding Regulations.
To deal with all enquiries by email and telephone in a polite and timely manner ensuring that all messages are passed on promptly.
Ensure all phone and email inquiries from other schools regarding pupils’ placements are promptly directed to the PA of the Senior Deputy Head for appropriate processing.
To assist the Attendance Officer in morning and afternoon registration. Update the school database daily as necessary with regards to pupil absence.
To be a point of contact for all pupils ensuring you are approachable and helpful and act as necessary.
To assist in the provision of First Aid to pupils. (Appropriate First Aid training will be provided).
To liaise with Estates regarding onsite access, security, deliveries, and maintenance, as required.
To assist with sending/receiving post and parcels. To deal with the despatch, receipt and dissemination of mail and parcels, including liaising with the Estates Team regarding deliveries at Pannells Court.
To update pupil Fire Registers annually.
Manage requests received via My Parent Portal. Amend and update all changes on parent Schoolbase accounts.
To help undertake all photocopying, alongside other Front Office staff, as requested within an agreed timescale.
To cover the other office roles within the school as necessary in the case of unexpected absence or emergency.
To cover for the lunch period and holiday period in liaison with the Attendance Officer and School Office Administrator.
To carry out other general school administrative duties as directed by the Cover and Logistics Manager.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Experience of delivering the highest level of customer service within a large organisation.
A strong ability to deal with people at all levels of the organisation in a patient and professional way, upholding the standards of the school.
To be a highly enthusiastic, energetic and positive individual who can stay calm in a busy environment. To work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Proficient in the use of Microsoft packages including Word, Excel and Outlook.
To have GCSE English or equivalent.
Experience working in a successful team.
To always maintain strict confidentiality and work with the highest level of discretion.
Your career at the RGS begins with a warm welcome and comprehensive induction. You will be introduced to department colleagues, key people within the School and fellow new starters from across the departments.
Opportunities to get involved in wider school activities are many and varied; sporting fixtures, theatre productions and field trips to name just a few. Then there are the social groups set up by and for colleagues which include a running group, book club, theatre trips, football and a wind band. However you choose to get involved, you are guaranteed to find yourself among like-minded individuals.
Head of Learning Support, joined 2017
What do you love about your department?
That we work as a team and recognise one another's expertise. We look to each other for support and guidance.
What Staff groups are you involved in? Staff/Parent/Student choir.
Head of Lower School, Head of PSHME, joined 2010
What’s the best thing about the RGS?
The enthusiastic, positive pupils who have a real desire to learn.
If you could give one bit of advice to your younger self what would it be? Do what you enjoy, not what you feel you should do.
System Engineer, joined 2011
What do you love about your department? Team work, Friendly co-workers, Flexibility.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Cooking, Gardening, Watching movies.
In addition to joining a successful and sociable staff body you will also receive the following benefits:
Hours of work
Remuneration
Fee reduction
Employee Assistance Programme
Private healthcare
Pension
Commuting Loan
Gym
Dining
08:00 – 16:00, term time plus five weeks
£22,000 per annum
Fee reduction for son(s) of staff is available (after a qualifying period and subject to success at the entrance examination).
A free, confidential counselling & wellbeing support service that can support you, your partner or spouse, and dependent children over 16 still living at home.
Private medical cover is available for all staff. This is paid for by the School, but is a taxable benefit so there is an indirect cost to the individual.
All support staff are automatically enrolled into the company pension scheme. The level of contribution by the individual is 5% the School will contribute 10%.
Interest-free loans are available for rail season ticket holders.
Use of on-site gym at certain times of the day.
A choice of hot lunches, a delicious salad bar and range of desserts are provided daily in the staff dining room during term time.
The RGS is a kind, inclusive, tolerant community where diverse opportunity, personal development, high achievement and collaborative partnership define who we are.
Our values of inclusivity, scholarship, integrity, respect, courage and collaboration underpin all we do.
Boys come to the RGS from around 140 different schools in Surrey and the neighbouring home counties and this number is growing each year. We regularly receive four applications for every place.
The RGS curriculum aims to combine breadth with balance. In the first three years all boys study a broad range of subjects, choosing options at the end of their third year which sees them sitting ten GCSE subjects including English Language, English Literature, a Modern Foreign Language, Mathematics, three separate sciences and a humanities subject. From the Third Form, a Tutor Period is introduced during which boys study Information Technology, Problem Solving, First Aid, Health Education and Study Skills. It is also during this time that initial careers and higher education guidance is given which then continues throughout the boys’ time at the School.
The RGS boasts a thriving Sixth Form with all boys studying four subjects in the Lower Sixth and then continuing with three or four subjects to A Level in the Upper Sixth. This is complemented by a range of General Studies courses which are co-educational, organised jointly with Guildford High School.
All boys are encouraged to engage in independent research and activities throughout their time in the School via our Scholarship for all programme. Whilst not curricular, there is an expectation that staff will support this provision as their experience and expertise enables.
All members of the teaching staff help with co- and extra-curricular activities, of which there is an impressively wide range. Music, Art and Drama all flourish with performances, exhibitions and workshops. There is a well-equipped auditorium, a large Art School and a purpose built Music Department. We have a very active clubs and societies programme that takes place before, during and after school each day. All the Third Form take part in our curricular, weekly expedition and adventure programme, EXAD. We have five Field Days per year and also offer overseas expeditions, a large Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme and numerous sports tours. Staff are invited to attend and support all of these events.
Guildford is a vibrant and exciting place in which to live. Rich in history, it is a welcoming town with a flourishing and varied cultural life. Entertainment is diverse with a number of lively and nationally renowned venues including G Live, the Yvonne Arnaud theatre and the eclectic Electric Theatre. There are outstanding sport and leisure facilities which include the state-of-the-art training venues and sports complexes of Surrey Sports Park and Guildford Spectrum. Guildford offers one of the south east’s best shopping experiences with the iconic High Street combining exclusive and popular national chains as well as a number of independent retailers. Dining options cater for every taste and budget with local traditional and gastro pubs in nearby Surrey villages drawing customers from a wide area.
Educationally, Guildford is thriving. RGS Guildford and Guildford High School are regularly ranked in the top ten single-sex schools in the country. RGS also enjoys close links with other girls’ schools, Tormead School and St Catherine’s, Bramley. The University of Surrey was awarded ‘University of the Year for Graduate Employment’ by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.
Guildford has the advantage of being very accessible and enjoys excellent transport links. London is just over a 30-mile drive via the A3 and well served by trains (just 29 minutes to Clapham Junction and 39 minutes to London Waterloo). International airports London Gatwick and London Heathrow are only 30 minutes from the town.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are close by; the Surrey Hills and North Downs are on the School's doorstep and provide opportunities to enjoy the stunning countryside; the south coast is approximately one hour by car.
William Cobbett “
The town of Guildford, which I, who have seen so many, many towns, think is the prettiest, and…most happylooking, that I ever saw in my life.
The setting:
The Surrey Hills
North Downs
South Downs
Picturesque villages
The south coast
Travel by rail:
Clapham Junction 29 minutes
London Waterloo 39 minutes
Portsmouth Harbour 60 minutes
Gatwick Airport 45 minutes
Travel by road:
London 32 miles via the A3; Heathrow 22 miles; Gatwick 34 miles via A3 and M25; Portsmouth 44 miles; Brighton 59 miles
North Downs
The Royal Grammar School Guildford meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. All applicants who are offered employment will be subject to an enhanced criminal record check from the DBS before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings, as well as convictions. It is of fundamental importance to The Royal Grammar School to ensure, so far as possible, that those who take up appointments do not pose a risk to the children in its care.
We are proactively committed to creating a diverse staff body, which reflects the community that we teach. At RGS we value diversity and inclusion; we want to attract the best people for the roles available. This is regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability, socioeconomic status or religious beliefs.
Please note: applications will be considered on receipt and we reserve the right to close applications early.
