The Bulletin 262 by RGS Guildford

FROM THE HEADMASTER

As a school which has been established in the heart of its local community for over 500 years, a school which has collaboration as one of its core values, the themes of self-sacrifice and charity, kindness and compassion, would seem particularly fitting. At a time where there are so many challenges globally in terms of conflict, equality, poverty, the environment – the need for altruism, partnership and collaboration could not feel more critical. We were, therefore, absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for the Independent Schools of the Year 2025 award in the category of Outstanding Fundraising Achievement. This recognition highlights our commitment to charitable initiatives that extend far beyond the classroom, driven by the generosity and dedication of our students, staff, families and Old Guildfordians.

In this light, our annual Commemoration Service which takes place next Friday, serves to remind us all of the extraordinary debt we owe to those individuals and families who selflessly put others’ interests before their own and without whom today’s Royal Grammar School would not exist. Guildford Cathedral provides the wonderful setting for us to unite in communal celebration: a chance to welcome those new into our community – staff and students alike – and to reflect on a rich tradition of which we are all proud and privileged to be a part. Our service of thanksgiving allows us to recognise the good fortune of the RGS and to thank those who have supported the School.

The RGS is, undoubtedly, a very fortunate school and has been throughout its 500-year history. From the initial endowment of Robert Beckingham to the support of King Edward VI, our early history was blessed and secured by the benevolence of others. That good fortune continued through the struggles and trials of our existence, even through to the 1970s when the School faced the prospect of losing its name and identity when comprehensive education was being endorsed for the young people of Guildford. Our Service allowed us to express formally our gratitude to “our founders and many benefactors, men and women whose generous gifts and dedicated service have built, maintained and improved the School over the centuries”. These individuals showed exceptional vision and generosity to support an institution which continues to educate and inspire so many talented local students.

We have a duty and a responsibility in the twenty-first century to continue to embed this generosity of spirit. I firmly believe that our values and our learning habits mean that we are nurturing students who have a conscience and an awareness of their responsibility as citizens to make a difference, students who are capable of listening and collaborating with others. As the RGS family continues to grow – both locally and internationally – this sense of working together has never been more fundamental. Our recent announcement of our landmark partnership between the RGS and Ryan International Group of Institutions to open four new schools across India is genuinely exciting. The first, RGSG Bengaluru, will open in September 2028.

Share our similarities, celebrate our differences. “ ”

This opportunity alongside our other international schools in Dubai, Muscat, Nanjing and Qatar, as well as our partnership schools in Cambodia and Nepal, mean the RGS family has never been more geographically diverse and yet ironically never more connected and united. Despite each school’s individuality, personality and character, at heart we all share our fundamental School Values of inclusivity, scholarship, integrity, respect, courage and collaboration. As author Morgan Scott Peck once said, “Share our similarities, celebrate our differences”; this particularly chimes for me.

Every time the RGS has faced challenges and threats to its very existence, we have been supported by the individuals we celebrated today. Our school has been tested throughout its history and has always risen to meet such trials and to overcome them; resilience, flexibility and adaptability have always been the RGS way. This mindset is very much in keeping with the nature of this school and our DNA. As our global family increases, so the values and ethos which make the RGS so special give me great confidence for the future and make me immensely proud to be part of what is such an extraordinary family.

Our Values

Our Vision

A high-performing and inclusive independent day school, which provides a great education so that students can lead happy, successful lives and have a positive impact on society.

Our Strategic Priorities

Integrate our pastoral and wellbeing offer, and tailor this to meet the needs of a modern-day student community.

Develop a more focused co-curricular offer, organised around a character development framework based on our school values.

Enhance our academic strength, in terms of exam results, developing minds and preparing students for higher education.

Maintain a healthy future pipeline of students in the face of increasing demographic, market and regulatory challenges.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sports Fixtures

We very much welcome parental support this term at weekend sports fixtures including rugby at Bradstone Brook. May we politely remind you that dogs are, regrettably, strictly not allowed. To support the School’s sustainability drive, please also bring your own re-usable mugs for coffee etc. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

May we also remind you that with unpredictable weather this term, it is all the more important to check our sports cancellation policy and social media platforms prior to leaving home to ensure there have been no cancellations or changes to the published arrangements.

Forthcoming events

Monday 22 September

Field Day 1.

Thursday 25 September

Class of 2027: Welcome to the Sixth Form event in the Auditorium.

Friday 26 September

Commemoration Service in Guildford Cathedral (students and staff only).

Monday 29 September

Addressing Technology in a Dynamic World parental workshop in the Auditorium.

Friday 3 and Saturday 4 October

RGS Open Day.

Commemoration Service

Friday 26 September

Guildford Cathedral

Students and staff only

LATEST NEWS

ACADEMIC

The Spectator publishes data on the top number of offers made to UK schools and colleges by Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The latest data has just been released which refers to the 2024 entry cohort. They publish their list ranked by number of offers but they also include the number of applicants which therefore means you can calculate a more meaningful offer rate. The RGS was ranked fourth amongst Independent Schools nationally which is a phenomenal achievement and to our students’ great credit.

ORIS

One of our flagship Sixth Form initiatives is the ORIS scheme that provides opportunities for students to spend time in a university research environment. These placements are not arranged by the School but must, instead, be independently applied for and arranged by the students themselves. 21 Sixth Form students carried out these projects in a number of universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Scuola Normale of Pisa, Imperial, to name but four. The breadth and depth of research were impressive and spanned the whole of science. Topics studied included neurology, electrochemical zinc recovery, organometallic chemistry, computer science, more computer science, maritime and aeronautic engineering, medicine, pharmacology, robotics, bumblebees, and applied mathematics. The students demonstrated extraordinary scholarship – performing at undergraduate level – and held their own against much more experienced researchers.

SPORTS NEWS

FOOTBALL

After a narrow 4 – 3 victory against Bedales School, Sam Seddon scored one of the quickest goals in RGS memory – 3 touches, 5 seconds – as the 1st XI raced to an early 4 – 0 lead against Lord Wandsworth College. A superbly crafted team goal, calmly finished by Jasper Cliffe, was the highlight of a convincing 8 – 1 victory. Goals were scored by Dennis Dimov (3), Jasper Cliffe (2), Sam Seddon, Euan Jackson, and Fi Adeoshun.

GOLF

In the ISGA National Schools' Scratch Matchplay, the trio of Ollie Crawford, Harry Griffiths and Dominic Powell triumphed in their first round match against King Edward’s School Witley, played at Puttenham Golf Course. This tournament involves playing three knockout rounds of singles matchplay with no handicapping in order to qualify for the national finals; the RGS emerged victorious 2 – 1. This was followed by a hard-fought match against Charterhouse School where the RGS team went down 1 – 2.

CROSS-COUNTRY

An RGS Junior and Inter team compete in The Skinners’ School cross-country races. Conditions were good around a varied course which included some woodland and a killer hill with a headwind. All the athletes ran well with a notable performance from Edward Reid who came seventh in the Inter boys’ race, running 4.2k in 15:16 and Albert Adams completing the same distance in 15:56. Overall, our Juniors came seventh out of 11 teams and our Inters came fourth.

RUGBY

After a positive pre-season in which attendances were high for sessions across all year groups, the 2025 RGS rugby season got underway with Second to Sixth Form teams competing in our opening block fixture against The Judd School. In the afternoon, 115 of our new First Form students arrived at Bradstone Brook to participate in their house rugby competition. This was followed up by a successful block against Wimbledon College, as RGS teams won 14 of the 16 fixtures across the age groups. The 1st XV won convincingly 53 – 13 as our senior and Under 16 teams all scored over 50 points. Our Under 12s in their first competitive matches for the RGS also secured a clean sweep of victories.

SHOOTING

The RGS shooting teams enjoyed outstanding success in the summer, accumulating a succession of trophies in July. These included: the Queen’s Regiment Cup, for the top score in Kent, Surrey and Sussex; the Crowther Challenge Trophy awarded to Benedict Cunningham for winning the reserve competition; the Schools Four Trophy won by Thomas Burton, Oscar Engleman, Stirling Gauld and Kian Serpant. In addition, a vast array of individual awards were secured with Ayaan Bhagat prolific in the number of successes achieved in high-profile competitions.