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FROM THE HEADMASTER

The last few weeks have seen many of us – perhaps surprisingly for a country where snow, skiing and winter sports are somewhat limited –glued to the Winter Olympics watching a rich variety of contests. Each event showcased the extraordinary blend of human courage, the exacting discipline and precision, alongside no little flair and artistry, that winter sport demands. Every event highlighted athletes pushing the limits of what is physically and mentally possible: from skiers and snowboarders launching off sheer, towering jumps, to the terrifying twists and turns at break-neck speeds of the skeleton and the luge, to figure skaters performing intricate routines under immense pressure. These moments became powerful reminders of what human dedication and resilience can achieve.

In the majority of these disciplines, success is often dictated by the smallest of margins, by fractions of a second, by the tiniest of details. As such, the importance of meticulous preparation – often starting almost as soon as the previous Games conclude – cannot be understated. The concept of aggregation of marginal gains was frequently referred to: a philosophy whereby 1% improvements in numerous, small areas accumulate into significant, collective progress and success. Sir Dave Brailsford, former Performance Director of British Olympic Cycling, was instrumental in leading a period of huge success in the sport. He transformed British cycling during his tenure in terms of thinking, performance, and results, winning eight Gold medals over three Olympics, and masterminding Tour de France wins in 2012, 2013 and 2015. His philosophy of marginal gains came from the idea that if you break down everything that goes into riding a bike, and then improve each element by 1%, you will get a transformative increase when you put them all together.

The parallels in an educational setting are obvious. Our sensational Musician of the Year final before half term similarly showcased the concept of meticulous preparation, continual refinement and improvement in every area. For over 25 years, this has been the premiere platform to showcase the extraordinary musicianship that there is within the School. The standard of musicianship on display was higher than ever before with every performer combining both technical command with a striking level of musical insight. Selecting a winner from amongst seven exceptional and equally deserving finalists was never going to be easy but, by the narrowest of margins, Joseph Ryan was crowned this year’s Musician of the Year. Joseph’s ambitious performance of the fiendishly difficult first movement of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was praised for its beautiful lyricism, impressive technical control, and his self-possession at the piano. Joseph became the first ever performer to win this competition twice, and on two separate instruments.

It is not only in the co-curricular sphere, such as in music, where marginal gains come to the fore. Indeed, as our students facing public and internal examinations in the summer continue to make their preparations, they can all take inspiration from this mindset.

…powerful reminders of what human dedication and resilience can achieve. “ ”

Although the freezing temperatures of the Winter Olympics may not be the most obvious environment to talk of sweating the details, the analogy is undoubtedly as true for the athletes as it is for our students. Minor refinements in everything from focus in class, to note-taking, to accuracy of learning, to checking work, to revision techniques, to their working environment can have a significant and profound cumulative effect and allow our students to continue to raise the bar of achievement. So, as we move to a key stage of the school year, I urge us all to take inspiration from the dedication, courage and commitment of the Olympic athletes. With talented students who have undoubted potential, extraordinary efforts will undoubtedly produce richly deserved results.

Our Values INCLUSIVITY SCHOLARSHIP INTEGRITY

RESPECT COURAGE COLLABORATION

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.

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

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

Maintain a healthy pipeline and transition effectively to co-education, ensuring a positive experience for all students (current and future).

NOTICES

Registration

We continue to be grateful to you, as parents, for your support with registration. Keeping your sons safe and accounted for is always one of our highest priorities. We would ask for your support in the following aspects.

Please always copy in rgs-office@rgsg.co.uk, as well as your son’s Tutor, to any illness, medical/dental appointment or absence requests which are sent to relevant staff members.

In the event of illness, the School must be notified on every day of absence.

We will not authorise absence requests sent in via the student themselves. Communication must come from a parent/guardian.

Permission must be sought by the Headmaster for an absence lasting a whole day or more, with as much notice as possible.

Forthcoming Events

Monday 2 March

Online Examination Preparation Webinar by Katharine Radice for Sixth Form parents.

Tuesday 3 March

Upper Sixth Form A Level mock period concludes.

Wednesday 11 March

Second Form Parents’ and Options Evening in the Main Building.

Senior Piano Concert in the Recital Room.

Thursday 12 March

Friday timetable for all lessons and activities.

Click here to book tickets

GALLERY:

LATEST NEWS

CHEMISTRY

Over 100 schools in the UK gathered at Cambridge and Rugby for the seventh annual Chemistry Race. The RGS team, I think therefore ion, consisting of Matteo Varda (captain), Max Lerchster, Yuvan Raja, Dylan Wall, and Daniel Ward took first place in the UK with a remarkable total of 149 points! This is the first time we have won the Chemistry Race having previously came second in 2020 and eighth in 2024.

PHYSICS

In the Intermediate Physics Challenge, the RGS secured another excellent set of results, with 14 Gold, 9 Silver and 1 Bronze award. In particular, bearing in mind it was a competition aimed at Fifth Form students, Rajvir Mangat achieved a Gold and Nathan Aliasgar a Silver while both in the Fourth Form; Cameron Sibbald gained a Silver as a Third Form student.

After success in recent Olympiad competitions, Yuvan Raja has been selected for the Physics training camp and Ronit Sachdeva has been selected for the Astronomy and Astrophysics training camp. These are an opportunity for both students to be selected for the respective Great Britain teams which will compete in the international competitions.

MUSIC

Toby Beckingham was awarded first prize in the 17 years and under category in the Michael Hurd Composition Competition, part of the Petersfield Festival. Jonathan Willcocks, renowned conductor and composer, commented that this year had seen the “strongest field of composers in the competition’s history”. Toby’s category had the largest number of shortlisted candidates, which makes his success even more notable. Jonathan remarked on Toby’s excellent idiomatic writing in his evocative composition for viola and piano, which was titled Feuille d’Album

Ian Kim has been a member of the London Korean Youth Choir (LKYC) since 2024. After winning first place in the choir category at the Sutton Music Festival last year, the choir has been invited to compete in the Grand Final of the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition 2026, to be held in Birmingham.

SPORTS NEWS

CHESS

In the National Schools Chess Championship Regional Semi Final, a tough draw against the current national champions, Hampton School, unfortunately ended in defeat for our 1st VI. Ronit Sachdeva impressed securing a draw against one of the top school players in the country. Our 2nd VI then travelled to Kingston Grammar School to play their A team. can offer. It was a tight match throughout and ended up all hinging on Alex Hinton's second game. Alex managed to snatch a victory in a rollercoaster affair, on his chess team debut no less, securing the 6½ - 5½ win for the team. Will Quayle and Tom Quayle won both their games and Marco Goddard went undefeated on the night.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Our Under 12 and 13 teams competed in Highfield and Brookham’s annual crosscountry event. Our Under 12 team finished in first place with Seb StottFernandes securing second place and Will Knight third. At Under 13 level, Josh Bone came second overall, winning an individual medal, as the team narrowly missed out on third place.

HOCKEY

FENCING

In the South-East Region Foil Championships, Lucas Ngai finished as Silver medallist in the Under 16 Foil, while Harry Radforth and Jasper Hagger performed well. All three qualified for the British Youth Championships which takes place in May.

In the Tier 1 National Cup, the 1st XI secured an excellent 4 – 2 victory against Dean Close. In the final block fixture of the first half of term against Tonbridge School, unfortunately, the M25 closure resulted in a number of cancellations with coaches stuck on the gridlocked motorway. Of the games which did go ahead, the Under 16As won a hard-fought game 2 – 1, while the Under 14B and C teams also recorded victories. The junior teams played against King Edward’s School Southampton and there were a number of free-scoring performances including a 9 – 1 win for the Under 13Ds and the Under 13Es went one better with a 10 – 0 victory.

HONOURS CAP

The latest recipient of the prestigious First Team Honours Cap is Alex Jourdan having represented the RGS at first team level in the major sports of rugby, hockey and cricket, as well as proving to be such an inspiring role model for students throughout the School.