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FROM THE HEADMASTER

A traditional wristwatch on the face of it – quite literally – is simple: two or three hands working continually in an effortless way. Yet, behind this façade, even the most simple mechanical wristwatch will have anything between 100 to 200-plus bespoke, specialised working parts that are carefully crafted to fit together coherently and to work in perfect tandem. If one element, one aspect, is not functioning in unison, then failure quickly ensues. The same applies for us here at the RGS. We share a common purpose and we strive to work together in harmony, and yet each of us is an individual and invaluable for our own contribution.

And it is this individuality which is source of such pride for me. To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week, actor and autism champion Bradley Riches recently spoke passionately about his own personal experiences. As he mentioned: “Happiness isn’t about fitting in perfectly. It’s not about shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable. It’s about finding places, people, and passions where you don’t have to pretend. It’s about giving yourself permission to be exactly who you are and allowing others to do the same.” He went on to encourage students to “choose curiosity over judgement. If someone seems different, don’t label them. Learn from them. If you feel different, don’t hide it. Explore it. Because the world doesn’t need more people who fit in. It needs more people who are brave enough to stand out.” This message could not resonate more closely with the culture here at the RGS.

As the Lent Term draws to a close, we are all looking forward to a welldeserved break after a very busy few months. Reading through both The Bulletin and also the termly publication The Register, once again, I could not be more proud that we can celebrate successes in such varied areas of school life. Our students are extraordinarily talented and take real pride in their performance, irrespective of their interests and passions.

There have been so many highlights this term: the result of dedication, pride and unwavering commitment. On stage the wonderful joint musical Guys and Dolls and the junior drama production of Arabian Nights showcased the talents of a large cast in the performing arts which spanned all year groups. In music, there were a succession of high points; RGS Musician of the Year, the Ensembles Concert, the Choral and Orchestral St John Passion Concert at Christ Church and Chamber Choir Evensong at Winchester Cathedral, these all showcased the incredible musicality of our students. In sport, our fencers, swimmers and Under 15 rugby team have all earned national acclaim; our rugby 7s team also won silverware. Our sport for all philosophy has been very much in evidence as we have regularly put out over 20 hockey teams on a Saturday from the Under 12H and Under 13H teams all the way up to the 1st XI. Academically, our students have excelled in national competitions such as the science Olympiads and essay competitions, while our Upper Sixth Form have secured offers at the leading universities in the country on many of the most competitive courses. In art, charity, the co-curricular spheres,

each of us is an individual and invaluable for our own contribution. “ ”

volunteering, students equally have flourished. And there are so many more achievements I could mention.

I would like to congratulate each and every individual who has enjoyed their moment in the limelight: their achievements are rightly acknowledged and celebrated. Equally, however, I would like to acknowledge and thank all those who, behind the scenes, have selflessly made such a significant contribution: all those who go about their business with unerring dedication – the unsung cogs, springs and wheels of the RGS without whom none of us would tick.

So, as term finishes today, I would like, as always, to offer my sincere thanks to all the staff and governors who give of their time so generously and willingly to support and inspire the students; to you, the parents, who are supportive of the School in so many ways; and most of all to the students whose talent, commitment, and, indeed, good humour make this such a wonderful community of which to be a part.

I wish you and your families a very enjoyable, restful and relaxing Easter break.

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

NOTICES

Social Media

We encourage all parents to follow us on our official social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram. There are regular posts over the Easter holidays bringing you up-to-date news from the School, including photos from the various trips and expeditions.

If you have any photographs of RGS students in action in any capacity, please do always send them in to Mr Pressley on email at jwp@rgsg.co.uk.

Forthcoming events

Holiday Trips

Sixth Form Science Trip to Switzerland

Senior Classics Trip to Sicily

Junior French Trip to Normandy

Gold Qualifying DofE Expedition to Dolygaer Outdoor Centre

Tuesday 21 April

Trinity Term begins

LATEST NEWS

CHARITY

To celebrate the importance of individuality, creativity and vibrancy, this year’s Great RGS Bake-Off theme was Colour Explosion. There was a wonderful array of cakes on display for judges to rate on taste, decoration, originality and ‘wow’ factor. The cake titles ranged from Belly Jeans, Volcano of Colour, Colour In & Colour Out, Splat!, Four Quarters, Coral Reef, Marshmallow Mashup, Explosion in a Paint Factory, Starry Night and Art Attack. The winners were: First Form – Hans Brown (Rubik’s Cube); Second Form –Tom Alfredson (Green minus Red & Counting); Third Form – Shayaan Raza (M&M Candy Colour Explosion); Middle School – George Grant (Roots); Upper School – Oscar Gilliam (Beach Canvas).

Thank you to every single member of our community who has contributed to our diverse charitable initiatives with time and energy, money or support: food bank collections, volunteering, the Great RGS Bake-Off, the Stand-Up Comedy evening, to name but a few. Thanks to your generosity we have raised approximately £4,600 this term alone for our school-nominated charities.

CHEMISTRY

17,241 students from 1,153 schools took part in the Round 1 of the UK Chemistry Olympiad. The RGS managed to improve on last year’s outstanding results and achieved 12 Gold, 15 Silver, and 11 Bronze Awards. The following achieved Gold: Max Lerchster (top 0.3%), Yuvan Raja (top 0.6%), Matteo Varda (top 0.8%), Daniel Ward, Oscar Gilliam, Toby Jones, Daniel Hartmann, Jack Thomson, Zac Darcy, Eric Lee-Mather, James Clifford and Peter Hallas. Jack and Eric both achieved this rare distinction of a Gold award while in the Lower Sixth.

DRAMA: ARABIAN NIGHTS

The junior production of Arabian Nights was a vibrant celebration of storytelling, transporting the audience into a world of wonder, colour, and adventure. Led by Bertie Taylor’s formidable King Shahryar and Abhay Khanna’s persuasive Vizier, the cast delivered a fast-paced tapestry of tales supported by atmospheric music, lighting, and an imaginative, adaptable set. In addition, William Nicholson was memorable as the archetypal villainous Chief Thief. With over forty performers, the ensemble shone in standout scenes such as Ali Baba’s lively thieves, the Fisherman’s physical theatre, and the comedic chaos of the Little Beggar. The magical finale in Aladdin’s cave capped a humorous, energetic, and imaginative show that thoroughly enchanted its audience.

DRAMA: GUYS & DOLLS

The joint GHS/RGS production of Guys and Dolls delivered a joyous, high-energy evening, capturing the show’s irresistible blend of romance, humour, and swagger. The cast brought 1950s New York to life with sharp choreography, vibrant costumes, and an authentic sense of style. Standout numbers like Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat and Luck Be a Lady were performed with flair and confidence, and the RGS cast showed remarkable maturity and musicality in their performances. Oscar York played Nathan Detroit with skill and excellent comic timing, while Rex Morgan was charming and suave as Sky Masterson, skilfully capturing the character’s transformation from cynical, self-assured gambler to a sincere, emotionally honest man capable of love and sacrifice. Full of heart, energy and infectious fun, the production was a real hit!

LATEST NEWS

MUSIC

For the House Acoustic Guitar Competition, the adjudicator was Swedish classical guitarist Jonatan Bougt. With plenty of talent on show across the ages, the winners were as follows: Joseph Wooddisse in the Junior-Intermediate Class and Albert Adams in the Intermediate-Senior Class. In the House Brass Competition in the Intermediate Class, adjudicated by Fran Moore-Bridger, the winner was Theo Barker on the trumpet and in the Senior Archie Munro on trombone. Finally in the House Woodwind Competition, Tom Quayle won the Junior Class on alto saxophone, Zachary Patterson the Intermediate Class on tenor saxophone, and Oscar Ford the Senior Class on flute.

More than 120 students then took part in the Ensembles Concert at Holy Trinity Church. The appreciative audience was entertained by a wide range of music from Holst to Taylor Swift. Two of the many highlights included our own LSO (Lower School Orchestra) clearly enjoying their St Patrick’s Day performance of Lord of the Dance and Sixth Form students Milo Hyde, Ralph Moggs and Daniel Bristow singing moving solos with the Big Band. There were also impressive performances from the Lower Brass and Brass Ensembles, the Intermediate Wind Quintet and the debut of the Lower School Choir.

Finally, the performance of Bach’s St John Passion was an exceptional display of musical skill from students and staff, supported by Southern Pro Musica: of particular note, the ensemble’s remarkable precision and the ambition of staging such a complex work using almost entirely student soloists. RGS students shared the arias, with standout contributions from Ben Pilkington and Oscar Ford, Alex Pop’s resonant Christus, Old Guildfordian Alex Thow’s haunting countertenor, and Milo Hyde’s expressive Pilate. Additional tenors and basses strengthened the performance, while younger students performed confidently alongside seasoned Sixth Formers. The evening demonstrated the School’s deep musical culture and rich pool of talent.

PHYSICS

In the Senior Physics Challenge, a Lower Sixth Form competition, the RGS secured 14 awards including Gold for Steven Dimov, Stirling Gauld, Blake Lam and Aryan Sharma. Of note also were Rajvir Mangat gaining Silver although only in the Fourth Form and Toby Beckingham with Bronze as a Fifth Form student.

SPORTS NEWS

FENCING

We achieved our best-ever results in this year’s Public Schools’ Fencing Championships. Lucas Ngai was crowned the new Under 16 Foil champion and achieved silver in the épée. Cyrus Choi came sixth in the Under 14 épée and was presented with a plaque. Other notable results included Jasper Hagger coming 19th in the Under14 foil out of 106 fencers and Max Lerchster coming 22nd in the Under 18 épée out of 122 fencers.

SHOOTING

The RGS welcomed Epsom College and Bradfield College for a competitive three-way 10-Bull match. With strong individual performances across all three schools, the event produced close results, particularly in the overall standings where just three points separated first and second place. Our A Team delivered the standout performance of the day, topping their group with an excellent total of 369; Ayaan Bhagat led from the front with an outstanding 95. The B team match was tightly contested with the RGS securing second place; Benjamin Grimshaw top-scored with a strong 92.

RUGBY

Our Under 15s rugby team played in the Final of the National Schools Plate competition at Ealing Rugby Club against a talented, physical side from Sandbach School. In a highintensity, fully-committed game, the RGS went into the break 15 - 5 ahead in what was an absorbing first 30 minutes of tenacious, flowing rugby. The RGS battled valiantly but in the end lost 15 – 31. This was a great occasion for the School and, indeed, it was our first national rugby final for thirty years: a phenomenal achievement.

CHESS

BIATHLON

The RGS biathlon team travelled to the University of Bath for the 2026 Great British Schools Biathlon Championships. The team completed a run event followed by a separate swimming event. Points were calculated based on their time in each event and then combined for a total score. Our Second Form Team (Eli du Preez, Abhay Khanna and Ciaran Mackay) finished a fantastic third in the Year 8 team event. Particularly notable individual performances included seventh place for Marcus Cotonet in the Year 7 event, and sixth place for Eli du Preez in the Year 8 event.

Our 1st VI travelled to Croydon to take on Whitgift School. It was a dominant performance from the RGS securing a 5 – 1 win. Ronit Sachdeva, James Guo, Mike Amos and Sebastian Allam all recorded victories as did Arnav Nambiar on his first team debut.

SPORTS NEWS

HOCKEY

18 teams pitted their wits against local rivals Charterhouse School, as our Under 12 sides played KCS Wimbledon. An excellent 3 – 3 draw for the 1st XI set the tone for a series of tight matches, with the Under 16 and Under 14 teams achieving a clean sweep of victories – 7 games in total – and the Under 15A team recording an excellent 6 – 0 win. Game of the day came from our Under 12Es who secured a crowdpleasing 10 – 0 victory.

In the final block of term, 19 teams from the Under 12s through to the Under 16s played against Kingston Grammar School. In a fitting finale to the season, there were some close games. The Under 16Bs completed an unbeaten season with a 2 – 0 victory while the Under 14Cs won 4 – 0 to finish with a record of 8 wins and 1 draw from their nine matches.

Finally, in the Independent Schools’ Hockey Cup Plate quarter finals, the Under U13A team were lost 0 – 2 against KCS Wimbledon after an impressive run in this competition, while the Under 15As bowed out at the same stage beaten by Kingston Grammar School.