THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE SINCE 1880 I THE ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL
"Through the good offices of Mr. Knight and of Mr. A. W. Bullen (1879-1886), a set of School magazines, dated 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1885, has been presented to the School by Mr. W. H. H. Bryant (1880-1887). The early numbers bear the title of The Guldefordian but this has become The Guildfordian by Michaelmas, 1881."
OLD GUILDFORDIANS' ASSOCIATION
Rewind back to the 1960s and the concept of experiences for our students outside their local area was completely alien; school trips at the RGS were still very much in their infancy. Indeed, in 1967 the first-ever school rugby tour took place: not a sports tour to South Africa or Sri Lanka, but to the West Country! As the photo from our archives highlights, old-school minibuses were crammed brimful to the ceiling, including the packed luggage racks on top, and the students excitedly left the confines of Surrey with RGS GUILDFORD RFC proudly displayed on the dashboard. Despite the cramped travelling conditions and the long, at times tedious, journey by road, the excitement among the students was palpable. The trip, however, was far from being a spectacular success story as heavy snow and ice meant not a single ball was kicked, not a single fixture played. The RGS returned back to Guildford from Wales undefeated!
Fast-forward 60 years and the picture could hardly be more different. Students can now access the world at their finger-tips from their own devices and the RGS family has a genuinely global dimension: Dubai, Muscat, Nanjing, and Qatar, and our community is soon going to expand further as we open schools in India. There are now almost 5,000 students across the world studying in RGS schools, wearing RGS uniform, sharing the same values and ethos. It is a truly global family and network, without even thinking about our Old Guildfordian and extended community.
This edition of The Guildfordian only reinforces this global dimension and as I flick through the pages that follow I am, once again, amazed by how far the School has come since the 1960s. As always, I am struck not only by the sheer diversity of opportunities which our students have experienced but also by the very human stories that permeate each page. It could be a debut on the drama stage, a last-gasp winning try on the rugby pitch, a last-minute call-up for the chess team, or an unexpected victory in a House competition. The themes of excitement, solidarity, anticipation, reflection, success, failure: it is all these emotions, as well as the laughter and good humour, which stir memories and ensure that this is a year where RGS students will have enduring reminiscences which will continue to make a lasting impression for them.
I offer my sincere thanks to all those who have contributed to such a fulfilling and enjoyable year at the RGS: students, staff, parents and governors alike, both in the UK and across the globe. I would also like to express my genuine gratitude to Mrs Webb who has produced such an inspiring and varied edition of The Guildfordian; I very much hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.
Dr JM Cox, Headmaster
We remain loyal to our founding principles to educate bright local students, irrespective of background or financial circumstances, and we inherently believe in establishing a culture of diversity and acceptance, and in educating our students in a welcoming, tolerant community where each individual is valued and enjoys a deep sense of belonging.
We encourage the growth of intellectual curiosity, independence, creativity, innovation and habits of learning within a scholarly community through inspirational subject specialists who provoke and stretch the students’ minds and inculcate a lifelong love of learning.
We promote the development of self-discipline and responsibility, spirituality and a personal moral code, and cultivate an ethos where enduring qualities of decency, honesty, courtesy, humility and good humour are celebrated.
We nurture an atmosphere of mutual respect between all members of our community, and foster self-respect and self-esteem in terms of physical health, emotional maturity and personal well-being, while establishing lasting friendships in a positive, happy environment.
We develop leadership, teamwork, resilience and life skills through a diverse range of activities where all students, regardless of their talents and attributes, are encouraged to challenge themselves, take appropriate risks and work hard to fulfil their potential.
We work closely with others for mutual enrichment, and encourage a spirit of generosity and service, a sense of perspective, and a firm belief that we can work in partnership with others, locally and internationally, to make a difference and have a positive impact on society.
Sarah Hack Groundsperson
Where did you go to college or university?
Merrist Wood College.
What would the title of your autobiography be? Hacking Around .
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
I was interviewed for a article in the GMA magazine and on the front cover of a magazine for women working with sports turf.
What book or film have you recently read/seen?
Arsène Wenger autobiography. Very interesting read.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
I would go back and see loved ones again who have passed away.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
'Don't give up. Keep going'.
Alexander Lake Teacher of Physics
Where did you go to college or university?
I studied Engineering at University of Bristol and my Masters at University of Surrey.
What would the title of your autobiography be? Dragged to Greatness (see Q3).
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Winning a parkrun, thanks largely to my very enthusiastic canicross dog dragging me to glory.
What book or film have you recently read/seen and why would you recommend it?
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland is a really easy read and a brilliant antidote to myopic thinking.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
The 90's were pretty good: Britpop, yoyo's, dial up internet and... baggy jeans - where did those go?
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
'Do what you love, and you’ll go further than you expected'.
Fiona Little IT Data Manager
Where did you go to college or university? Bristol.
What would the title of your autobiography be? The Pygmalion Paradox - not sure why, it sounds intriguing and possibly rather intellectual (now to think of the back story!)
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Met Lady Diana Delamere of White Mischief/Happy Valley fame... still impossibly glamorous in her 70s, managed to resist asking if Jock actually did it or not!
What book or film have you recently read/seen?
So Long, See You Tomorrow - William Maxwell. Painfully poignant exploration of coming of age; family loves and losses; betrayal and nostalgia set in 1920's Lincoln, Illinois.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
1920s - but only if I could be a flapper girl!
What is the best advice you have ever heard? 'Don't sweat the small stuff'.
Joanna Medlicott Teacher of Mathematics
Where did you go to college or university?
Aberystwyth University.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Jo of All Trades, Master of Some.
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Having products with my illustrations on sold at RHS Wisley.
What book or film have you recently read/seen?
The Eights by Joanna Miller. I used to live in Oxford, and this book is a great blend of historical events in the 20s and taking a trip down memory lane.
Alastair Morrison Managing Director - RGSGI
Where did you go to college or university?
University of Cambridge and School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Happy Times Around the World.
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Appearing on local TV in Colombia talking about my experiences there as a tourist.
What book or film have you recently read/seen?
The Golden Road by William Dalrymple - a readable and inspiring overview of ancient India's influence on the world.
Sophie Tolley PA to Director of Finance and Ops and Governors
Where did you go to college or university?
I studied Biomedical Science at University of Surrey.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Ctrl+Z not available.
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Not yet experienced!
What book or film have you recently read/seen?
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Lots of science and very witty.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
VE day in 1945, I'm sure it must have been an emotional and exciting day.
What is the best advice you have ever heard? 'Take every opportunity'.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
Around 3000 BC to see Stonehenge and the ancient landscape of England.
What is the best advice you have ever heard? 'With our mind we make the world'.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
August 2020 - summer evenings outside with close friends after lockdown. Simple moments that felt special.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
'Act confident even if you're not. Most people can't tell the difference, and eventually neither will you'.
Becky Whitham Director of Finance and Operations
Where did you go to college or university?
UCL for a BSc in Science Communication and Policy, and then an MBA with the Open University.
What would the title of your autobiography be? A Great Day Starts With Coffee.
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Being interviewed by Dame Vivienne Parry about the role played by Universities during the height of the pandemic, a great experience albeit at a difficult time.
What book or film have you recently read/seen?
Presumably Celebrity Traitors doesn't quite fit the bill? My last read was Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, which was warm, funny and thought-provoking.
Billy Worsfold Groundsperson
Where did you go to college or university? Weald School.
What would the title of your autobiography be? Silly Billy.
What is your 15 minutes of fame?
Boom boy at England vs Australia legends game.
What book or film have you recently read/seen? Snatch (film).
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why?
I think I'd travel Back to the Future-style to the 1960s to experience the music and fashion!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
'You can do anything, but not everything. Whatever you do, remember a charger'.
If you could go back to any moment in time, when would it be and why? Revisit loved ones.
What is the best advice you have ever heard? 'Do what makes you happy'.
The following articles give a flavour of some of the collaboration over the last year between RGS Guildford’s global family of schools. Particular highlights included Mr Dunscombe visiting RGSG Dubai and talking to students and parents about universities and careers, discussing the transferable skills that would support future career or university plans. We also celebrated the five-year anniversary of RGS Guildford Nanjing through a series of performances from current students, as well as speeches on their experiences at the school. Back in the UK, Junior students from RGS Guildford and RGS Guildford Dubai enjoyed opportunities for cross-cultural learning by competing together in the Joint 200 Seconds Competition, celebrating ideas, voice and confidence. The exchange of knowledge and ideas throughout these activities is testimony to the commitment of our international community to living the values of the RGS.
Dr AJ Morrison, Managing Director, RGSGI
When asked by RSGS Dubai to visit their school to work collaboratively to develop a comprehensive programme for Careers and Higher Education provision in Dubai I was keen to share the expertise and knowledge that our students enjoy in Guildford.
During the visit students in Years 7, 8 and 9 were presented with information which focused on the schools’ shared values and learning habits and how these should be embraced and leveraged to build a portfolio of transferable skills that will support any future career or university plans. There was also an opportunity for me to engage in some valuable and insightful one to one meetings with students to discuss their individual plans and aspirations.
A highlight of the trip was the opportunity to give a presentation to parents about how the programme of careers support and guidance at RGS Guildford is rolled out to parents throughout the students’ time at the School, helping them gain places at the very top universities including Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Imperial (all in the global top ten) or to secure offers on highly-competitive degree apprenticeship programmes.
One key strand of RGS Guildford’s Careers and Higher Education programme is the idea of 'Scholarship for All', a theme that was further explored in a podcast with Matthew Pearce (Principal of RGSG Dubai) and Kate Salisbury (Careers Lead at RGSG Dubai).
Ms Salisbury and myself looked at further opportunities to collaborate and discussed in more detail RGSGD's ambitious plans for project R.O.S.E - Russell Group, Oxbridge, Scholarship and Employability - a project which was recently launched in Dubai.
The visit showed how closely aligned the schools are in our ambition for all our students and how valuable this continued hands-on collaboration will be in the coming years. It is exciting to see how the ongoing discussions and plans develop between the schools. Plans are also underway to ensure RGS Guildford shares this knowledge with other schools in the RGS Guildford family to further develop these programmes for the benefit of all of our students.
This is just one example of the genuine collaboration and sharing of best practice that goes on between all schools in the RGS Guildford family.
Mr PJ Dunscombe, Director of Careers and Higher Education
RGS Guildford Welcomes Students from RGS Guildford Dubai
RGS Guildford was delighted to welcome students and staff from RGS Guildford Dubai in April for a full and enriching programme of academic, cultural, and co-curricular activities. The visit offered students from both schools the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and share in the spirit of the wider RGS community.
The week began with a welcome tour and an engaging history session focused on the town of Guildford. This introduction provided valuable context and helped set the tone for the days ahead. A visit to the school’s historic Chained Library followed, where Headmaster Dr Cox introduced students to the remarkable collection of rare texts. The session sparked thoughtful discussion about the history of learning and the legacy of education at RGS.
A particular highlight was the first-ever Joint 200 Seconds Competition between the two schools. Junior students from RGS Guildford and RGS Guildford Dubai gave timed presentations on the theme ‘Iconic’. Their delivery was poised, passionate, and articulate - impressive qualities for some of the youngest members of the Senior School community. The competition was a celebration of ideas, voice, and confidence, and highlighted the strong culture of oracy within both schools.
The academic schedule continued with a lively Shakespeare Workshop, encouraging creative interpretation and performance, followed by an engaging science experiment, where students worked collaboratively to investigate scientific principles in a practical setting. These sessions reinforced the shared emphasis on curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning.
The visitors also explored the town through a treasure hunt, which offered a fun and interactive way to engage with Guildford’s landmarks and history. The week concluded with a joint sports afternoon alongside students from RGS Prep, promoting teamwork, energy, and shared enjoyment.
The visit was a truly memorable experience, celebrating the close ties between RGS Guildford and RGS Guildford Dubai. We look forward to continuing to grow this international partnership in the years ahead.
RGS Guildford was delighted to host students from its sister school, RGSG Nanjing, for a week-long visit that celebrated cultural exchange and academic collaboration. This visit provided a valuable opportunity for students and staff to engage in meaningful interactions, fostering a spirit of global learning and friendship.
The visiting students were warmly welcomed into the homes of RGS Guildford families, giving them the chance to experience British life through a homestay programme. This initiative not only helped the students immerse themselves in a new culture but also created lasting friendships between families and students from both schools.
Throughout the week, the RGSG Nanjing students took part in lessons alongside their peers at RGS Guildford, engaging with both Senior and Prep students. This allowed them to experience the British education system first-hand, share perspectives on learning, and develop new skills in a collaborative setting. They also attended talks with the Headmaster, Dr Cox, and the Head of RGS Prep, Mr Freeman-Day who discussed the shared values and educational ethos that unite the two schools.
Beyond the classroom, the students explored the historic town of Guildford and learned about the rich heritage of RGS Guildford as the founding school of the international RGS family. They also spent time with the youngest students, reading stories and playing games, fostering a sense of community across all age groups. Additionally, the visiting students led assemblies, where they shared insights into life in Nanjing, providing their British counterparts with a fascinating glimpse into their culture and daily experiences.
This visit was far more than just an academic exchange; it was a testament to the strong partnership between RGSG Nanjing and RGS Guildford. Through these visits and other joint initiatives, the collaboration between the two schools continues to flourish, reinforcing their commitment to global education. As the visit came to an end, it was clear that the friendships, experiences, and learning gained over the week would leave a lasting impression on all involved, and we look forward to future collaborative events.
Miss R Golding, Executive Assistant, RGSGI
Members of the RGS Guildford International team, accompanied by Headmaster Dr Cox, were invited to RGSG Nanjing to celebrate their Five-Year Anniversary. The trip included a full and exciting itinerary, with activities reflecting the continued collaboration and shared values between the two schools.
During the visit, the team took part in a range of school-based engagements. These include a Quality Assurance Review (QAR), a comprehensive tour of the school, and lesson observations across all year groups. The delegation also held meetings with the Senior Leadership Team, engaged in pastoral discussions, and participated in House activities, giving them a broad insight into the academic and pastoral life at RGSG Nanjing.
The most notable event of the visit was the celebration of RGSG Nanjing’s Five-Year Anniversary. Marking this important milestone, a formal event was held in the school, during which both Dr Cox and the Head of Gemdale - RGS Guildford’s partner organisation in China - delivered speeches.
The anniversary event featured an impressive array of student performances that showcased the diverse talents of the RGSG Nanjing students. The audience was treated to a rich programme that included traditional dance routines, powerful musical performances, and engaging speeches from students reflecting on their experiences at the school. These performances not only entertained but also celebrated the cultural blend and educational ethos that define RGSG Nanjing.
The celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on the significant progress made since the school's founding, and to recognise the dedication of the staff, students, and wider community who have contributed to its development.
The RGS Guildford team expressed their appreciation to Mr Yang, Principal of RGSG Nanjing, as well as to the entire school community, for their warm reception and generous hospitality throughout the visit. The trip serves to further strengthen the strong bond between the schools and to celebrate the shared vision for excellence in education.
Mr MRF Royds, International Education Director
I learnt to push myself out of my comfort zone and meet a new set of people.
CRABBE - NEPAL (2023)
1 Why did you decide to join this expedition to Nepal? What were you hoping to get out of it?
I've experienced travelling with my parents so thought it was a great opportunity to travel without them as part of a school group to gain some independence.
2 What do you think you have learnt from your trip? Traditional Nepalese culture. I learnt to push myself out of my comfort zone and meet a new set of people.
3 What was the most challenging aspect of this experience?
Travelling with people I didn't know probably
4 Can you tell us about your favourite memory from the trip?
Sleeping above a yak. Meeting all the Nepalese students and spending time with them.
At the RGS, we are proud of our charitable international links. We believe that these special connections contribute to promote our values of respect and inclusivity, specifically of those from different cultures, whilst at the same time having a life-long impact for all who take part by widening horizons and understanding.
Over the past two years, we have successfully organised two international expeditions, to Nepal and Cambodia, in 2023 and 2024 respectively. A group of RGS and Tormead students travelled to these overseas countries for a few weeks, in what has been for them a once in a lifetime experience.
Our students had the invaluable opportunity to explore the culture and landscape of a new country, to learn more about the life and culture.
After a yearlong preparation, with the expert guidance of a qualified guide and accompanying teachers, our students had the invaluable opportunity to explore the culture and landscape of a new country, to learn more about the life and culture there, and to contribute meaningfully to charitable projects in local rural communities. For example, our students were able to help teaching in local schools and to assist with the repairs of roads and buildings, leaving behind a tangible contribution, whilst gaining a better awareness of a different culture. It is particularly interesting to hear our students’ testimonials on their experience.
Dr G Fanti-Byrne, Teacher of Classics
1 Favourite memory from the trip?
My favourite memory has to be going to the Night Market in Phnom Penh. We all had pad Thai, and it was absolutely delicious! We also had the opportunity to walk around the shops there, and buy souvenirs.
2 What did you find most challenging?
When we were in the jungle, we were constantly walking through water. This meant that my shoes and socks were constantly soaked for three days. The leeches in the water were also quite surprising to find attached to your ankle!
1 Can you tell us about your favourite memory from the trip?
For me, I missed the sort of "comfort" activities I was used to at home so the surprise of being able to play a big match of football against the local school was such a highlight for me, I didn't stop smiling even at the colossal loss we conceded in goals. Other highlights included staying up and chatting to some of the lads and girls I didn't know before the trip and getting to know them was a pleasure and I'm so pleased we could as they have now become some of my best friends. Also, the trip to the genocide museum, although to some degree harrowing was very interesting and I'm glad we saw it in the first days as it gave the trip an important context. Teaching the kids to play football, trying rolled ice cream, enjoying countless rice-based dishes, and belting out Unwritten on various modes of transport including buses, tractors, and even small boats was a lot of fun and every time I hear that song I think of the trip with fond memories.
2 What do you think you have learnt from your trip?
Many things, in short. I've learnt how to work efficiently and effectively in a team of people with very distinct skill sets and leading a team on two of the 18 days was challenging but a lovely opportunity to learn how to manage these skills to carry out what we had to do that day in the most efficient way. I learnt famously (for the group) how to haggle a price down and ask for group rates on meals and activities. This was a skill I'd never had to learn before.
1 Why did you decide to join this expedition to Cambodia?
I signed up for the expedition as I wanted to experience a different culture and learn more about the country's history. I saw it as a great opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone, meet new people, and gain a better understanding of life elsewhere.
2 What do you think you have learnt from your trip?
During the volunteering part of the expedition, we gained valuable experience in working with children. It was particularly challenging due to the language barrier, which made it an even more enriching part of the trip.
Yuvan Raja attained full marks in the Senior Maths Challenge, with Ronit Sachdeva and Yann Rudman scoring 117 and 111 out of 125 respectively. The British Maths Olympiad Round 1 often has a modal score nationally of 0. Despite this, Yuvan Raja scored 43 and received qualification to the fiendish BMO2!
Jack Thomson was the top scoring Fifth Former in Intermediate Maths Challenge qualifying for the Intermediate Olympiad, with two Fourth Form and one Third Form student also qualifying. James Kelynack’s score of 129 placed him as best in school. Nearly half the cohort achieved a Gold certificate in this challenge.
Students attended sessions learning about regression models, binary classification, data visualisation and machine learning. Students then wrote Python code to analyse various real-life data sets.
During the Michaelmas Term, the Department put on sessions for primary school children covering Coding, Fibonacci Numbers, Probability and Number systems. It was great to see so many young minds doing Mathematics purely for their own enjoyment, and particularly to have a split of 25 girls and 25 boys.
In the Ramanujan club, students enjoyed playing the mental maths game called Maths 24 and the card game More or Less. During the Noether Club students enjoyed the challenge of unseen topics beyond the specification without a calculator. Lastly, during the Turing Club students applied the sandwich theorem in a multitude of scenarios.
Yuvan Raja attained full marks in the Senior Maths Challenge.
Masterclasses
Maths Primary Project
What could go wrong if you tried to build a large stone pyramid? What are Sophie Germain primes and why are they important? Why is Euclid’s method for finding the highest common factor still relevant thousands of years after his death?
We have seen another successful year for the Department.
The Maths Primary Project is a collaboration between the RGS and Holy Trinity Pewley Down School and other local primary schools. These sessions mainly focussed on improving their arithmetic skills. We used Field Days 1 and 2 to prepare for the Lent Term, which saw presentations by our students to stretch and challenge the most able boys in Years 5 and 6. During the Trinity Term, we presented on a range of topics, from Egyptian Mathematics to the Euclidean Algorithm.
King’s Maths Project
Six Sixth Form students continued this enrichment project working with a small group of Year 9 students from King’s College each Monday, preparing and teaching sessions on GCSE and extension topics. One Year 9 student said "The Sixth Formers are really friendly and know so much about maths."
General Studies
Ben Sparks spoke to the Lower Sixth in the Trinity Term during General Studies, debating whether Mathematics is Invented or Discovered and the origins of the Mandelbrot Set. Rob Eastaway also visited the school in the Trinity Term to discuss the Maths of Shakespeare (Much Ado About Numbers). Students learned about concepts ranging from what was studied at university during Shakespeare's time to what a day of school would look like for Shakespeare.
Mr SG Black, Head of Mathematics
World Book Week 2025 kicked off with a visit from author Bali Rai who delivered assemblies and workshops on his book Hardit Singh Malik: World War One Flying Ace which was one of our Book Week recommended novels. The Economics Department hosted their book club on Soccernomics where Sixth Form students discussed the application of economic theory to their favourite sport. The Art Department hosted illustrator Chie Kutsuwada of The Tokyo Ghost Cafe, and it was wonderful to see this collaboration between English and Art. We were also fortunate to host poet Karl Nova once more, who inspired Second Form students to produce wonderful poetry! The week culminated with our Inter-House Reading Quiz featuring questions on each of the World Book Week titles.
The English Department hosted no fewer than six visiting academics this year! In October we welcomed Dr Jessica Chiba, Assistant Professor at the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, to deliver a highly engaging lecture on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet
The English Department hosted no fewer than six visiting academics this year!
We held our joint inaugural dinner with Tormead in October for A Level students where Dr Harry McCarthy from the University of Exeter delivered a highly engaging post-dinner lecture. In December Professor Claire Harman from Durham University worked with the Fifth Form throughout the day on their GCSE 19th Century texts. Later in December we hosted a joint lecture evening with Tormead titled Studying English at A Level and Beyond at which Professor John Mullan from University College London spoke about the interplay of historic and contemporary literature. Finally, we celebrated LGBT+ History Month in February with visits from two distinguished speakers: Dr Will Tosh and Peter Parker, both of whose recent books chart queer experiences in the respective eras they cover.
The Department continues to enrich students’ enjoyment and understanding of English beyond the classroom via trips. The Third Form visited the Globe Theatre in London to see Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and A Level students saw Twelfth Night at Stratford Upon Avon. Sixth Formers visited Mary Shelley’s House in Bath to support their study of Frankenstein and saw a production of Lonely Londoners at the Kiln Theatre in London. We hosted a joint Booker Prize shadowing event with Tormead Sixth Form where students worked collaboratively to read one novel from the Shortlist and deliver a presentation.
The Department continues to enrich students’ enjoyment and understanding of English beyond the classroom via trips.
Our school’s student newspaper The 1509 led by the English Department continues to produce thought-provoking articles. In May The 1509 editors attended a talk at the British Library with author Jason Reynolds about his novel Twenty Four Seconds From Now which covered topics such as masculinity, teenage relationships and positive role models. Our Junior Debate and Senior Debate clubs continue to be popular among students. The Senior Debate team hosted Round One of the English-Speaking Union Regional Debate Competition in Big School, which saw RGS success and entry to Round 2!
I would like to thank all members of the English Department for their hard work organising and running these events, and for the continued commitment and dedication they show to our students.
Ms TT Wijesinghe, Head of English
This academic year has been an outstanding one for the Biology Department, with both curricular and extracurricular activities flourishing across all year groups. Our students have demonstrated exceptional academic strength, curiosity, and engagement with the subject, and teachers have continued to deliver rich, diverse, and inspiring learning opportunities.
A particular highlight was our students’ outstanding success in national competitions. In the UK Biology Olympiad, aimed at the most able Sixth Form biologists across the country, our students achieved 10 Gold, 11 Silver, and 6 Bronze Medals. With 59% of our students who sat the exam gaining a medal, this is a significant accomplishment. Gold medals were awarded to the top 5% of entrants nationally - no small feat given that 18,533 students from 1,053 schools took part this year.
Outstanding success in national competitions. In the UK Biology Olympiad, aimed at the most able Sixth Form biologists across the country, our students achieved 10 Gold, 11 Silver, and 6 Bronze Medals.
Our Fourth Form students also impressed in the UK Biology Challenge, a prestigious competition designed to stimulate interest in the natural world. The Challenge included two timed quizzes filled with questions drawing from both taught content and wider biological knowledge. Our students performed exceptionally well, with 37 Gold, 41 Silver, and 45 Bronze medals awarded - 83% of the cohort gained a medal overall. To place these results in context, 42,000 students participated nationally, with medals awarded only to the top-performing students (top 5% for Gold, next 10% for Silver, and next 15% for Bronze).
In addition to academic competitions, offered a comprehensive programme of enrichment opportunities. During Reading Week, Mr Burns gave a fascinating talk on Incredible Journeys by David Barrie, exploring the remarkable navigational abilities of animals and how these are understood through biological research. This encouraged students to consider biological systems in an ecological and behavioural context.
Fourth Form students also took part in a Medical Mavericks workshop, an engaging and hands-on event that helped link their understanding of human physiology with real-world medical practices and careers.
Clubs and extracurricular sessions have continued to thrive. Mr Chamberlain led a bi-weekly Dissection Club, offering students the chance to explore comparative anatomy by examining the internal systems of organisms including a turtle, sea cucumber, and blue crabs. These sessions sparked excellent discussions around evolution, adaptation, and organ function.
In the Sixth Form, Mrs Battersby provided advanced practical experiences including a CRISPR gene-editing simulation, brain dissection, and an ELISA practical, giving students valuable insights into molecular biology, neuroscience, and biomedical diagnostics - many of which are directly relevant to university-level study and careers in biological sciences.
We were also pleased to welcome external speaker Niall Ferguson, who delivered a thought-provoking talk on astrobiology to the Fifth Form, inviting students to consider the biological requirements for life and whether it might exist elsewhere in the universe.
In addition to academic competitions, the Department provided a rich programme of enrichment opportunities.
This has been an exciting and intellectually rich year for the Biology Department. Our students have achieved national recognition, developed their practical skills, and engaged with complex biological questions that extend far beyond the classroom. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.
Mr S Burns, Head of Biology
RGS chemists have once again achieved outstanding academic successes. 16,216 students from 1,502 schools took part in the Round 1 of the UK Chemistry Olympiad. We won 11 Gold, 10 Silver, and 17 Bronze awards. Yuvan Raja, Alex Mann, and Joel Sellers were in the top 1% of all the candidates in the country! Oscar Gilliam, Ronit Sachdeva, and Matteo Varda also won Gold awards despite taking the test a year early in the Lower Sixth.
The Fourth Formers participated in the RSC Chemistry Challenge, and we entered a record of eleven teams. The top team consisted of Devansh Panda (Captain), Mo Ben-Othman, Ayush Rao, and Aarav Vaish progressed to the regional final at Kingston University. Devansh wrote “After winning the internal preliminary round, against some strong RGS competition, the team advanced to the regional final to compete against seven other schools. The event featured both challenging and exciting rounds to test our chemistry skills and understanding. A general, chemistry knowledge multiple-choice quiz, and a practical experiment to discover the identity of different compounds, was followed by an information retainment task, and a logical reasoning round involving analysing materials (such as British pennies)! After the challenge, we enjoyed a fascinating tour of Kingston University’s impressive scientific facilities, visiting research sites and university-level labs. The team finished the day with securing a solid fifth position overall.”
The Chemistry Race was held at the University of Cambridge on 1 February. The competition for places was fierce and schools from all over the country took part. Each team had to race through a series of progressively more challenging problems during the two-hour limit. The RGS team, ReAl GeNiUS SOLuTiONS consisted of Alexander Mann, Joel Sellers, Sam Thevenon, Matteo Varda, and Daniel Ward. We came 14th out of 60 teams at Cambridge.
UK Chemistry Olympiad Gold Award Winners RSC Challenge
Cambridge Chemistry Race 2025
Yuvan Raja, Alex Mann, and Joel Sellers were in the top 1% of all the candidates in the country! Oscar Gilliam, Ronit Sachdeva, and Matteo Varda also won Gold awards despite taking the test a year early in the Lower Sixth.
The Department had amazing successes with Oxbridge applications with all three Upper Sixth students applying to study Chemistry at Oxford winning places! It is a real delight that Alex Mann will be studying the same subject and at the same college (Balliol) as his grandfather! Joel Sellers will be studying at Keble and Ollie James at Somerville.
Cambridge Chemistry Challenge RG and AU winners
Dylan Fuller
Lower Sixth chemists
Luca Benge
Max Lerchster working in Imperial College
The final major competition of the year was the much-anticipated Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. This is the most demanding chemistry exam designed for the Lower Sixth and 14,744 students took part in the UK. Yuvan Raja won the top Roentgenium award with his incredible score of 63/65. His score of 97% is the joint highest in RGS history with only Alex Thow previously achieving the same score in 2020! Matteo Varda’s remarkable score of 50/65 just missed the Roentgenium award by two marks and he had to settle for “just” a top Gold. In total, we won 1 Roentgenium, 9 Gold, 10 Silver, and five Copper awards. Congratulations to Max Lerchster, Daniel Ward, Oscar Gilliam, Zac Darcy, and Toby Jones for their high scores.
It gives me great pressure to report on some of the outstanding successes of Old Guildfordian chemists. Salvatore Nigrelli was awarded the Gordon-Wigan Prize at Cambridge, achieved a 'Double First', and will be continuing his research at Oxford. Luke Wyllie was the Rugby Blues Captain at Oxford and still managed to find time for his studies to graduate with First Class Honours. Janek Czarnek was elected President of the JCR at Magdalene and came top 10 in his First Year exams at Oxford. Rufus Frew took a First from Bath and has just been awarded his PhD from Leicester. Undoubtedly there are many more successes that I am not aware of. The RGS can be very proud of being the training ground for the great chemists of tomorrow.
Mr WS Lau, Head of Chemistry
The Department had amazing successes with Oxbridge applications with all three Upper Sixth students applying to study Chemistry at Oxford winning places!
Would it be exciting to carry out scientific research that no one has done before? You can if you participate in ORIS during the summer holiday of the Lower Sixth Form. ORIS, an RGS initiative, is an acronym for Original Research in Science. Students need to complete a minimum of two weeks of original research in any area of Science at a university or in industry to qualify.
The students have demonstrated extraordinary scholarship and held their own against much more experienced researchers.
This year, 21 Sixth Form students have carried out ORIS projects. The work was carried out in a number of universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Scuola Normale of Pisa, Imperial, UCL, KCL, Surrey, Bath, Bristol, Southampton, Kingston, Portsmouth, and City St George’s. The breadth of research was very impressive and spanned the whole of science. Topics studied include Neurology, Electrochemical Zinc Recovery, Organometallic Chemistry, Computer Science, More Computer Science, Maritime And Aeronautic Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacology, Robotics, Bumblebees, and Applied Mathematics. Mr WS Lau, Head of Chemistry
The students have demonstrated extraordinary scholarship and held their own against much more experienced researchers. A selection of the extremely positive feedback we have received from the research institutions are shown below:
“The chemistry we do is quite advanced, even our undergraduate students don't practice it until their final year of studies. Max picked up very quickly on everything. In the end he even obtained a new compound.”
Dr Marina Uzelac, University of Bath
“I would have never guessed he is a high schooler if I was to judge just by his research and lab interactions.”
Dr Kamil Jaron, Welcome Sanger Research Institute, Cambridge
“Zaki has shown the ability to absorb complex technical information and relay it back to experienced engineers in a simple way. He has been embedded within the team daily, and has been able to communicate effectively, articulate any challenges he has faced and clarify when uncertain about information he has received.” Helen Hastilow and Tendai Kachale, Rolls Royce
“Matteo collaborated well with post-doctoral researchers and fit in easily with the rest of the group. His results are expected to contribute to an upcoming publication.”
Professor Chiara Cappelli, Scuola Normale of Pisa
“Overall, I believe Sebastian has shown high potential for further academic development in science and research.”
Dr Mohammad Sooratis, University of Southampton
“Ritam is a highly enthusiastic and independent student, exhibiting all the signs of a very exceptional researcher. He is exceptionally smart, hard-working and capable of going both deep in a specific subject thinking about the broader picture. He is capable of exploring quite diverse areas of science and understanding how to combine ideas from all. He is highly independent, proactive and an excellent communicator.”
Dr Nikos Nikolaou, UCL
“His support with the towing tank research work was particularly valued as that lasted over a week (off and on the carriage) and finding intelligent, engaged and tenacious contributors to that, as supplied by Toby, is usually in short supply!”
Prof Alan Murphy OG, University of Southampton
X-ray diffraction apparatus
The structure of a new manganese complex synthesised by Max Lerchster and coworkers
Boldrewood towing tank Schlenk line Matteo Varda
Daniel Hartmann using a glove box
Daniel Ward working in an ultra clean theatre
The highlight of the year in the Classics Department was undoubtedly the trip to Italy. Seven staff and 60 students flew to Naples to explore the ancient sites around the Bay of Naples. We visited the beautifully preserved Villa Poppaea at Oplontis, trekked up Mount Vesuvius, and toured both Herculaneum and Pompeii. In Naples the archaeological museum immersed us in the world of the Romans, while the tour of the Naples underground complex offered a fascinating glimpse into the city’s layered past. The students also enjoyed an evening of pizza making and a visit to the beautiful island of Capri which was resplendent in the Spring sunshine.
In the Lent Term the Department took forty students to watch an excellent performance of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King at the Old Vic theatre in London. The production was outstanding and it is great to see Classical Greek literature brought to life in a modern setting.
House in Pompeii
The theatre at Pompeii
Entering the underground tunnels in Napoli Enjoying Pompeii!
On Vesuvius
Pizza making
The highlight of the year in the Classics Department was undoubtedly the trip to Italy.
The Classics Society hosted several lectures, with both external speakers and RGS students speaking on a fascinating range of subjects. Highlights include Alex Hinton’s passionate talk on Alexander the Great, Will Gossage’s talk on ancient religion and mystery cults and Angus Scott’s fascinating take on the Story of Hercules and Cacus as a piece of anti-Augustan propaganda. My thanks go to Dr G Fanti-Byrne for running the Senior Classics Society and organising these lectures. We also took part in the Guildford Classical Association Latin and Greek reading competition as well as the St Catherine’s School Classics Symposium. The enthusiasm, knowledge and expertise of the students at such events is great to see.
My thanks go to Mr Nathan who joined forces with the MFL Department to coach the students for the Linguistics Olympiad. Junior and Senior students took part and enjoyed the weekly sessions and a number of students entered the competition at the end of the year.
The Classics Department has continued our links with Kings College School. We provide weekly Latin lessons to their Year 7 and Year 8 students and this year we organised a Classics Masterclass in RGS for a group of Kings College students in which they learnt about Julius Caesar, mythology and entertainment in the ancient world.
My thanks go to both staff and students for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout the year, both in and out of the classroom.
The enthusiasm, knowledge and expertise of the students at such events is great to see.
School continues to perform well in academic competitions in Computer Science.
I think what attracted me most to GCSE Computer Science was the chance to learn how to apply logical and structured thinking to create programmes with real world applications. What's more, the world we live in becomes increasingly more technology oriented by day and I really believe that having an understanding on a fundamental level will be invaluable in the future.
GCSE Computer Science covers a wide range of topics, many of which I was eager to learn about in more depth, and this is exactly what the A Level course allows. In particular, I wanted to learn how to write programmes to work in more complex situations using databases and web servers. Initially I was very enthusiastic to undertake the coursework component, which means that I can have experience of working on a large scale project which will end up solving a real world issue.
I've decided to pursue Computer Science at university because I really enjoyed the logical thinking behind the subject, while also appreciating the practical applications it provides. Computer Science is also becoming more essential as society begins to rely on AI more and more.
Excerts from RGSG Student Subject Interviews for International Schools
The British Informatics Olympiad this year attracted eight entries from Sixth Form with some very good performances. Yuvan Raja (L6-9) scored 77 out of 100 and just missed out on the Informatics Training camp at Trinity College which he attended last year. Other notable scores include James Fenwick (U6-2, 38), Ronit Sachdeva (L6-9, 35) and Archie Draper (L-63, 34).
The British Algorithmic Olympiad is a fairly new competition testing both computing and mathematical prowess. It is also incredibly difficult - around 50% of entrants nationally score 10% or less! In spite of this, Yuvan Raja scored 64/100 and qualified for Round 2, with Joseph Ryan (L6-9) scoring 32/100 a notable performance.
In Round 2, Yuvan Raja came second nationally including writing the best performing program for one of the questions. A huge well done to Yuvan for such amazing achievements across multiple subjects and multiple years!
All Third Form students compete in the Bebras Computational Thinking challenge. The questions asked don’t test the ability to be able to program in a particular language, rather the ability of students to think logically and to solve problems. Five students scored full marks, a very difficult feat especially under time pressure. These were Alex Aylward, Tate Brooker, Jacob King, Dylan McCullough and Zac Winn-Smith (all 3L). They competed in the final round for their own age group alongside Yuvan Raja, Joseph Ryan, Archie Draper, Yann Rudman (L6-12) and Ronit Sachdeva. Yuvan Raja scored 54/60, Joseph Ryan 52/60 and Archie Draper 51/60 which are all excellent scores as well as a very good 41/60 from Ronit Sachdeva. The step up to the final round for the first time was a big jump for our Third Formers, but Dylan McCullough, Tate Brooker and Jacob King all scored 20 or more out of 60, with Dylan scoring 27 being our best performer. Well done to you all!
Dr DJ Jackson, Co-ordinator of Computer Science
One of the most rewarding aspects of studying Economics at RGS is how often we are able to take classroom learning into the wider world. This year, our Department has been particularly focused on the theme of international connections - how ideas, people, and businesses interact across borders, and how our students can experience these links first-hand. Through trips, competitions, and academic projects, RGS economists have been exploring how global economics is lived and felt every day.
In October, 39 A Level Economics and Business students set off on a whistle-stop tour of the Netherlands and Belgium. Over four packed days, we visited Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, and Bruges, travelling by coach and ferry - an approach that was not only more sustainable but also surprisingly efficient. Highlights included an evening trip to Europe’s highest swing overlooking Amsterdam, and a late-night team challenge in six different Brussels Escape Rooms (a creative way to keep everyone 'locked up' and entertained!).
But beyond the fun, the trip offered invaluable real-world case studies to enrich students’ exam answers. From hearing Minke Van Wingerden describe how her floating farm could help island nations become more self-sufficient, to learning from Maxime Pliester at Concept Chocolate about the challenges of surviving the Covid crisis, our students saw first-hand the entrepreneurial spirit that shapes Europe’s economies. At Royal Flora Holland, the world’s largest flower auction, we witnessed how technology enables 44 million stems to be traded daily - an unforgettable lesson in global supply chains.
The trip offered invaluable real-world case studies to enrich students’ exam answers.
Closer to home, our Business students joined forces with 12 visitors from RGS Nanjing to explore international connections on our doorstep. Together they toured the Silent Pool Gin Distillery, before embarking on a challenging climb along the North Downs Way. The group then descended into the picturesque village of Shere, where they lunched at The White Horse, a pub that has cleverly marketed its fame from the Hollywood film The Holiday. Along the way, our students and their Chinese counterparts compared school life, swapped cultural insights, and saw how even small local businesses are shaped by international tourism and global branding. This shared experience captured exactly what international connections mean in practice: the blending of global and local, of economics and culture.
Our students have also been making their mark in prestigious essay competitions, with many tackling international themes in innovative ways. Congratulations go to Tuan Le (L6-1), a finalist in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, who compared international education models and their effects on social mobility. Luke Miranda (L6-7) examined the UK health system in contrast to international alternatives, while George Hewlett (L6-10) analysed the different policy responses to Covid across countries. Ryan Soloman (L6-13) explored Uber’s disruptive entry into London, considering the international reach of American tech firms. Meanwhile, in Business, Max Pressley (L6-6) investigated the nuances of language as companies expand abroad. These essays showcase the ambition, curiosity, and critical thinking of RGS students as they engage with global economic issues.
Mr JD Stratford, Head of Economics and Business
Our students and their Chinese counterparts compared school life, swapped cultural insights, and saw how even small local businesses are shaped by international tourism and global branding.
It was another busy year in the Geography Department. Early in the year, we created a new trip for the Fifth Form, replacing the local destination of the River Tillingbourne with the more exotic New Forest. This enabled us to show the students the characteristics of the River Lymington in unsurprisingly, the town of Lymington. Everyone tried hard to improve their field sketching techniques to capture the salt marshes and mudflats that dominate the landscape. We then ventured further upstream to one of the river’s tributaries - Highland Water. This gave us plenty of opportunities to test out the Department waders and much fun was had by all.
We re-worked the fieldwork programme so that we could develop interview and questionnaire skills in preparation for the NEA.
Later in the Michaelmas Term, Mrs Woodman ran a highly successful Masterclass for local primary school children looking at inequality of global trade. Then, just before half term we took the Lower Sixth to Dorset where we re-worked the fieldwork programme so that we could develop interview and questionnaire skills in preparation for the NEA. This allowed us to spend some time in Corfe Castle looking at the impact of rural regeneration strategies in addition to our usual visits to Lulworth and Studland.
We also reworked fieldwork in the Fourth Form, replacing our investigation into housing inequality in Guildford to a study of the adoption of the new electric Beryl Bikes in Guildford. Unsurprisingly, we saw some distrust of the new infrastructure amongst the people we interviewed around town, but up at the university bikes were flying in and out of the bike stands. Their continued expansion around the town and surrounding villages suggests that this new form of sustainable transport may outlive its critics.
I chose to study Geography as I relish learning about the world around us, both as physical aspects and particularly its social side in terms of global politics and how different countries interact with each other. I enjoyed learning about case studies on specific areas and cities in the world that showed real-life examples of theoretical factors that influence trends in aspects like population and development, which helped me to fully understand and grasp the topics.
We completed a large amount of field work during which we investigated confirmed concepts and models we learn in class. This is achieved through conducting subjective and objective tests, assessments, and surveys.
Excerts from RGSG Student Subject Interviews for International Schools
Our trip to the Lake District was fantastic. The weather was less glorious than in recent years, but we still triumphed in our ascent of Lever’s Water to see the glacial landscape. Our cruise across Windermere was rather wet and windy and the Crazy Golf tournament had to be abandoned. A very big thank you to the staff team of Mr Scampton, Mr Fishpool, Mrs Woodman and Mrs Tarasewicz for giving up part of their precious half term to accompany the trip, especially as it was plagued by a vomiting virus.
In staff news, Mrs Waters stepped down as Head of Department to be able to focus on family matters. Good luck to Mr Fishpool who takes up this position. We also said goodbye to Mrs Richards who leaves us to spend time with her young family. We will miss you!
Mrs RG Waters, Head of Geography
It has been a tremendously busy year in the Department and one in which the students have been offered many different opportunities to develop their love of History.
We were fortunate to have Bernice Graham speak to the Third Form about her late father, Martin Bennet, who was a Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor. Her traumatic account covered him being sent to a forced labour camp at the age of 14; being transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he was one of the longest serving survivors of the camp; enduring the death marches before liberation and settlement in Britain in 1947. It was valuable for the students to hear Bernice recount his story, as it is these accounts which provide meaning, and help us recognise victims as individuals. Whilst this revealed humanity’s worst, Bernice focused on hope and compassion, strength of spirit and familial bond. She ended by stressing her father’s motto that maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
Further highlights included taking Third and Fourth Form students to visit Cold War Berlin. Their visit to the Stasi Prison, and the Berlin Wall will leave a lasting impression on them. The Sixth Form visited the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton and the Order of St John as part of enrichment for their A Level. A Level History debates with Tormead continue to allow our students to test their debating skills by exploring controversial topics, and I am delighted to have now launched this with the Lower School. The Junior History Society has thrived this year, under the guidance of Miss A Williams, with a particular highlight being the hotly contested World Cup of Kings and Queens
Cameron Brown (U6-10) reached the National Final, held at Windsor Palace, of the Historical Association’s Great Debate. He delivered an outstanding speech on how the Chilworth Powder Mills told the story of Britian’s Imperial era, the Industrial Revolution, the Two World Wars, and eventual decline and retreat from Empire. His academic excellence and humour showed throughout his speech, and he should be commended in being the first RGS student to reach the final of this competition.
I really enjoyed the depth of study, not just rushing through events, but taking time to properly understand their causes, their impacts, and being able to link them to others. It gave me a more complete picture of the past instead of just snippets. I've gained skills such as essay writing, being able to articulate opinions clearly and also being able to question and evaluate opinions.
I went beyond the GCSE syllabus by visiting historical sites such as an old hospital which is relevant to the course, and also reading books to improve knowledge and help towards my writing. I found that documentaries help or as I moved into a higher level, podcasts were a really enjoyable way of going beyond the syllabus. This definitely set me up to do far better in History at school. I'm studying History at A Level as I find it extremely interesting.
Excerts from RGSG Student Subject Interviews for International Schools
As part of LGBT History Month, the historian Peter Parker came in to give a lecture on his Times History Book of the Year, Some Men in London, Queer Life. This was a brilliant opportunity for students to engage with how history is written and provided further depth to their understanding of the Modern Britain A Level.
We have been fortunate to have Dr G Lamb working with us this year. Having been a professor at Oxford and King’s College, London, she has been an excellent colleague and provided a bridge between academia and the classroom. She greatly supported our students applying for History at university, and showcased how to use her own personal research, into Victorian children, to help provide a narrative for our teaching of the Industrial Revolution. She will be leaving us to take up a position at St John’s, Leatherhead, and we wish her all the best.
Mr JM Davies, Head of History
We have been fortunate to have Dr G Lamb working with us this year.
Having been a professor at Oxford and King’s College, London, she has been an excellent colleague and provided a bridge between academia and the classroom.
Learning languages is a key skill in life as it not only allows you to deepen your understanding of other countries and cultures, but also it can be very helpful in the workplace as certain employers see this as a great skill set to have.
Excerts from RGSG Student Subject Interviews for International Schools
Now established as a popular fixture in the school’s calendar, Languages Week offers a chance to see the culture of the languages students study in a fun and different way. New activities this year included a French breakfast for First Formers and a game of Bundesliga Top Trumps (with categories named in German) hotly contested between RGS Senior and RGS Prep students. In all, 14 events were staged at lunchtime or before school including a Day of the Dead Ceramics Workshop, Lower School French singing session. Our extracurricular language teachers offered Arabic food tasting, an Origami come-and-try session and a Mid-Autumn Chinese Festival.
Thanks to my wonderful MFL colleagues for hosting events at a busy time of year!
Our French and Spanish students recently participated in two speed-debate events in November 2024 at Reed’s School. These are dynamic events that bring together language students from other schools and provide a platform for them to enhance their critical thinking and express their views on A Level topics ranging from politics and social issues to culture and sport idols.
Participants have the opportunity to engage in multiple rounds, encouraging fast thinking and the ability to adapt to different arguments.
A huge thank you to WJD and MBF for their enthusiasm and support.
Twelve lucky students from an application list of 20+ enjoyed a workshop given by renowned artist, Mikako Nakagami. In the course of 90 minutes, Mikako introduced this traditional art form to students and taught them how to produce a painting of bamboo, a traditional Japanese Sumi-e motif. Benefiting from her expert tuition, delivered in exceptional English, the students produced beautiful work which Mikako duly stamped with a Japanese 'good word' symbol, the red ink offsetting the black ink art to finish an authentic-looking composition.
Mikako is currently exhibiting at the London Art Show; examples of her work can be found here: www.mikako-nakagami.com/gallery
My thanks to Ms N Gonzalez and Dr IH Mayer, plus the Art Department staff for their help in organising this event.
Mr WJ Dugdale, Head of MFL
On Tuesday 21 January 2025, NW, RJR, GES plus our Langauge Assistants Ludo and Marta accompanied our Six Form linguists to participate in a multilingual, multicultural cooking event at St Catherine’s. In Masterchef style students had a set amount of time (1.5 hours) to cook three courses using recipes in the target language and in mixed teams.
Students prepared Pincho de Papas Bravas y Cebolla Crujiente, Pincho de Queso de Cabra, Teuffels Eier, Hawaii Toast and Tarte Tatin. The hardest part was clearly the caramel for the Tarte Tatin but some of our Upper Six, who will remain nameless, tried to peel a raw egg!
After cooking, the dishes were judged by the assistants from both schools, with prizes being awarded to:
Hugo Turner (L6)
Ollie Southwell (L6)
Inigo Schybergson + Marcus Woodhouse (L6)
Charlie Bourne + Will Bayne (U6)
Ollie Southwell (L6) Harrison Way (U6)
Tarte Tatin
Caramel
Hawaii Toast
Pincho de Papas Bravas
Pincho de Queso de Cabra
Assisting with German recipes for all groups.
Our huge thanks to our colleagues at St Catherine’s for hosting this event. We all had a productive, fun and delicious evening.
On Thursday 6 February 2025, we were delighted to host A Level French students from five local state and independent schools for an afternoon of lectures delivered in French. Dr Eleanor Hodgson, University of Exeter led an interactive seminar on Le Rap Français et L’identité Française. Afterwards, Dr James Wishart, King’s College London, delivered a 45-minute revision lecture on L’Etranger, a popular A Level set text.
My thanks go to Mrs Kenyon for organising the afternoon and to all attendees for their enthusiastic attendance.
I chose Spanish for GCSE because I really enjoy speaking foreign languages and I believe that these language skills will give me a competitive edge in my future career as they're increasingly valuable in today's world. Excerts from RGSG Student Subject Interviews for International Schools
UKLO gives you the chance to flex your problem-solving muscles in the most fun and unexpected ways.
The UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) is the ultimate brain workout for anyone who loves puzzles, languages, anda good mental challenge!
Think of it as a treasure hunt for your brain, where you decode secret codes, solve linguistic riddles, and untangle the mysteries of language. Whether you’re a word nerd, a logic lover, or just curious about how languages work, UKLO gives you the chance to flex your problem-solving muscles in the most fun and unexpected ways.
Over the course of this week, every lunch time, the National Competition UKLO Round 1 has taken place with 29 students across nine teams decoding on fiendish puzzles; covering three out of four levels. Once again the offering was broad and some of this year’s wondrous languages were Armenian, Cherokee, Egyptian, Fur, Icelandic and Proto-Basque.
The problems are set each year under the watchful eye of Dick Hudson, Emeritus Professor of Linguistic at UCL and his team of - scarily intelligent - university lecturers, teachers and former competitors in the Olympiad.
My heart felt thank you to Mr Lemaire, Mr Nathan and Mr Dugdale for giving up their lunch break to assist the event.
Mrs
NG González, Teacher of Spanish
I really enjoy the clear structure that French lessons follow at GCSE since there are various components to GCSE languages such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. This makes lessons far more fun due to their variety.
Excerts from RGSG Student Subject Interviews for International Schools
We’ve enjoyed another strong year in the Physics Department. Exam results continue to be impressive although they only tell part of the story; we are particularly proud this year of those in the Fifth Form and Upper Six cohorts who have worked hard to make improvements after finding things hard early on. While these students rarely gain the headlines, they embody the spirit of perseverance and determination that we seek to instil in our students.
Yuvan Raja secured a Gold Medal individually, with the third highest score globally in the competition, and helped the British team to a national record second place.
Physics continues to be a popular subject, with large numbers of students signing up to take part in the olympiad and challenge competitions in various age groups. 26 Six Formers entered the flagship British Physics Olympiad, with Golds for Daniel Hughes (U6-1) and Sam Thevenon (U6-5), while Yuvan Raja (L6-9) secured a top Gold and qualified for the second round, where he also secured a top Gold. It was in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad however that we secured our strongest performance, a competition we are developing something of a track record in over recent years. All seven entrants were from a talented Lower Sixth cohort, with Ronit Sachdeva (L6-9) and Yuvan Raja both securing top Golds. In the second round Ronit scored a Bronze, with Yuvan scoring another top Gold. He went on to be selected for the national team (now led by former RGS teacher Dr Alex Calverley), taking part in the international Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in Mumbai - our third representative internationally in the last five years. He secured a Gold Medal individually, with the third highest score globally in the competition, and helped the British team to a national record second place. The magnitude of this achievement is hard to overstate.
The student robotics team and their robot in action
Taking inspiration from great engineers of the past - Brunel's SS Great Britain
Over Easter a team of Six Formers under the guidance of Mr L Holland and Mr M Burbidge entered the annual Student Robotics competition run by Southampton University. Over the preceding six months the students had been designing, building, programming and testing an autonomous robot to take part in an arena game against over thirty schools from all over the country as well as Guernsey and Germany. The robot had a Minecraft theme and performed well, eventually making it all the way to the grand final, where it failed to start due to a loose cable.
As the academic year drew to a close it was once again time for Mr Burbidge’s traditional Fourth Form physics “roadtrip”, this time a Brunel-themed trip which including stops at the STEAM and GWR museums, the SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge. Particular thanks go to Dr D Patel, who came out of retirement to enable the trip to proceed after a late staff withdrawal.
The Department says goodbye to Mr M Royds (for a second time!) Though we are pleased he remains with the school in his new role with the International team. We look forward to welcoming his replacement Mr A Lake (OG 2009) who Mr Royds had once taught as a student at the RGS.
Mr JP Hood, Head of Physics
All students continued to thrive in the classroom, under the stewardship of the Academic Physical Education staff, and benefitted greatly from the vast array of experience of the RGS Sports Department. Thank you to Mr B Dudley, Mr DJ Bartram, Mr RC Black and Mr ST Walsh, who continue to contribute enormously, through their programmes, to support the students being assessed in rugby, hockey and cricket. A special thank you must also go to Mr AR Lowe, Mr SJH Yetman, Mr RD Crewe, Mr JC Witts, Mr MRF Royds and Mr BJD Rogers, for the time they have given coaching and assessing the students in football, skiing, swimming, sailing, climbing and athletics respectively.
In our largest GCSE cohort to date, sixty nine students spent the year studying GCSE Physical Education. We were excited to see this continuing growth in the numbers of students opting to take the course, with almost one in five students, across the Middle School, now studying GCSE Physical Education.
As a way of consolidating knowledge, the Fourth Form students completed a project related one of their fields of study. Below is an excellent example of one of their movement analysis pieces.
In our largest GCSE cohort to date, sixty nine students spent the year studying GCSE Physical Education.
As the students entered the Fifth Form, they begin to examine both the psychology and sociology of sport. In psychology, topics such as arousal and stress management gave students an insight into the pressures around sports performance, and critically, outlined ways in which these pressures can be managed. In the field of sociology, the students examined the barriers to participation in physical activity and sport, investigating which groups of society are affected, and how these inequalities can be rectified.
This year saw our second visit to the University of Bath Human Performance Centre. Our Lower Sixth Form A Level Physical Education students spent the day administering and being subject to a wide variety of different physiological tests. The use of Wingate Tests, Isokinetic Dynamometers and VO2 Max Testing equipment, gave the students an invaluable understanding of how components of fitness can be tested in laboratory conditions.
As our Upper Sixth Form cohort move on to life after the RGS, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their diligence, commitment, and good humour; they have been a pleasure to teach.
Mr JDN Lythgoe, Head of Academic Physical Education
International Connections. When this theme was chosen for this August publication in 2025, it got me thinking. Thinking about how Politics at the RGS has an international dimension.
First, and most obviously, we study the political machinations of the United States, and this academic year has provided us with a presidential election to follow, and the consequent repositioning of the USA in the global landscape - Trumpian isolationism, tariffs galore, ‘the art of the deal’ to questionably resolve all of our conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza to Iran. And every student has to compare and contrast this with the UK too.
Second, many of our students chose to study International Relations at university, and also to study overseas for one year of their Degree. As this publication goes to press, at least fifteen RGS Politics students will be at university exploring the importance of the Treaty of Westphalia in defining what a nation state is, or evaluating globalism through the liberal or realist lens; meanwhile others will be taking advantage of a year abroad, either to support their linguistic studies or to further their political understanding in an international environment.
Third, LinkedIn can tell me all about what former students are up to, and several have gone beyond these shores to further their studies. Three in particular stand outone former pupil has just completed a masters in New York City, following his HSPS Degree at Cambridge; another, as part of his degree at Edinburgh, was able to spend his third year at KU Leuven in Belgium, another at Sciences Po Paris. The global reach of RGS students continues to grow. Meanwhile others have chosen to take a political stand, being highly active on university campuses campaigning for the rights of the oppressed, in both the UK and beyond.
Lastly, each year a handful of current students look to enter essay competitions, the John Locke Global Essay Prize and the R A Butler Politics Prize (Trinity, Cambridge) being the most popular. This year three students chose to explore the relationship between international institutions and national sovereignty, whilst another looked at whether or not we can be optimistic about the current global state. Four students also independently signed up to attend the Wilberforce Society’s annual conference, hosted by the Cambridge Union, entitled The New Normal: Global Governance In the Age of Deglobalisation.
Thus, whilst it is true that the international context of 2025 is unstable, it is a relief that so many of our students are engaging with it, learning about it, and hopefully helping to heal it in the future.
Mr TJJ Owens, Head of Politics
The international context of 2025 is unstable, it is a relief that so many of our students are engaging with it, learning about it, and hopefully helping to heal it in the future.
The school year began with another set of exceptional GCSE and A Level results, a fitting tribute to the hard work of the students and their teachers. The personnel in the Department changed again as Mr Galpin moved at the end of his one-year appointment to take on a course in journalism and Mr Tayar took a year’s sabbatical to work in RGS Dubai. We were joined by Mr Gamble (OG) and Mr Turvill (on a one year contract to replace Mr Tayar), and we were delighted to be joined by Mr Black who added to his Games and PE teaching to take on the teaching of First Form RS.
The Michaelmas Term saw a fun Religion and Philosophy Masterclass, in which we welcomed a group of excited and keen primary school children who participated in a morning’s study of what constituted a religion, and the symbols and clothing associated with different religious traditions. After some creative and inspiring talks, discussions and activities, the children produced some fascinating artwork as well as thoughtful insights into the nature of religious practice.
The Junior Philosophy and Theology Society, Think? Has enjoyed a fruitful year of introductory philosophy, exploring topics of often great complexity. Topics of metaethics and cultural relativism have supported earlier discussions of epistemology and empiricism. The commendable attitude to intellectual debate has been exemplified by committed attendees such as Seb Allam, Euan Fox and Albert Adams. Their dedication and thoughtful consideration of such content represents a successful year of broadening academic horizons.
Propelled by the enthusiasm of a strong cohort of Lower Sixth philosophers and theologians, Hume Society has toured the conceptual plains from Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra to the magisterium of the Catholic Church.
Propelled by the enthusiasm of a strong cohort of Lower Sixth philosophers and theologians, Hume Society has toured the conceptual plains from Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra to the magisterium of the Catholic Church. Students have voraciously defended positions they might never have expected, challenging preconceived notions of a successful state, the morality of the abortion debate, and the pessimism of Schopenhauer. Mr Turvill must take the finest congratulations for fostering a rigorous and light-hearted approach to co-curricular academia, exemplified in his final discussion on The Theology of British Pub Names
In conjunction with Ms Fillipi at Guildford High School, the inaugural year of the Joint Philosophy Society stands as testament to the co-curricular participation of our Lower Sixth cohort. Particularly well-attended sessions alongside GHS and Tormead have considered the right to a competent electorate, the analysis of 'goodness' in the context of widespread atheism, and metaethical problems of moral luck. Undergraduate topics of Kantian aesthetics, Rawlsian political theory, and the ethical analysis of Derek Parfit are deeply complex and have been handled with aplomb and panache. What is particularly impressive is the sensitivity and nuance injected by our students into mature discussions with complete strangers.
Puzzle Club made some excellent progress in their work to complete and discuss very large and complex jigsaws of the Blue Mosque and the Sistine Chapel, and were clearly the most popular aspect of the Open Days when prospective students and their parents enjoyed talking to the students about their jigsaws, and helping to add to their completion (not all of which contributions had to be subsequently undone for the sake of accuracy!)
Mr RB Meadowcroft, Head of Religion and Philosophy
EXCERTS FROM RGSG STUDENT SUBJECT INTERVIEWS FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
Art - To work practically with your hands and express your creativity, and in each piece of art you leave behind a small element of yourself.
There's this feeling of accomplishment I get after I've spent months and months building up a portfolio of my work, and then it all culminates in this giant final piece.
Walking through and around the halls of the school, decorated with A Level pieces is inspiring.
DT - Being able to think deeply and carefully about an issue at hand and developing an appropriate solution to that problem is a skill that I think will serve me throughout my entire life.
I wanted to do more research into how I can make my product the best it could be.
The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn.
It has been a vibrant and inspiring year in the Art Department! From visiting artists and creative clubs at lunchtime and after school, to exciting trips, competitions, and the highlight of our calendar - the Summer Art Exhibition - our students have embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and creativity.
Junior students worked with dedication to complete their projects, proudly sharing their achievements with parents; exam students exuded pride as their stunning work transformed the Department into a dynamic gallery space; and the Art Team raised a well-deserved glass to another year filled with imagination, collaboration, and artistic growth.
A particular mention must go to our A Level artists who delivered a truly diverse and impressive showcase. Archie’s installations and suspended sculptures captivated viewers; Ethan’s oil portraits demonstrated technical finesse and emotional depth; and Filip’s large-scale drawings left audiences in awe. We wish Filip and Ethan every success as they begin their studies in Architecture at Sheffield University.
Mrs RF Shepherd, Head of Art
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Community
Junior Winner
Unedited Photograph Matt Boston
Senior Winner
Unedited Photograph
George Grant
Junior Winner
Digitally Manipulated
Photograph
Bavya Kapoor
Senior Winner
Digitally Manipulated
Photograph and Film
Ayaan Bhagat
We’re proud to announce that James Rogers and Paddy Cooper have successfully secured places on the prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship Programme, run by the Smallpiece Trust. This nationally recognised scholarship supports future leaders in engineering and technical design.
To earn their scholarships, both students completed a rigorous selection process, including:
- A detailed application
- A formal interview
- A specialist exam
- Completion of an independent STEM-based project
James explored the workings of a jet engine, creating a model that simulates its operation.
Paddy developed a pan-and-tilt security camera system, complete with coding and facial recognition capabilities.
The scholarship runs over the two years of A Level study, giving students access to:
• A network of like-minded scholars across the country
• Opportunities to connect with industry professionals
• Forums and events with leading engineers.
Both students dedicated a significant amount of time and effort outside of lessons to develop their projects and prepare for the selection process - and their hard work has been rewarded brilliantly.
A special mention also goes to the other students who applied and made it far through the process. Your ambition and commitment are equally commendable.
Abdul Rafah - Food storage/lunchbox design.
Aidan Felstead - Rugby themed decorative table light featuring lithopane 3D photographs illuminated by an inner light.
Ben Goldsmith - Bluetooth wireless speaker to attach to a sailing boat.
Harry Welch - Portable football practice (ball return) system.
Jack Thompson - Child’s toy to encourage the development of fine motor skills.
Josh Jacobs - Toy robot to encourage children to learn coding.
Jasper Cliffe - Exercise device: tilting stand to be used in conjunction with resistance bands.
Oliver Atkinson- Decorative wall light for a F1 racing fan.
Paddy Cooper - Electronic interactive educational child’s toy.
Samuel Bayne - Outdoor pizza preparation system for outdoor cooking.
Philip Alexiev - Wall mounted bike rack using suction handles to hold the device to the wall without having to use fixings to hold the device to the wall.
Samuel McDermott - A game to encourage people to throw paper into it so that it may be more readily collected and recycled. The baskets move automatically.
Siddhanth Shirol - Picnic table.
Steven Dimov - Very nicely made and planned folding chair with a drawer in the seat.
Theo (Ted) Edwards-Davies - Golfing practice chipping nets.
Thomas Fish - Device to hold a phone for the purpose of analysing golfing swings.
Thomas Hargreaves - Sailing timing device.
Tobias Douglas - Folding table to be used whilst eating and watching sport.
Umun Atara - Cool bag trolley.
Ben Robertson - Learn about the orchestra-themed board game.
James Rogers - Mobile phone holder to enable cricket umpires to record matches.
Charles Wei - Interactive Child's Game.
Jun-Yeop Kim - Adjustable car table which locates into the soft drinks cup holder.
Austin Mace - Set of bolt on golf club heads at different angles - need one shaft not a whole set of golf clubs.
Arthur Thomas - Sports massage device in a fitted box.
Grigorios Symeonidis - Table tennis counter device.
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Aidan Grieve - Roller type sports massager.
Connor Kruger - Board game.
James Barawitzka - Motorbike storage and locking system.
Henry Tabberner- Product for a snowboarder to use whilst on the mountain to improve their mobility and reduce delays when traversing flat sections of the piste.
Harry Torocsik - Trolley to move weights around in a gym.
Noah Wyatt - Exercise balance board.
Oscar Engleman - Sports practice ball launcher.
Thomas
Victor
Archie Morris - Adjustable stand.
Linus Lee - Adjustable stand.
Finn McGee - Adjustable stand.
Georgios Mavronas-Smith - Cigar box guitar.
Harry Radforth - Cigar box guitar
Edward Hayley - Upcycled desk light.
Oliver Lazenby - Speakers.
Rayan Majid - Upcycled desk light from bamboo.
We were very pleased to be able to offer three plays this year that covered the whole age range in school: Ms McClean directed 'The Canterbury Tales' in Michaelmas Term. Ms Cox directed 'Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations' for the Juniors in Lent Term and Mr Meadowcroft and Mr Turvill directed 'Bouncers' with Lower Sixth students in Trinity Term. It is such a pleasure to be able to involve all age ranges in our Drama provision at school and, coupled with two lunchtime Drama clubs and the LAMDA teaching available, we can feel proud that we are meeting the interests of all our students.
The lively Tabard Inn provided the setting for a breathless whirlwind tour through medieval times with a series of energetically raucous stories: religious legends, courtly romances, racy yarns, saints’ lives, allegorical tales, beast fables, medieval sermons, and alchemical accounts. With atmospheric lighting, vibrant costumes, and a set which absolutely captures the zeitgeist of the time, the audience was whisked away from the world of the 21st century into the midst of medieval England.
The greatest strength of this version of The Canterbury Tales by Martin Riley is, undoubtedly, the fact that it never for a second took itself too seriously; puerile absurdity, cheeky innuendo and slap-stick humour were never far from the surface. A theatre production is not a five-star show without an unintentional comedy smooch with a pair of buttocks, followed up by a red-hot poker planted in the same bodily part, with the odd fart included for good measure. The pilgrims enthusiastically clucked as chickens, ran comedy chase scenes, sang lustily, performed a love scene between the hen and the cock (fertilising some free-range eggs!) As well as a bedroom scene with Sir Codsbrain and his new bride… it was simply impossible to pick out just one highlight.
Of course, the pilgrims succeeded in bringing Geoffrey back to life, and we had a 'celebrity' appearance at the end from our own Mr Dunscombe! All the music was brilliantly composed and recorded by Ruvin Meda and was superb in bringing even more depth, atmosphere and comedy to the production.
And as the cast belted out at the end, “In fellowship of pilgrims are we all”, indeed, we were… and we were all definitely the better for it.
Alan Ayckbourn’s play Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations follows Ernie, a likeable kid whose vivid and wildly-imaginative daydreams have begun to manifest as sudden, absurd real-world situations.
The enthusiastic and versatile young cast - many performing on stage for the very first time - delivered a sharp, funny and warmly endearing adaptation which cantered through a succession of ever-more bizarre scenes at a pace.
This powerful, punchy and provocative production was an exciting end to the performance calendar. Four Lower Sixth students were brilliantly able to capture the multitude of 'characters' populating the seamy and steamy underworld night club scene.
The students were fantastic in this stripped back production, showcasing their acting talents with aplomb.
The entire Second Form spent Field Day 5 working with a brilliant band of expert professional mime artists to produce some wildly imaginative and funny mini silent movies. We had pirates in cannon fights stealing treasure, astronauts encountering aliens, a fairground boxing defeat turning into a war with a bazooka and a classic prison escape complete with a Keystone Kops chase sequence.
The Lower Sixth Directors rose magnificently to the challenge of directing extracts from randomly assigned plays. Many organised rehearsals ahead of the day to great effect with truly engaging performances of the scripts. Well done to all those involved for your commitment and hard work!
This year’s GCSE cohort took on the subject of Victorian circuses and the unpleasant sideshows that presented people with physical differences as “freaks”. The piece wanted audiences to make the connection with abhorrent voyeuristic practices on today’s social media, linking modern day “shaming” and mockery with the nastiness of the Victorian Freak Show. The students used a range of drama techniques to produce an entertaining yet thoughtful exploration of the subject.
Extracts from two plays were used this year, and adaptation by Ryan Craig of George Orwell’s 1984 and Rob Hayes A Butcher of Distinction. The students gave great performances and we eagerly await the results in the summer.
The Lower Sixth students completed the Devising element of their course in July.
The piece was stimulated by a desire to appeal to a younger audience and communicate how platforms such as TikTok can be highly addictive. They wanted to incorporate the exploitative nature of the companies that design and promote these platforms and used the device of seeing two “tech bros” enjoying their wealth at the expense of the health and well being of the consumers.
These were varied and exciting including a visit to the Globe Theatre, special effects and “trauma” make up, set construction for the school production, watching Stranger Things at the Phoenix Theatre and taking on an outdoor city wide 007 adventure with Hidden City.
Ms NC McClean, Head of Drama
On Monday 11 November, the Joint Schools’ Chamber Choir returned to St Paul’s Cathedral to sing Evensong for the third time. Performing on Remembrance Day gave the occasion particular poignancy, and the choir sang with poise and sensitivity throughout the service.
From the opening responses to Howells’ soaring Collegium Regale, the choir maintained exceptional form. Edgar Bainton’s And I saw a New Heaven was a clear highlight. Special mention goes to Oscar Ford and Ben Pilkington, who sang the Nunc Dimittis solo with skill and professionalism.
This significant event also welcomed back former choir members, with many OGs joining the congregation and reminiscing about their time in the ensemble.
In March, the choir made a highly successful debut at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Performing works by Charles Wood and Henry Purcell, they impressed with clarity, depth, and mature musicality. The clergy and Canon Precentor commended not just the choir’s sound, but their exemplary conduct throughout the day.
Now in its third year, the Advent Carol Service at Holy Trinity Church has become a particularly special moment in the Michaelmas Term. Performed by candlelight, the service reflected on the season through readings and the haunting plainchant of the Seven Great Advent Antiphons, sung by the RGS Schola Cantorum.
Soloists Ben Pilkington, Orlando Meadowcroft, Ralph Moggs, Oscar Ford, Alex Pop, Alex Judge and Daniel Bristow performed these challenging chants with poise. Readings from Toby Beckingham, Sebastian Cunningham, Harry Simmons and Zac Warham enhanced the atmosphere.
Choral highlights included Philip Stopford’s There Is No Rose and Rachmaninov’s Bogoroditsye Dyevo, which the choir performed with stunning control and emotional intensity – fitting the solemn and reflective tone of the evening.
Now over 25 years old, the Steynor Prize remains one of the most prestigious events in the RGS musical calendar. This year’s final featured six outstanding performers: Joseph Ryan (Piano), Jasper O’Conor (Trumpet), George Christiansen (Piano), Oscar Ford (Flute), Benedict Cunningham (Voice), and Alex Pop (Voice).
Each finalist delivered a mature and technically skilled recital. Adjudicator Mr Robert Patterson praised not only their musicianship but their connection with the audience. After much deliberation, and by the narrowest of margins, George Christiansen was awarded the 2025 Steynor Prize for his technical brilliance and carefully crafted programme.
The sheer sense of joy that was transmitted met with rapturous applause from a very appreciative audience.
In March, a full auditorium at G Live saw over 350 performers from RGS and Guildford High School come together for the biannual Joint Concert. The orchestra, conducted by Sam Orchard, opened with Vaughan Williams’ Overture To The Wasps
The rest of the first half saw the massed choir, under Grayson Jones, deliver joyful and expressive performances of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and Haydn’s The Heavens Are Telling. Reflective moments came with Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Elgar’s The Spirit of the Lord. The audience joined in a rousing Jerusalem to conclude the first half.
In the second half, Sam Orchard returned to conduct Handel’s See, the Conqu’ring Hero Comes!, Haydn’s Insanae et Vanae Curae, and Mendelssohn’s Daughters of Zion. The concert ended with Brahms’ How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place and a powerful I Was Glad by Parry. This was a celebration of school music at its very best. Not only did it highlight the extraordinary talent within both schools, but also the strength of their musical collaboration. The sheer sense of joy that was transmitted met with rapturous applause from a very appreciative audience. Yet again, the evening reaffirmed that this concert is hard to beat.
Vaughan Williams
The year’s final concert included Ibert’s Trois Pièces Brèves, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin by the RGS Piano Trio, and Butterworth’s Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad, featuring solos by Ben Pilkington, Orlando Meadowcroft, and a particularly moving Is My Team Ploughing? by Oscar Ford.
November’s Orchestral Concert at Holy Trinity Church marked the centenary of Fauré’s death and featured his Pavane with a haunting flute solo by Oscar Ford, followed by Ravel’s Pavane Pour une Infante Défunte featuring an impressive horn solo by Ben Pilkington. The Senior Wind Quintet performed Poulenc’s Novelette in C, whilst there were performances of Dvořák’s American Quartet, and Beethoven’s Op. 18 No. 3 by two of the Department’s String Quartets. The first half ended with Rutter’s Suite for Strings by Concerto Consort, conducted by Dale Chambers. The Symphony Orchestra closed the concert with Debussy’s Petite Suite under Sam Orchard.
The year’s final concert included Ibert’s Trois Pièces Brèves, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin by the RGS Piano Trio, and Butterworth’s Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad, featuring solos by Ben Pilkington, Orlando Meadowcroft, and a particularly moving Is My Team Ploughing? By Oscar Ford. Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs united Concerto Consort, Schola Cantorum, and soloists Oscar Ford, Alex Judge, Ralph Moggs, and Daniel Bristow under Sam Orchard. The second half featured Haydn’s String Quartet in D major, Op. 76 No. 5 and Symphony No. 104, conducted by Dale Chambers.
Held at Holy Trinity Church, the Concerto Concert with Southern Pro Musica was a showcase of musical excellence. Ben Pilkington opened with Mozart’s Horn Concerto No.3, demonstrating warmth and control, followed by Orlando Meadowcroft’s sensitive rendition of Comfort Ye My People from Handel’s Messiah
Benedict Cunningham’s The People That Walked in Darkness displayed vocal depth, while Oscar Ford impressed with a technically brilliant performance of Chaminade’s Concertino for Flute. Ruvin Meda premiered his orchestral work Farewell, which revealed a striking compositional voice.
Alex Pop performed two dramatic arias from Elijah, and Adrian Groenewald gave a witty, charismatic performance of Sondheim’s In Praise of Women and Multitudes of Amys. George Christiansen closed the concert with a commanding performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, 1st Mvt, earning a standing ovation.
In July, the RGS and GHS Big Band embarked on a Joint Concert Tour to Barcelona and the Costa Dorada, performing four concerts in stunning locations including Barcelona’s Seminary Cloisters and the seaside town of Calafell.
The ensemble, featuring 54 musicians, delivered an energetic programme of jazz, pop, and film music to large and appreciative audiences. The performances were so well received that local organisers immediately invited the group to return.
When one concert was cancelled due to flooding, the students gave an impromptu hotel performance, perhaps the most memorable of all, as guests danced joyfully to the music.
Students behaved impeccably and immersed themselves in the local culture. Highlights included visits to the Sagrada Família, Picasso Museum, Roman ruins in Tarragona, and the Montserrat Monastery along with time to relax by the pool.
In November, six RGS bands took to the stage at Boileroom, performing a varied set that included songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, Foo Fighters, and Oasis to an excited audience of parents, staff, students, and friends. The many hours of practice during Period 8 and beyond clearly paid off, delivering performances that energized the crowd.
A return visit in June saw the lively audience enthusiastically singing along to a diverse mix of iconic rock and pop covers, creating an electric atmosphere despite the sauna-like conditions on the hottest day of the year. The combination of superb performances and enthusiastic audience participation made both events standout highlights of the school year.
The tradition of the RGS performing Lunchtime Concerts in Holy Trinity to coincide with the monthly Farmers’ Market continues and throughout this year it has been a fantastic showcase for some of our ablest musicians.
Notable performances this year ranged from Nicholas Yang’s masterful performance of Glinka/Balakirev’s
The Lark to Toby Beckingham’s Joie et Clarté by Olivier Messiaen.
It was a pleasure to welcome back Alexander Acomb (OG 2018) in June, who gave a superb performance of Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano before departing later in the summer to join the cello section of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
This year’s series of House Music Competitions showcased the remarkable depth and breadth of musical talent across the school. From piano and strings to woodwind, brass, voice, and guitar, students from all year groups took part, earning valuable House points and impressing expert adjudicators with their performances.
Together, these events offered a vibrant celebration of musical excellence, providing students with valuable performance experience and the opportunity to gain feedback from distinguished professionals.
Mr SJ Orchard, Director of Music
It has been a privilege to cover for Mr Tayar as Senior Housemaster during his time in Dubai. It is only by overseeing the running of all 26 of our competitions that you can see quite how much hard work is put into ensuring that so many students in the school are able to enjoy House Competitions, not to mention the additional Charitable House Events that the House Leadership teams are involved in; the House Pancake Races, fantastically organised by our House Captains, and also the Staff versus 1st XI charity football match, which was run this year by Valpy and Austen, raised more than ever before (partly thanks to Mrs Rathmell and Mr Chapman’s introduction of advanced ticketing and contactless payment!). I believe you would have to go a very long way to find a school with as wide a range of House events as the RGS and that is thanks largely to those many members of staff who put so much energy into running the events. It is also testament to the enthusiasm of the students who show off an incredible of array of talents throughout the many stages of the Hardy Cup competition. I include here a short overview of the House Competitions this year:
In Michaelmas Term Mr Beever was quick to make his mark as new Powell Housemaster, inspiring his students to an incredible victory in House Cross Country after performing less well in Frisbee, Golf and missing out on victory in Art to Beckingham. Nettles won debating and Austen and Powell jointly took Chess. In the last week of term there was a surprise victory for Valpy in Rugby keeping them in touch with the leaders in the Hardy Cup but the term ended with Powell in front and Austen very close behind.
Early in Lent Term Powell continued their good run of form by winning the House Quiz. However with Hockey being a 12 point competition and Table Tennis being a ‘nine pointer’ had they built up enough of a buffer to hold onto the top spot? In Table Tennis the honours were shared between Austen and Valpy and with Powell down the bottom suddenly the overall House championship started to look much more open. Powell surged again by taking Fencing and then Nettles won a much-needed victory in Hockey and Valpy won Basketball,
but Powell’s victory in Squash was enough to keep their lead at the end of term. In the final assembly in March we paid homage to Mr Casale’s incredible 25 years of service as Housemaster following his decision to step down as leader of Hamonde. With both Mr Casale and Mr Gonzalez having presided over the Hamonde music team it was fitting that Ms González’s tenure as new Hamonde Housemaster began with Hamonde receiving the House Music Cup at the start of Trinity Term.
Mr Tayar returning to once again take the helm of our incredible House system and I’m sure, move it once again from strength to strength.
Also at the start of Trinity Term, Nettles were able to wrap up victory in Football after their Seniors won their competition and then Powell kept their Hardy Cup dreams alive with a win in Photography. House Maths went to Valpy and, impressively, Beckingham managed to win Sports Day for the second year in a row. Austen, meanwhile, had been consistently scoring highly and shot into the lead with victory in Cricket which they managed to back up with another victory in Drama. However, Beckingham had managed second place in Drama and therefore they remained on Austen’s heels going into Softball in the last week of term. Ultimately Beckingham had enough strong year groups in Softball to clinch first place in that one, thereby securing Hardy Cup victory for the second year in a row.
At the end of Trinity we congratulated Mr Fishpool for his outstanding service to Austen as their Housemaster for the last three years; he moves on next year to another important role in the school. I also thanked Mr Chapman for taking on the role of Nettles Housemaster with such enthusiasm this year whilst Mr Tayar was away. We look forward to Mr Tayar returning to once again take the helm of our incredible House system and I’m sure, move it once again from strength to strength.
Mr SJ Baker, Senior Housemaster (covering for Mr K Tayar)
The 2024 to 2025 academic year was a memorable one for Austen House and would be the last for Mr Fishpool at the wheel. It was a pleasure to see so many students throw themselves into the Hardy Cup competition across the year.
The Michaelmas Term got off to a great start as Austen, spearheaded by Ronit Sachdeva (L6-9), romped home to victory in the Chess. In less favourable weather conditions, Austen House performed commendably across the age groups to come second in the Cross country competition, with excellent performances in particular from Zac Larivé (4A) and James Davis (U6-2).
The Lent Term is always short but intense in terms of the Hardy Cup competition and this year was no different. Despite it’s reputation as the ‘sporty House’, Austen managed to collect Silver Medals in the Quiz and Reading competitions respectively. Back on the sports field, excellent performances in Frisbee, Football and Hockey meant we were in striking distance of Powell House, led by former Austen staff member Mr Beever.
Going into the Trinity Term, the Hardy Cup was on a knife-edge, with three Houses all in contention for the ultimate prize. House Swimming was a brilliant mass-participation event, and strong performances at either end of the age bracket from George Robinson (1C) and Lorcan Read (U6-8) proved Austen swimming is as formidable as ever. For the first time in years, Austen took home the Drama trophy having been brilliantly directed by Will Gossage (L6-5). The final 12-point competition of the year was Sports Day, which had ‘The Yellow Army’ out in full colours. While Beckingham House ran out winners of the Hardy Cup, it was a superb effort from Austen to take it to the wire.
My thanks go to House Captain Zac Tinkler (U6-11) for all his efforts across the year and his capable deputies George Wilson (U6-4), Jack Weeks (U6-11) and Tom Allen (U6-11). Well done on the effort so far to new House Captain Cam Brown (L6-10)
and his leadership team of Bajo Loye (L6-5), Will Mellor (L6-8) and Seb Seume (L6-13). Finally, my thanks go to Mr Evans (FCBE) for all his efforts as Deputy Housemaster over the years. It has been a privilege to lead Austen these last three and a half years and I look back at my time with great fondness. I wish Dr Varney all the best, as he takes up the reigns in September. Leave the tie in a better place than you found it… Mr TE Fishpool, Austen Head of House
After a remarkable 2023 to 2024, this year has been full of memorable moments, with the cherry on top coming in an ultimately successful defence of the much-coveted Hardy Cup for Beckingham!
Despite starting Trinity Term in fourth place, Mr Rossiter reignited belief within the ranks, drawing inspiration from last year’s comeback. Victories in Sports Day and Softball, plus strong second-place finishes in House Drama and Tennis, proved last year’s win was no fluke. The trophy was secured in the final event of the year - the first time Beckingham had topped the league table all year. Not bad timing!
With only three outright wins, consistent effort and determination to earn every point proved crucial. Individual excellence also shone: James H and Zac W-S competed multiple years up in long-distance races for Sports Day, and our Fourth Form team proved extremely strong. Ayaan B’s outstanding House Art project contributed to a well-deserved
win, both individually and for the House. There were standout contributions coming from all year groups throughout the year and it would be impossible to mention every worthy contributor by name, however special thanks must go to former House Captain Tom B and Deputies Raul M and Jacy W for their pivotal roles. Upper Six Formers Ethan D and Navin S set a brilliant example, echoed by Lower Six students George A, Kai H and Dylan F, the entire Fifth Form, and younger students like Theo P who won the Beckingham prize for his year group, Devansh P, Josh W, Albert C, Cristiano V-C, Eoghan F, and George Kall true Beckingham stalwarts.
We bid farewell to Dr Varney, whose infectious enthusiasm and tireless support made a lasting impact as he moves on to lead Austen House. We warmly welcome Dr Sisca as our new Deputy Housemaster. Here’s to defending our title once more and achieving the coveted three-peat! Luke Miranda, House Captain
Here at Hamonde we have excelled this year (2024 to 2025), perhaps not on the Hardy Cup scoreboard but in family and fun. A change in leadership lead to a new start for Hamonde, a ceremonious goodbye to Mr Casale who steps down (end of Lent Term) after two decades serving Hamonde, and like any Hamonde assembly there was some singing including a remastered version of Memories by Dean Martin to show off all the moments of his reign before Sra González took over with her incredible and dedicated team of Mr Crew, Mrs Busby, Mrs Webster and new deputy Mr Gamble who all worked nonstop to keep the cogs whirring and blue machine moving.
The marvellous Ollie James got the House started this year with some off the dome inspirational speeches with Sid Rayaprolu and Dewi Phillip supporting him as deputies. Some memorable moments of Hamonde including a long-awaited Senior House Quiz victory with Ollie James, Alex Mann, Thomas Fish and Joe Pontin hot on the buzzers. House Pancake Race, a marvellous event for charity saw a second place for Hamonde with a boy from each year putting in their best. Some Middle and Lower schoolboys really stepped up this year including Theo Odhams, Callum Cowell, Koko Hristov, Daniel Sarich, Theo Nicklin, Onni Martikainen, Arav Iyer, Archie Morris and so many more who have helped leading and taking part in so many House events. House Drama was a definite highlight for Hamonde with the largest ensemble House Drama may ever see, a true atonement to the enthusiasm of the students and earning Daniel Ward a ‘Best Director’ award.
Before the beloved Upper Sixth departed they had a small handing over ceremony of the school’s oldest House mascot, Harold, from Ollie and his team to the new team, with Alex Chertkow and Alexei Semikhodski as leaders of Middle school, Archie Cowie and Ollie Crawford as leaders of Lower School and Henry Bahaire as my Deputy. We also must acknowledge Alex Kay and Tommy McMurray who are not only leaders of Hamonde but also School Captain and Deputy School Captain respectively. They all showed their deserving leadership at Sports Day where the students in blue showed brilliant resilience and others such as Eshan Toase, Angus Jennings, Orlando Gover, Joshua Bone, and Arthur Ford all competed above their age, Eshan also beat the school high jump record for Fourth Form. Every Hamonde boy was also covered head to toe in blue face paint and Hamonde merchandise as a blue army ready for battle.
It has a been a brilliant year in Hamonde as always has been Happy and Harmonious
Joe Pontin, House Captain
The 2024 to 2025 school year has been an exciting one for Nettles with much to be proud of and take forward into the coming years. Whilst Nettles may have walked away with the wooden spoon, we were able to win several key events overall including House Hockey and Football. There were numerous outstanding individual performances this year including top House Cross-Country performances from Eddie Wilson (5N) as well as Toby Earl (U6-5) wining their respective age groups. Eddie Wilson (5N) continued to be a valuable runner for the House winning the 3k on Sports Day alongside Ted Edwards Davies (5N). Additionally, Chris Hitchcox (U6-6) stepped in last minute on Sports Day to secure a third in the one hundred metres as well as second in the discus. But It doesn’t stop there Nettles saw further victories in House Debating in which former House Captain Will O’Brien was invaluable advising teams of all age groups. Notable debating performances came from Alex Judge (U6-8), Will Randles (L6-5), Rory Mitchell (3P), Alex Rea (4N), Paarth Upadhaya (1P) and Edi Manners (2E). Nettles were also able to come out on top in House Golf and Tennis. In House
Golf Philip Wang (U6-7) and Archie Rothwell (U6-11) dovetailed perfectly to take home the win; Aswell as outstanding tennis performances from Toto Lee (1S), Cameron Lee (4N) and Julian Lewicki (U6-2) that were fundamental in Nettle’s overall victory in the Tennis. Further credit must be given to the Nettles leadership team whom without Nettle’s would be an entirely different House. House Captain Will O’Brien and Vice Captains Alex Judge and Julien Lewicki not only aided Nettles greatly in House events and created engaging and inspiring House Assemblies but also internally put on our very own “Nettles Got Talent” in which students were able to display a vast array of talents from skiing to snooker. Finally, a huge thankyou is owed to Mr Chapman whom without none of this would have been possible. His passion and enthusiasm was second to none and was not only vital in putting together teams and recruiting students but also supporting at the events and spurring our nettles competitors on. Overall, Nettles are in a great place going into next year with enthusiastic and talented students ready to take home the Hardy Cup.
Mr K Tayar, Nettles Head of House
The 2024 to 2025 academic year marked a new era for Powell House under the inspiring leadership of Mr Beever. From the outset, Powell embraced a strong sense of unity, positivity, and determination that carried through every event and challenge.
The Michaelmas Term set the tone, beginning with House Frisbee where Powell made an early impact with a second place finish, showcasing the fun and energy of “Beeverball”. A highlight of the term was the Cross-Country event, securing Powell’s first 12 points towards the Hardy Cup points. In Debating, Senior leaders mentored younger students, passing down knowledge and strengthening bonds across year groups. Rugby, Chess, and Art all demonstrated Powell’s togetherness and diverse talents, from thrilling teamwork in sport to creative expression in artwork by B Thain and L Spilstead. Powell ended the term in the lead.
The Lent Term continued this momentum. The Quiz team, led by Mrs Rathmell, earned another trophy with quick thinking from G Wynn, O Robson, and Z Warham. In Squash and Shooting, Powell impressed with teamwork and precision. Basketball saw three year groups reach the finals, with two claiming victory. House Hockey was fiercely contested, with Powell narrowly missing out, but the spirit of unity shone through. Fencing was a clear strength, with clean sweeps across year groups. In House Music, Powell climbed to third place, highlighted by exceptional performances from N Yang, F Heath, S Lawson-Foia, and others. Powell held onto its overall lead going into the final term.
The Trinity Term began with a leadership handover to F Heath, S Sahu, and T Osmond, who brought fresh energy and motivation. House Photography celebrated community, with Powell leading in entries and creativity. In House Maths, Juniors and Seniors delivered strong results, while House Drama saw standout performances in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Sports Day was a highlight - filled with personal bests, team spirit, and the debut of Powell’s new mascot, Pablo the Panda.
Throughout the year, Powell focused on building memories, developing a growth mindset, and embracing new challenges. Across sports, academics, arts, and leadership, the House consistently demonstrated resilience, collaboration, and pride. This was more than a year of success - it was a year of meaningful connections and shared purpose. Powell proved that its greatest strength lies not just in achievements, but in its unity and positivity. The House leaves this year stronger, prouder, and ready for what’s next.
Mr S Beever, Powell Head of House
After a shaky start in House Golf, Valpy found their stride early in the Michaelmas Term after Archie Secrett led the Ultimate Frisbee team to their second win in two years. Ollie Southwell and Haytham Rayner came Second in Senior Debating, and we claimed a Third place finish in Chess. More success was seen in Art, with Emile Tahir jointly winning the Junior section. After an unfortunate result in cross country, many impressive results in Rugby, including wins in the First and Sixth Form competitions, allowed House Captain Soj Ghosh to lift the House Rugby Cup, putting us in a strong position going into Lent Term.
Despite another slow start in Lent with House Quiz not going our way, our first win of the term came from table tennis, joint with Austen. A strong second place followed in Fencing, with Third Formers Harry Radforth and Monty Membery winning the Middles competition against opponents two years older, and Cyrus Choi winning all of his matches in the Junior competition. Another win came in the Book Week Reading Quiz, after Theo O’Donnell won a tie-break question against Austen. A similar result came in Basketball, where the competition was narrowly won by Valpy after a last-minute three pointer in the Fifth Form competition by Nicholas Malandrinos. Lent Term also saw House Music continue, with the House Brass, Acoustic Guitar and Woodwind Competitions taking place, with our very own Bertie Stevens and Joseph Woodisse winning
intermediate brass and Junior Acoustic Guitar. In Badminton, a win by the Junior team of Havish Nalagesigari, Nathan Chan and Arnav Swarup counteracted some poor results from the older years to claim a respectable finish overall, with the same story happening in squash. Mid-table finishes in Hockey and Shooting left us in second place going into the Trinity Term.
The start of Trinity Term saw the Upper Sixth leave their final mark in Football, and take part in a traditional Valpy Leavers Quiz before the start of study leave. Deputy House Captain Archie Secrett finished off with a commended entry in Photography, along with Max Baker, Theo Baker, and Jonathan Bautz, leading Valpy to second place in photography. Ritam Sen lifted our second House Swimming trophy in two years, with notable performances competing up and age group from Cillian Lee, Dario Alampi and Ralph Cotonet. The next competition was House Maths, another win for Valpy, with wins in the Junior section by Labeeb Ahmed and Ollie Wynn, and the Middles section by Edward Taylor and Samuel Webb. Strong performances by the First and Second Form helped us to second place in Cricket, and a win by Ollie Wynn and Zach Huber guided us to a satisfactory result in Tennis. An improvement from last year in sports day took us away from bottom position, with Daniel Sealy and Emile Tahir winning multiple events. Ollie Southwell, Adrian Groenewald and Orlando Meadowcroft directed us to second place in House Drama, with Max Baker, Monty Membery and Rowan Groenewald winning ‘Oscars’ for their performances. In Softball, the final competition of the year, with an overall Second place lead us to a pleasing Third place in the Hardy Cup Final standings, agonisingly close on points to a win.
At end of the year, we congratulated Olaf Johnson, Elvin Holt, Labeeb Ahmed, Oscar Tarry and Ollie Wynn for getting Junior House Colours, Theo O’Donnell for winning the Valpy Edwards Cup for Fourth Form contribution, and early House Colours went to Ollie Southwell, Adrian Greonewald and Orlando Meadowcroft for outstanding contribution to Valpy during their time at RGS.
After a strong finish and seven event wins this year, bring on next year’s competition!
Henry Goodchild, Valpy House Captain
During the Michaelmas Term, RGS Hockey played in various mid-week friendlies against local schools such as Kingston Grammar School, Reeds and Whitgift across many age groups. Alongside this, the 1st XI was entered into the East League for their National Tier 1 competition which led to some tough fixtures against some of the best hockey schools in the country.
The 1st VI Indoor side got off to a brilliant start, beating Caterham, Reigate and St George’s in their preliminary round which secured a place in the Surrey Finals. In the Finals, the students played some excellent hockey where they produced a convincing win against Cranleigh, a draw against Reeds and a narrow loss to St George’s College. Unfortunately, the students lost in a penalty shootout which meant their Indoor season came to an end.
The U15A’s equally had an impressive season where they won the Independent School’s Hockey Plate competition, beating Manchester Grammar in the semi-finals and Gresham’s in the Final. What an incredible accomplishment for this team, winning two championships in two years.
During the Lent Term the 1st XI hit the ground running with superb performances against St George’s, Reeds and Merchant Taylors’. The highlight of the year was the St George’s Sixes where the students finished as Runner’s-Up in the Cup competition winning seven of their eight fixtures against some of the best hockey schools in the country.
The U16A’s had a fantastic season where they qualified for the National Quarter Finals and were narrowly beaten by Reeds during a penalty shootout. This is the second time in two seasons the U16s have now finished in the last eight schools in the country, a tremendous feat.
The U14s, U13s and U12s all had brilliant seasons with numerous students representing the school in many fixtures during the Lent Term. The fightback from the U14A’s versus Charterhouse during the last game of the season was exceptional and both the U13 and U12 sides showcased mass participation and plenty of promise for future years. There have been some notable successes outside of school Hockey with Sam Bagley (England U18) and Alex Talbot (Wales U18) being selected for their National Age Group squads and both competing against European Nations over the Summer. Charlie Hart has continued with his umpiring journey, where this year he was selected to officiate England U16 vs Scotland U16 at the Lillieshall National Sports Centre.
Mr D Bartram, Head of Hockey
From pre-season in the late August heat to battling Storm Darragh in the final weekend, it was another busy and hugely successful Michaelmas Term for RGS Rugby. Across 16 weeks, our teams played nearly 200 matches and tournaments, with approximately 400 students representing the school. For some, it was their first taste of Contact Rugby; for others, their final appearance in RGS Colours. All showed outstanding commitment.
The Senior season began with a memorable two-week tour of South Africa, setting the tone for what would be an excellent campaign. The 1st XV followed up their success at the Churcher’s College pre-season tournament by reaching the last 32 of the National Schools’ Cup and recording six consecutive victories, including impressive wins over Hurstpierpoint, KCS Wimbledon and St Paul’s. Narrow defeats to Brighton College and Epsom College underlined the team’s ability to compete with the country’s best.
Other season highlights included a record-breaking U12 ‘Super Rugby’ fixture against The Judd School, with 100 students representing U12AG teams, and the U12C team completing an unbeaten season. The U15A side suffered heartbreak in the National Cup, conceding in the dying seconds of their second-round tie to eventual finalists Lord Wandsworth, while the U16A team secured last-gasp glory with a 17-15 win over Cranleigh in the final block of the season.
Several RGS students were involved in various representative pathways: Sixth Formers Harry Chilcott and Hayden Amiss joined the Harlequins Elite Player Development Group, with seven more students in the Harlequins setup at other age levels. Dewi Phillip and Ethan Davey represented Surrey U18s, and 1st XV captain Zac Tinkler played for both Surrey and The Lambs. Former RGS players also shone: Luke Griffiths (OG24) signed for CA Brive and earned an England U19 call-up; Alfie Johnson (OG19) signed a Super League contract with Warrington Wolves; and Luke Wyllie (OG21) captained Oxford University in the Varsity Match, facing Aidan Beaumont (OG23) who played for Cambridge.
It is extremely rare, given its precarious placement in the Lent Term, that the school Sevens season will ever pass without some sort of weather-enforced cancellations but, by some small miracle, the RGS Rugby sides were able to play 23 out of a scheduled 24 tournaments in a memorable, action-packed six-weeks.
The 1st VII faced the highest calibre of competition an RGS sevens side has experienced and excelled: semi-finalists at the South Coast and Surrey Schools’ Sevens Plate winners at Ipswich FloodlitSevens, and last-16 finishers at the Edwin Doran Sevens. At Rosslyn Park, competing in the U18 Cup for the first time, the 1st VII topped their group with wins over Coleg C Cymoedd, Trinity, Henley College and Rugby School on a memorable first day, eventually going on to finish an incredible tenth place overall.
The RGS Guildford U16 Sevens was another standout occasion, with Wellington College lifting the Cup before going on to win the national title. The RGS U16s reached semi-finals at both the RGS and Surrey tournaments, while the U15s won the Egg Chasers 7s and narrowly lost their Surrey semi-final. Across U12–U14, dozens of students enjoyed their first taste of sevens, and for the first time, RGS fielded a 2nd VII at Senior level.
Mr B Dudley, Head of Rugby
Another successful and enjoyable season of RGSG Football has come to an end, with 110 students representing the school; more than 150 goals scored, and over 65 games played, from Cup Quarter Finals to Cup Semi Finals, 1st to 5th XIs, U15s, U16s, U17 XIs and Development XIs. Football at the RGS really does continue to go from strength to strength, with talented and hard-working student-athletes and committed coaches.
The Fourth Form footballers have demonstrated some superb skill and technique on the AWTA in their morning sessions. A dedicated group of over 30 footballers have honed their individual abilities and team awareness, as they have been introduced to the RGSG Footballing Philosophy.
The Fifth Form footballers had a superb season and are a seriously talented group. Ollie Atkinson and Alex Boyd trialled for England U16 Independent Schools Boys, as well as making their full 1st XI debuts, alongside Eddie Wilson. Without doubt, the season highlight was the Noah Lu bench clearing, late equaliser in the County Cup under floodlights (sparking investigations into how to mute the microphone on the VEO cam).
At Senior level, it has been great to see six, U18 sides (as well as an U17 XI) in action, all playing a unique brand of RGSG Football. With a record number of fixtures, two Cup quarterfinals, a Cup semifinal and National Cup knockout football, the standard on show has been remarkable. Goalscoring hero Zayyaan Ali bagged the Golden Boot and 1st XI forward Fiyi Adeoshun the Player of the Season Award. Once again, the soundtrack to RGS early morning life was the noise of footballs pinging around the AWTA and laughter. It doesn’t get any better!
Mr AR Lowe, Head of Football
Ollie
Raul
Fiyi Adeoshun
Dennis
Players
The 2025 cricket season proved to be a campaign of high points, close contests, and significant personal milestones for the RGS 1st XI. Despite a string of narrow losses, the team showed resilience and development across all areas of the game, with standout individual performances marking a season of promise and potential.
The early-season clash against KCS Wimbledon saw RGS make an encouraging start with the ball. Thomas Bull led the attack with 3-42, while Aarush Gupta’s disciplined 2-24 kept the hosts in check. Despite a strong middle-order partnership between Henry Amis (40) and Bull (23), a late collapse cost RGS dearly, with seven wickets falling for just 58 runs in a disappointing 51-run defeat.
Momentum shifted in the next fixture against Reeds, where RGS delivered arguably their best performance of the season. Aidan Golding stole the show with a scintillating 146, ably supported by Oliver Pickup’s 32. The bowlers then did just enough to defend 263, with Gupta (3-35) and Golding (3-36) securing a deserved 24-run victory. It was a match that showcased the team's potential when firing on all cylinders.
That promise was carried into the encounter with Hurstpierpoint, where Golding continued his fine form with a superb 107, sharing a 160-run opening stand with Gupta (58). A dramatic middle-order collapse threatened to derail the innings, but contributions from Harry Griffiths and Alex Kay helped RGS post 248. A controlled bowling effort, featuring Bull (3-38), Gupta (3-33), and Oscar Gilliam (2-28), sealed a commanding win.
However, inconsistency returned in the defeat to Winchester, where 53 extras proved costly as the hosts posted 271. In response, despite a defiant 59 from Henry Amis, the RGS top order crumbled under pressure and fell to a heavy 127-run loss.
Rain-affected conditions led to a shortened match against Cranleigh, and RGS struggled to adapt. A top score of 22 from Oliver Pickup was the only bright spot in a stuttering innings of 92 for 9. Debutant Khalil Aziz offered a glimpse of the future with a composed spell and his maiden wicket, but Cranleigh cruised to an 8-wicket win.
One of the most agonising results came in the thriller versus St Paul’s, where RGS showed real heart in chasing 187. Amis (3-27) and Aziz (3-22) led an excellent bowling display, and a spirited chase, built around contributions from Jourdan, Griffiths, and Iqbal, brought RGS within touching distance. Unfortunately, the final pair fell just seven runs short in a nail-biting finish.
Against Hampton, RGS once again found themselves on the wrong end of a tight match. Golding (3-46), Amis (2-31), and Iqbal (1-14) combined well with the ball to restrict the hosts to 231. The reply faltered early, but Thomas Donnelly’s 50 and valuable support from U15 Iqbal and U14 Aziz gave the chase late momentum. In the end, the team came up just 10 runs short in a valiant effort.
The season concluded with a 40-over contest against St George’s, in which RGS posted 174 thanks to Harry Griffiths’ unbeaten 37 and solid contributions from Jourdan and Amis. Despite some economical spellsparticularly from Gupta (3 maidens, 15 runs) - the total was just below par, and St George’s chased it down with 25 balls to spare.
Individually, Aidan Golding was a standout performer, with two brilliant centuries and key wickets across the campaign. Aarush Gupta proved a reliable presence with both bat and ball, offering control and composure in crucial moments. Thomas Bull consistently led the attack, while Henry Amis contributed important runs and breakthroughs under pressure.
The RGS Cricket Festival was another bright spot, with Oliver Pickup scoring a classy 90 against Colchester, Bull registering a composed 50 against Newcastle, and Griffiths hitting two fine half-centuries to claim the Young Player of the Festival award and Max Webb took 4-60 vs High Wycombe.
This season also marked the first XI debuts for Fourth Former Jake Grant and Third Former Khalil Aziz, whose tidy spells and cool temperament underlined the strength of the younger cohort.
Though results didn’t always go our way, this was a season rich in learning, promise, and growth. Narrow losses to St Paul’s and Hampton could have swung the other way, and key partnerships showed the team’s depth and fighting spirit. With a core of talented younger players stepping up, the future looks bright for RGS Cricket.
Mr RC Black, Head of Cricket
The RGS Athletics Club had an exceptional season, setting a superb benchmark for years to come. The season began with a packed schedule of fixtures across the home counties, with both Junior and Senior teams showing exceptional commitment and effort. This strong start laid the groundwork for the major competitions to come.
Our U12 to U15 teams shone at the District Sports competition, where both the Third and Fourth Form teams won their age groups. A record 18 RGS athletes were selected to compete at the Surrey Schools Championships. There, Eashan Patel (400m) and Max Baker (discus) both secured Silver Medals, and Hugo Wilson won a Gold Medal in the 1500m.
A remarkable season that showcases the incredible talent and dedication of the RGS athletes.
At the National Prep Schools Finals, Emil Tahir won a Silver Medal in the 100m and came in fourth in the 200m. The season’s greatest achievement, however, was in the English Schools Track and Field Cup. For the first time in 18 years, the RGS intermediate team battled through to the national finals.
Facing some of the best athletes in the country, the team rose to the occasion, finishing as the seventh best school athletics squad in the UK. Eashan Patel was the fastest 300m runner on the day, and the 4x100m relay team of Hugo Wilson, Harry Radforth, Matt Boston, and Jack Jamieson also posted the fastest time. Max Merriman set a championship record in the pole vault with a jump of 4.35m, beating a 15-year-old record. He also swept up multiple national accolades, including both the U20 and U17 indoor and outdoor titles. It was a remarkable season that showcases the incredible talent and dedication of the RGS athletes.
Mr BJD Rogers, Head of Athletics
Full colours were awarded to Denver Zhang, Satvikya Srivastava and Sid Rayaprolu.
There has continued to be a good turnout at Badminton Club on Friday afternoons with groups taking it in turns to play on alternate weeks. Students from the Third to Sixth Form have taken the opportunity at some point in the year to play in the badminton club, represent the School teams or partake in House Badminton. There has also been many enthusiastic First and Second Form players who have been part of the Junior Badminton Club run by Mr Cover on Friday lunchtimes. Students have developed their match play as they have moved up the year groups becoming involved in more of the fixtures. New players are always welcome and encouraged to join in and play the game for the first time.
This season has included U19 and U16 fixtures against Wilsons and some mixed doubles matches with Tormead. The House Badminton competitions were keenly contested. The Sixth Form competition was won by Beckingham, the Fifth Form competition was won by Austen, there was a combined Third and Fourth Form competition which was won by Austen, and the combined First and Second Form competition was won by Valpy. The overall winners were Austen.
In recognition of their commitment and contribution to playing regularly for the School Badminton Teams throughout their time at the School, Full Colours were awarded to Denver Zhang, Satvikya Srivastava and Sid Rayaprolu.
Mr AB Kirkland, Head of Badminton
This has been a successful year for Cross Country (XC). In the Michaelmas Term, we hosted the Junior Haskell Cup and our A team won the prestigious Cowx Cup. We then came second in the Ed How Memorial Trophy. In the Hampton Parluuf, both our Junior and Inter teams were placed third and finally in the ESAA XC Cup county round, our Junior team came second and our Inter team came first.
We progressed to the Regional round at Judd but did not then reach the National Final, despite some excellent individual performances. Etienne Victor coming first in the District XC, third in the ESAA Cup and in the Charterhouse Cup and Sam Foster came first in the ESAA Cup. Hugo Wilson and George Holmwood both placed highly in the Cowx Cup, District XC and George in the Charterhouse Cup.
Powell were the overall winners of the House XC, organised by the PE Department, in which all students participated.
In the Lent Term, we competed in five fixtures. In the Judge Cup, Etienne Victor and Charlie Wareing won Silver medals. At Highfield and Bookham, Jake Easter and Etienne Victor came first in their races with excellent performances from Albert Adams and James Horner. At the Harrow SE championship, our Inter team were placed third and in the final race of term, our Senior team consisting of Sam Foster, Eoghan Fuller, Elijah Okesola, Alex and Ben Vickers and Etienne Victor won Bronze Medals for coming third out of 25 schools. Furthermore, Etienne Victor came second.
Both Hugo and Eddie Wilson have represented Surrey in the English Schools XC championships with the Intermediate Team (Eddie’s age group) coming second overall and Hugo coming second within the Surrey Team.
Our XC club has grown in popularity and we often have 30 students out on a Friday morning. Señora NW González, Mrs VE Lewis, Dr R Sisca and Mr WD Cowx provided excellent support.
Eshan Toase and George Holmwood won internal awards for their progress and Alex and Ben Vickers for commitment.
Mrs RJ Rathmell, Head of Cross Country
Junior Haskell Winners
Hugo Wilson (3)
Sam Foster (2)
George Holmwood (3)
Etienne Victor (2)
ESAA Inter Team
George Vickers (4)
Hugo Wilson (3)
Theo Patel (3)
Charlie Wareing (4)
George Holmwood (3)
Eshan Toase (4)
Charterhouse Cup
Etienne Victor (2)
George Holmwood (3)
Zac Winn-Smith (3)
Theo Patel (3)
Danes Hill Podium
Etienne Victor (2)
Eoghan Fuller (2)
Alex Vickers (2)
Sam Foster (2)
Elijah Okesola (2)
Ben Vickers (2)
Wintry Knole Run
Along with calloused fingertips and a physical hunger for places unknown, I am left with the most profound sense of gratitude to all the staff and students I have climbed with for many years.
Some journeys have purpose and meaning. Driving for three hours from Guildford to Portland, we certainly hoped so. The island did not disappoint; the white cliffs offered the kind of wide vista of sea and rock that give something primordial back after busy days at school. The rock offers a broad canvas of routes wandering up through a mixture of ledges, cracks and fingertip monstrosities that a spider would struggle to hide on. Although, obviously, they do.
Other journeys are their own justification.Harrison’s Rocks, along with superb athletic moves on sloping sandstone holds, also hides a foreboding, narrow cave route. Warming down from climbing, the RGS climbers piled in to the cave headfirst, graunching over the first boulders before nose-diving into a precarious handstand to avoid face-planting in the pond at the foot of the cave. Emerging plastered in mud and grins, it was surprisingly difficult to persuade them to go home.
Perhaps the best of journeys were more personal. One climber initially battled to get off the floor, but by the final Field Day was moving confidently over nearly vertical rock. Another’s increasing enjoyment of the understated camaraderie allowed friendships to flourish. Some, returning from the bruising treatment of coasteering, vowed to get out mor e.
Having run Climbing at the RGS for many privileged years, I move on now to a new role, and so will have to let go my hold on the RGS Climbing. Along with calloused fingertips and a physical hunger for places unknown, I am left with the most profound sense of gratitude to all the staff and students I have climbed with for many years. The adventure and fellowship in climbing have, somehow, encapsulated some of the most valuable aspects of the RGS. None of these journeys were wasted; neither was my own.
Mr
MRF Royds, Head of Climbing
I write this while waiting patiently for the students in Fifth Form to arrive home after completing their Silver Qualifying Expedition. They, just as many before having been away in Exmoor following their GCSE exams, will be relieved to have finished - in more ways than one!
The fi rst heat-wave of the ye ar was managed safely, aided by support from the students making informed sensible decisions and taking responsibility for their own welfare.
This year has seen an increase in the number of students choosing to be continuing their DofE journey, with an original 126 registering for Bronze, 55 for Silver and 30 for Gold. This trend has followed through to those who complete Gold and receive their award from Buckingham Palace.
I am proud to report our completion rate is above the national average. Our social value for the year has been reported as £13,246, this equates to 2,509 hours of volunteering undertaken by our students supporting both local and national communities.
The first qualifying expedition of the year is to M id W ales, for the Gold candidatesthis April provided fantastic weather and allowed for stunning view from the high peak of Pen Y Fan in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Accompanying the 24 students from Lower Six was a pleasure- made more memorable for myself, as some came on the international expedition to Cambodia last summer, to see their independence and confidence grow on this expedition was highly rewarding.
Bronze expeditions follow in Trinity, with 126 undertaking their first independent expedition across field days, this initial experience is fundamental to fostering a love of expeditions, from these early steps, I hope a lifetime of adventure follows.
My thanks as always to the staff who so generously give their time to support these expeditions.
TWS, SJHY, CSM,NGD, NLO, HMR, LAW, PGN, MRFR and JDS. Mr C Scampton, DofE Manager
I am proud to report our completion rate is above the national average. Our social value for the year has been reported as £13,246, this equates to 2509 hours of volunteering undertaken by our students supporting both local and national communities.
Public Schools' Championships trophies
Jasper Hagger 1R in Surrey Team Foil
Surrey Team Foil Gold Medallists
U15 foil Silver Medallists in BSTC
Lucas Ngai started off the season in the best possible way by winning his most important title to date, the Heart of England U14 foil. In January, we won four medals in the Surrey Youth Championships, with Lucas being crowned county champion. Ben Kamstra and Max Lerchster were Silver and Bronze Medallists in the U18 épée. Soon afterwards, Lucas was further crowned the Southeast Foil Champion. Harry Radforth and Valentine Wallin all qualified for the British Youth Championships (BYC) in Sheffield.
One of our big successes this season came in the much-anticipated British Schools’ Team Championships (BSTC). In the U15 épée, we lost to Skinners and Whitgift in our poule. However, we then went on to defeat Millfield by 45-21 in the playoff for fifth place. Our talented U15 foil team consisted of Cyrus Choi, Harry Radforth, Lucas Ngai, and the captain Valentine Wallin. We got off to a great start with a 45-42 victory against Millfield. Our next opponent in the poule was the strong Eton team. The scores were tied until fight 4 when Valentine gave us 5-point lead. At this pivotal point of the match, Eton’s top fencer was unable to regain the initiative against a brilliant Harry Radforth. We went on to win three more matches on our way to a 45-35 victory. The Gold Medal match was against defending champion Westminster School and was a rerun of the 2024 final. Two of the Westminster fencers were top 3 in England and their team was naturally the strong tournament favourite. RGS fought with great courage against their talented opponents and the lead changed several times. In fight seven, Harry regained the lead for RGS with an 8-2 win. However, a loss in fight eight and a tie of 5-5 in the final fight gave overall victory to Westminster by 42-45.
A fortnight after the BSTC, we were competing in individual events in the Public Schools’ Championships. Lucas continued his stellar form, securing Silver in U14 épée. Harry Radforth and Monty Membery also made the L16 in the same event. Lucas had great chances of winning the U14 foil but lost to the eventual champion in the QF by a single point. Cyrus Choi and Sam Weight have improved significantly from their results last year. Jasper Hagger and Albert Adams made fine debuts in the competition. We were privileged that our former fencing captains Leo Kamstra and Xavier Wallin were able to referee for us.
We finished the academic year in style with Lucas and Harry winning Gold in the U16 Surrey Team foil. Jasper fenced up an age group and won Bronze.
Although fencing is usually an individual sport, it was amazing to see how well all the students supported each other and celebrated each other’s successes in the competitions.
It gives me great pleasure to thank our brilliant coach, Mr Bengry, for training our fencers both in the RGS and in Cobham Fencing Club. I must also thank Mr Gaynor for his enthusiastic support.
The future is bright for RGS Fencing as we have such talented Juniors emerging. However, this is also the end of an era as our Fencing Captain Ben Kamstra will soon be graduating from the RGS. The Kamstra family have been great supporters of RGS Fencing for the past decade and helped laid the foundation of the successes we enjoy today. In recognition of their contributions, the House Fencing Cup has been engraved the 'Kamstra Cup' in their honour. Max Lerchster will succeed Ben as Fencing Captain and he will be ably supported by Seb Wallage and Ronit Sachdeva.
Mr WS Lau, Head of Fencing
Junior and MH epee squads
Foil and Senior epee squads
Surrey Youth Championships
Cyrus Choi attacking
Monty Membery making an attack
The atmosphere throughout the year was consistently positive, with students supporting one another, celebrating birthdays, and sharing in the joy of each wave caught. The trips were a perfect This year’s series of surf trips to Cornwall have been a resounding success, offering students unforgettable experiences both in and out of the water. Across five Field Days (weekends!) Our keen surfers embraced the challenges of the ocean, the unpredictability of the weather, and the joy of shared adventure. Each trip brought its own highlights, but all were united by a spirit of resilience, camaraderie, and stoke.
Surfing Highlights
From the very first trip, the tone was set with a scenic paddle to a secret surf spot, rewarded with clean waves and stunning wildlife - including puffins and a curious seal. The surf conditions throughout the year defied forecasts, often delivering clean, glassy waves ranging from 2 to 4 feet, ideal for both beginners and intermediate surfers.
Students consistently demonstrated progress in paddling, timing, and wave-catching. Notable performances came from Owen Bryant, Dylan Fuller, Archie Attwood, and Charlie Elson, whose new board made a successful debut. The coveted “Wave of the Trip” went to Mr Crew, while Will Randles, James Webster and Jonny Hall earned special mentions for their remarkable improvement and dedication.
One particularly memorable moment was the surprise appearance of big wave legend Tommy Butler, who joined the group in the water - bringing a touch of surf royalty to the experience.
Evenings were just as memorable as the surf sessions. From campfires under starry skies filled with storytelling and laughter, to improvised games like Softball with a plastic cricket stump, the downtime was rich with bonding and fun. Homework sessions were balanced with dancing, marshmallow mishaps, and new group favourites like Spanish cards and Spike Ball.
Community engagement played a meaningful role in the trips. Students participated in a local Charity Quiz Night supporting Tearfund.org, where one team placed second - showcasing teamwork and quick thinking. Another trip included an invitation to a local anniversary party, reinforcing the strong ties between RGS and the Cornwall surf community.
The accommodation ranged from cosy barns filled with fairy lights and surf memorabilia to indoor camping setups that added charm and character to the experience. Warm showers were a welcome relief after chilly surf sessions, and even frozen wet-suits couldn’t dampen spirits.
The atmosphere throughout the year was consistently positive, with students supporting one another, celebrating birthdays, and sharing in the joy of each wave caught. The trips were a perfect blend of physical challenge, personal growth, and shared joy.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Mr Crew, Mr Gamble, Mr Wakeling, and Miss Babiloni for their tireless support, infectious enthusiasm, and the many giggles they provided along the way. Their dedication ensured that each trip was safe, enriching, and unforgettable.
Until next year - stay stoked, keep paddling, and ride every wave with a smile!
Mr JA Casale, Head of Lifesaving and Surfing
The RGS Mountain Biking group has enjoyed another year of riding local trails, that just happen to be some of the best Mountain Biking riding in the South-East. It has included a diverse and challenging series of Period 8 and Field Day activities that showcased the students' physical fitness, technical development, and enthusiasm for the sport this academic year.
For Field Day 1, the group completed a lengthy out-and-back ride from school to the Surrey Hills, navigating the North Downs Way before conquering a climb up Pitch Hill. This ride, which included a mix of cross-country and downhill trails, was made particularly challenging by the very wet ground conditions. The Trail Academy providing structured training at Holmbury Hill for Field Day 2. This coaching covered essential elements such as correct riding position, route selection, precise cornering, and executing drops. The students immediately applied these lessons on the local single track trails, impressing the coach with their receptive attitude. This was followed by a day at Rogate Bike Park and a 40km cross-county ride for Field Day 3 and 4 respectively.
Expanding on these local successes, the program ran its first-ever overnight trip to South Wales to ride the trail centres of Cwmcarn Forest and Afan. This Welsh terrain presented a new level of difficulty, characterized by rougher, rockier surfaces, constantly changing gradients, and very narrow single tracks. The physical challenge of tackling the tricky technical ascents, descents, flowing sections, and numerous berms and small drops was compounded by high temperature and humidity, which made the climbing particularly arduous.
Throughout the year the members of the group have always maintained their enthusiasm and engagement with Mountain Biking and it has always been lots of fun riding with them. Finally, huge thanks to Mr A J Colebrook for his help and company throughout the year, especially his work on planning the Wales trip.
Dr JS Braithwaite, Head of Mountain Biking
The Outdoor Pursuits program continues to be a resounding success, offering adventure, camaraderie and developing team building skills. Outdoor Pursuits offers a wide range of options both during the Monday Period 8 sessions and the much anticipated field days catering to every student’s interests and passions.
The regular Period 8 activities form the backbone of the Outdoor Pursuits, students have the opportunity to develop new skills and hobbies. The Fourth Form spend their year doing a carousel of five different activities. The spellbinding magic lessons, delivered by the extraordinary Ice Breaker magician; Bushcraft sessions, where the students learn key practical skills delivered by OG Ian Brember; to the strategic team tasks; the thrill of board diving and various ball sports. The Fifth Form are put through their paces with the competitive spirit of Ultimate Frisbee, matched by the creativity unleashed in cooking classes, Escape Room challenges and Street Dance sessions. While Judo keeps our students active and engaged.
The Outdoor Pursuits program continues to be a resounding success, offering adventure, camaraderie and developing team building skills.
Field days are the highlight of the programme, providing exhilarating experiences that foster fun and teamwork. The 'Nuts Challenge' has become a muddy tradition that embodies the spirit of adventure and perseverance. Students have navigated the wilderness with bushcraft, raced down slopes on e-bikes, and experienced the adrenaline rush of Go-karting and Paintballing. Kayaking and water sports are an ever popular summer experience, followed by High Ropes and Archery.
None of this would be possible without our dedicated staff, whose professionalism, commitment and unwavering positivity have been crucial to the programme's success. The catering team have really lifted the cookery programme; Dr Varney brought international experience to Ultimate Frisbee. The tireless efforts of all the staff have made this such an enjoyable experience for our students - thank you!
Mr JJ Holland, Head of Outdoor Pursuits
Oh how times flies as another RGS Sailing season ends and a different set of RGS Upper Six Sailors head off the University and beyond leaving only shadows and memories behind.
The 2024 to 2025 season will be remembered by all as a good one. The sun shone, the winds were fair and RGS sailors, once again, proved to be at the pinnacle of the sport. We rarely challenge the two or three premiership teams, with their multiple staff, massive budgets and endless stream of sailing scholarships propping up their A Teams, however we continue to challenge the “normal” schools for a top five national placement.
This year’s BDRSA schools team racing finals proved to be as competitive as ever with teams from as far as the USA and Ireland. The RGS submitted both Junior and Senior teams, competing in the feva and firefly division respectively. The Junior team saw fierce competition against other top schools, but helmed by Toby Lay and Alex Jones the team excelled finishing 12th from 28 teams. As for the Seniors we were able to send two teams to compete against 26 of the best schools teams and the firsts had a strong performance overall recording a respectable tenth place. The likes of Finlay Lomas-Clarke and Haytham Rayner will be missed by the current Lower Six next season.
At Itchenor Schools week our standout result across the Senior and Junior event was Oscar Lay’s and Billy Hoodless’s fifth place in the 100 boat RS Feva fleet. This is more impressive when you take into account that they only sail together at school, and not in RS Feva’s! Great effort.
And so on to 2025 to 2026. More memories to be made, boats to be sailed and minibuses to be driven.
#letsgosailing!
Mr JC Witts, Head of Sailing
Schools Meet 2025
Clayton Challenge - Nicholas, Myers, Bhagat, Serpant
Cambridge Match
Gallery Rifle 2025
OG Christmas Shoot-2
It proved to be another very busy year for the shooting team... In the BSSRA Postal League our B, C and D teams all won Silver with the A team securing Bronze. Myers earned a badge for his top 25 placing in the English Schools’ Long Range. History was made for RGS in the same competition by the VIII winning Bronze along with the Junior Pair of Jacobs and Elliott. Bhagat and B Cunningham should be commended for earning their Class B badges in the West Kent Cup. A new international match against New Zealand saw Nicholas make the team and go on to win for England. Nicholas and B Cunningham both shot for England as part of the home counties match and both won, with Scotland coming a close second place. Great success was had in the SCSBRA with all of the following winning their division either as an individual or as part of a team: B Cunningham, Elliott, Hine, Nicholas, S Cunningham, Jacobs, Gauld, Dimov, Ball, Bannister, Myers, Bhagat, Brindle, Wechalekar and Robertson. In the Country Life, special congratulations went to S Cunningham for getting his team to the highest landscape score of the whole competition. Our Team A of Bhagat, Cunningham, Nicholas, Myers, Deutsch won Gold with 448/500 and Team D of Robertson, Wechalekar, Ball, Bannister and Hine won Silver with 447/500. In the CCRS Postal competitions two Bronze Medals were secured along with a Silver and a Gold for the A and B teams. In fullbore the successes continued with victory in May by winning the Clayton Challenge and then it was on to the July competitions. Our team of VIII won the Queen’s Regiment Cup, B Cunningham won the reserve competition earning himself the Crowther Challenge Trophy and the Schools Four (Engleman, Gauld, Burton, Serpant) beat Wellington by one point to secure a Gold and a trophy. Out of seventeen firers participating from the RGS eleven of them made it into the Cadet 100, a phenomenal achievement considering that around 450 cadets take part. Dimov, Ball and Smith all earned NRA badges for their scores during Schools’ Meet and Bhagat, Dimov, Elliott, Engleman and Gauld all placed in prize lists earning themselves a Silver Spoon. During the Imperial a total of thirty-four prizes were awarded to the RGS, congratulations to those who are now OGs for securing these and in particular to Myers who managed to achieve ten of them himself. Not to be outdone, Bhagat pipped him to the post by winning eleven including his very own Silver Tankard. I am exceptionally proud of all that the team have accomplished in my three years as Head of Shooting. Sincere thanks go to Mr Black, Mr Whicher, Mr Underwood and Mr Bush for all their help and dedication. My best wishes to Mrs Busby who will be taking over the role.
Dr EA McEwan, Head of Shooting
This year’s dry slope training saw 16 students from the First to Upper Six Forms training on Friday nights at Alpine Snowsports in Aldershot in preparation for the ESSKIA races held in late September. On race day we had some excellent individual performances. Team Captain, Jack Weeks gained one of the fastest times on the day, but unfortunately, a tricky course meant that Charlie Locke had to hike a missed gate and Will Judd skied out meaning that, even with a good performance from Will Gossage, sadly the team did not progress this year’s to the English finals. The Senior Bs, led by Charlie Connolly, had a solid performance but also just missed out on qualification. Our Middles A Team were more successful with Freddie Judd, Max Locke and Charlie Courts all moving to the finals in Norwich, where they were joined by Will Courts and were placed fifth in their age group in England. Well done Team.
In the Surrey Schools’ Races, our Senior A Team had a great day and gained Bronze podium position, with Will Judd being placed fifth individually.
Our final event of the year was at the British Schoolboys’ races in Wengen, Switzerland. Thanks to Freddie Judd and his editing team for the report below.
In January, nine members of RGS Guildford represented the school at the British Schoolboys Competition in Wengen, Switzerland. The event began with challenging conditions, as heavy snowfall led to the cancellation of the slalom race. While this was disappointing, it provided an opportunity for competitors to enjoy a powder day before turning their attention to the Giant Slalom (GS) event.
On race day, the team delivered a series of commendable performances across multiple age categories. In the Under 12 category, Charlie Gooch achieved a strong result, finishing sixth out of 12 competitors in his age group. Moving into the Under 14 category, Charlie Courts placed 27th, while Elliott Schafer produced an outstanding performance, finishing 8th in the U14 category and 37th overall. Elliott’s efforts earned him a Bronze Medal for third place among unregistered racers - a notable achievement for the team. Also in the U14 category, Ben Birks secured 24th place.
In the Under 16 category, William Judd finished 16th in his age group and 41st overall. William Gossage recorded a respectable first run, placing 30th in U16, but unfortunately skied out on his second
run. Similarly, William Courts and Jago Halliwell completed their first runs but were unable to finish their second runs. Ollie Clements, making his debut for RGS Guildford, achieved a solid result, finishing 39th overall.
Despite some competitors not completing both runs, the team demonstrated resilience and competitive spirit throughout the event. The highlight was undoubtedly Elliott Schafer’s medal-winning performance, which showcased his skill and determination. Overall, the competition provided valuable experience for all participants and reinforced the strength of RGS Guildford’s Skiing programme.
MR SJH Yetman, Head of Skiing
GS Training
Enjoying the view
Overlooking the Eiger
Team RGS Wengen
Ably assisted by Messrs Thomson, Foster, Chapman, Lemaire and Wakeling tennis at the RGS had another full and successful year.
Our teams enjoyed their usual well balanced performance ratio of 50:50 wins and losses and were always found competing with style and sportsmanship.
A couple of results stand out. In the Lawn Tennis Association’s League we reached the quarterfinals of the Under 13 competition where we only lost out to the National Champions, Ewell Castle, with our star player Toto Lee beating their number one.
Half Colours have been awarded to Archie Attwood, Alex Talbot and Will Hopwood.
At Eton in the Youll Cup, the Under 18 competition, we excelled. Archie Attwood, Will Hopwood, Alex Talbot and Cameron Lee fought their way fearlessly, winning three nail-biting matches to reach the final stages. Well done indeed.
In terms of sportsmanship the RGS often stand out. Not least this year, when brothers William and Alex Browne paired up for the prestigious Youll Cup. At one point the ball was called out but a player, who will remain nameless, gave the ball a whack anyway and caught poor, unexpecting, William squarely on the side of his nose, accompanied by loud sighs of surprise and concern from the assembled crowd. William calmly strolled off to the medical centre with blood streaming from his nose. He returned, to loud applause, without making a single comment or gesture to the perpetrator of the accident, and continued the match in style. Impressive.
Captain of Tennis for 2025 to 2026
Archie Attwood.
Half Colours
Archie Attwood, Alex Talbot and Will Hopwood.
Congratulations to all!
Mr JA Casale, Head of Tennis
Squash is now a popular minor sport at RGSG and our club is vibrant with enthusiastic new members. We now consistently fill five squash courts with over 20 students attending each week. Throughout the 2024 to 2025 academic year we have had some very challenging, yet rewarding, fixtures against Epsom College, Cranmore School, Charterhouse School and Sevenoaks School in which the matches were officiated by the children themselves, during which, our students conducted themselves with integrity. The discipline and skill learned is a great addition to the sport itself. Most of those school’s teams have had Junior England development squad players, providing an excellent learning opportunity for our most able players. We also placed two teams into the Epsom College Open Tournament on a weekend in November and both teams had a great time.
Powell was victorious with a clear lead in this year’s House Squash event. However, second place was closely contested with Beckingham taking second place over Valpy due to Beckingham’s consistent performance in Third Form and above. The students enjoyed the event and were keen to attend Squash Club in the next academic year.
Squash will be featuring in the 2028 Olympic Games and I hope that this inspires the next generations to try out squash and hopefully provides the sport additional funding and recognition. The future is bright for RGS Squash as we have such talented Juniors coming through. I am confident that they will go from strength to strength and hopefully embrace the beautiful sport of squash beyond our weekly squash sessions.
Mr CH Wakeling, Head of Squash
RGS Staff vs Boys-2
The 4 teams at nationals
Celebrating victory in Windsor
Semi finalists in Tonbridge
Bronze Medals for U20 team
First tournament for some of our Juniors-2
U20 MVP Harry Simmons
The winners were as follows:
Under 14As Luke Haran 2E, Under 14Bs Mac Deakin 2E, Under 17s Monty Membery 3E and Under 20s Harry Simmons U6-5.
It has been a year of great growth for the RGS Ultimate Frisbee club. Our Senior team has asserted itself as a top team in the region. In successive trips to Windsor our Seniors finished first and second, with strong performances from Archie Secrett U6-10, Navin Sivayoganathan U6-7 and William Bullen L6-5. Our Senior team also travelled to Tonbridge for another tournament, where we managed to make the semi finals on the back of excellent play from Toby Douglas 5V. Another highlight of the year was our annual staff vs boy’s game, which has become quite a rivalry. In the end the staff narrowly closed out a win 15-12, despite fantastic play from the students, and particularly from star thrower Koko Hristov 5H.
The addition of the Junior club in the Trinity Term has seen the rise of our U17 and U14 teams. Previously we had taken a single team to nationals, this year a total of 42 students travelled up to Leicester to compete at nationals. Our under 14 teams smashed their division with the As, winning all their pool games and finishing third in the plate competition, with the Bs managing a strong sixth place finish. Our under 17 team, entirely comprised entirely of Third Formers, had a tough time in the pool stage, but managed to finish strong with two wins to finish 15th.
Our under 20 team finished second in their pool, putting them into the Bronze Medal game. They were 7-5 down with 10 minutes remaining but put in an insane effort to stifle the opposition and win the game 9-7. From each of the national’s team, one player got the prestigious “Most Valuable Player Award”.
Dr JO
Another good year for RGS Chess, with regular lunchtime Chess Club continuing to brighten the lunchtimes of many budding players. Our 1st and 2nd VI had another season of competing in the high-quality Briant Poulter Surrey Schools Chess League on Friday evenings throughout the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, flying the flag for traditional over-the-board chess. The RGS also once again hosted the Russell Trophy chess tournament featuring over 100 players from nine different schools.
Our 1st VI finished mid-table in Division 1 of a competitive Surrey Schools League, containing current national champions Hampton School, in addition to many other strong players and teams. This Surrey Schools league is fairly unique on a national level and we are lucky to continue to have organised, regular and competitive in-person chess. In the National Schools Chess Championship, our 1st VI narrowly missed out on the national finals this year, being bested by Winchester College in the regional final. We hope to bounce back next year!
Our 2nd VI finished fifth in Division 2 West; a league consisting of some strong A, B and C teams. Team regulars ranged from First Form to Upper Sixth students and I hope they all continue enjoying and developing their chess moving forward.
A huge thank you to Dr DJ Jackson and a special thank you to Mr T Foster. Without your help and support throughout the year, Chess simply wouldn’t be able to run in the way it does at this school.
RGS Chess bids a fond farewell to James Fenwick U6-2, who came to RGS Chess fairly late in his time at the school, but represented the 2nd VI (and 1st VI on occasion) very well. I hope you continue to enjoy chess as you move through life.
Mr AWJ Hadley, Head of Chess
A weekly MUN meeting
An internal MUN conference meeting
Epsom College MUN Conference in full swing
RGS MUN has gone from strength to strength this year. Students have attended a variety of external conferences at Wycombe Abbey, St Tormead and Epsom College, and we had record levels of applicants and attendants at our own RGS MUN conference and participating in weekly meetings. The students’ enthusiasm for the society, combined with their interest in international politics, has meant that RGS MUN is flourishing, and our delegates are to be commended on their enthusiasm and scholarship.
In particular, numerous students including (but not limited to): Spandan Sahu, Ayan Chowdhury, Daniel Ward, Cameron Brown and Ayaan Bhagat led weekly MUN sessions with good humour and wisdom over the past several months. These students have diligently and skilfully led sessions on a variety of topics, including writing resolutions, raising points of information, researching countries and issues, and delivering public speeches. With such levels of dedication and leadership on display, it is clear that RGS MUN has a bright future ahead.
A few Upper Sixth Form students deserve special mention for their dedication towards, and leadership of, RGS MUN this year. First, the assistance and experience of Zac Warham, Mahil Vasanth and Daniel Hughes at our weekly MUN meetings has been phenomenal. Zac, Mahil and Daniel have all been extremely generous with their time and efforts, helping less experienced delegates and assisting with the orderly running of weekly meetings. Second, George Christiansen’s reputation proceeds him as an erudite, energetic and empathetic secretary general, who has helped to raise the level of debate at RGS MUN to new heights. Finally, Alex Mann’s outstanding organisation skills were put to the ultimate test with our conference this year, and they were not found wanting. My thanks go to all of these brilliant young men, and I wish them all the best.
Mr T Foster, Head of MUN
As the following section reports demonstrate, the CCF has enjoyed another action-packed year filled with challenging Field Days, exciting activities, and regular training during Monday Period 8. Highlights of the year included the Military Skills Competition, the Trident Programme, and an unforgettable Summer Camp, all of which provided cadets with opportunities to develop leadership, resilience, and teamwork in demanding environments.
These achievements would not have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of our staff team. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to SSI Capt Mansfield and to our outstanding Senior NCO team, led this year by WO(C) Michael Goncharuk, for their commitment and support throughout the programme.
Lt Cdr (SJH) Yetman RNR, Contingent Commander
The CCF Army Section has completed an exciting and progressive annual programme designed to challenge students, build leadership, and develop essential military skills. Across five immersive Field Days, cadets from the Fourth Form to Upper Sixth have taken part in a wide range of activities that foster teamwork, resilience, and confidence.
The journey begins with Field Day 1: New Cadet Induction and Military Leadership. Fourth Form cadets from all three services - Army, Navy, and RAF - gathered at Brunswick Camp for a tri-service introduction. Despite the wet weather, spirits were high as cadets tackled the army obstacle course, learned teamwork on the field gun, practiced skill at arms with the cadet rifle, and drilled on the parade square. Upper Sixth cadets played a vital role in mentoring and supporting the newcomers.
Meanwhile, Army cadets in the Fifth and Lower Sixth Forms headed to Tangier Wood for leadership training, where they undertook command tasks and exercises that introduced them to the principles of military leadership in a woodland setting.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but the induction day was brilliant. The obstacle course was tough, but it brought everyone together. I’m excited for what’s ahead.” - Fourth Form Cadet
Field Day 2: Skill at Arms and Fieldcraft saw Fourth Form cadets focus on safe handling of the L98 Cadet GP Rifle. They learned marksmanship principles, weapon maintenance, and drills before applying their skills in a paintball patrol lane - an engaging simulation of tactical movement and enemy contact.
Older cadets (Fifth, Lower Sixth, and Upper Sixth) spent the day at Bramshott Common, refining their fieldcraft through paintball runs, pair drills, and section attack rehearsals.
“The paintball patrol was a great way to test what we’d learned. It felt like a real mission, and we had to think fast and work as a team.” - Fifth Form Cadet
Field Day 3: Tactical Movement and Section Attacks brought all year groups together again at Bramshott Common. Cadets practiced camouflage, formation movement, and pairs fire and movement using blank ammunition. The day culminated in full section attacks, where cadets worked in teams to assault enemy positions, testing their coordination and communication under realistic conditions.
“The section attack was intense, but we pulled it off thanks to good teamwork.” - Fourth Form Cadet
The highlight of the programme was Field Day 4: Overnight Tactical Exercise, where Fourth and Lower Sixth cadets deployed to Bramshott Common for a 24-hour mission. Tasked with repelling the fictional South Downs Army near the Hindhead Tunnel, cadets navigated ambushes, conducted night operations, and launched a dawn assault on an enemy supply hub. The exercise demanded tactical thinking, endurance, and teamwork, leaving cadets with a deeper understanding of operating in the field.
“The overnight exercise was intense but incredibly rewarding. Working together under pressure really brought our section closer, and I feel much more confident in my leadership and fieldcraft skills now.” - Lower Sixth Cadet
“It’s always impressive to see how quickly cadets adapt to the challenges of operating in the field. Their teamwork and determination during the night ambush and dawn assault were outstanding.” – CCF Staff Member
Finally, Field Day 5: Marksmanship and Adventure Activities took place at the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Cadets fired the L98 A2 rifle on the 100m Electronic Target Range, honing their marksmanship in challenging conditions. Between shooting sessions, they enjoyed Laser Tag and Archery Tag, adding a fun and competitive edge to the day. “Shooting at Sandhurst was a real privilege. It was great to test our skills in a professional setting - and the Laser Tag was a brilliant way to end the day.” - Lower Sixth Cadet
This year’s Trident Programme saw cadets from all three services - Army, Navy, and RAF - take part in a wide range of additional training opportunities, both on Mondays and selected weekends.
Cadets developed their skills on live ranges and in the DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer), and proudly represented the contingent at the Brigade Military Skills Competition. The highlight of the programme was a weekend exercise at the Urban Training Complex at Copehill Down, where cadets navigated realistic urban scenarios and demonstrated their tactical ability.
“Copehill Down was unlike anything we’d done before. It really tested our ability to think clearly and lead in fast-moving situations.” - Fourth Form Cadet
This summer, cadets and staff joined over 400 others from across the South West region for a week of adventure and training at Okehampton Training Camp, hosted by the South West Cadet Training Team.
Throughout the week, cadets took part in a varied and challenging programme both on camp and out in the training area. Highlights included an overnight fieldcraft exercise, a TIBUA (Training in Built-Up Areas) scenario where cadets tactically took control of a farm complex, air rifle shooting, field gun drills, and a range of team-building and leadership activities.
One of the standout moments came on competition day, where our contingent proudly won the Leadership Task, demonstrating excellent teamwork, problem-solving, and command ability under pressure.
“Winning the leadership task was a real boost. Everyone pulled together and gave it their all - it showed how far we’ve come as a team.” - Cadet
Unfortunately, heavy fog led to the cancellation of our planned day at Tregantle Ranges. However, the team made the most of the change in plans by heading to a local escape room complex—where they just managed to complete the challenge! “Even when plans changed, the cadets adapted quickly and kept their enthusiasm high. That flexibility and teamwork are exactly what we aim to develop.” - CCF Staff
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to WO (C) Will Peasey, the SNCO Team, Capt Mansfield (SSI), Lt Witts, and 2nd Lt McEwan for their invaluable support in running CCF Army Section activities throughout the year.
A special thank you goes to 2nd Lt McEwan for her dedicated service as Officer and Staff I/c Shooting. She has led the shooting team with passion, good humour, and impressive efficiency, making a significant impact on the cadet experience. We’re delighted that she will remain part of the team and continue to support FG Off Busby, who now takes on the role. “2nd Lt McEwan’s leadership has been outstanding. Her enthusiasm and attention to detail have helped shape a confident and capable shooting team.” - CCF Colleague
At the end of the year, we bid farewell to Captain Black, who has taken up a new post at Epsom College. Captain Black joined the CCF Army Section upon arriving at the school and quickly became a valued member of the team. Having been a cadet himself and a top university-level marksman, he brought a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the contingent from day one.
On one of his first night navigation exercises, he impressed - and slightly frustrated - his colleagues by being exceptionally good at it too! He soon completed all the necessary qualifications to train cadets in Skill at Arms, run short, long, and electronic ranges, and lead blank-firing fieldcraft exercises. Whether on civilian or military ranges, in the field, in the classroom, or supporting numerous camps, Captain Black proved to be an indispensable part of the CCF programme.
“Captain Black’s energy and expertise made a real difference to the cadet experience. He was always willing to go the extra mile, and cadets responded to his leadership with enthusiasm and respect.”
- CCF Colleague
We thank him sincerely for his outstanding contribution and wish him every success in his new role.
Mr C Mansfield, CCF School Staff Instructor
I am very pleased to report that the RGS RN Section continues to flourish with 20 new Fourth Form recruited into Red and Blue Watches and ten Fifth Form choosing to continue their training into Gold Watch. Our NCO team was also very strong with Cdt LH Chertkow, Hallas, Halliwell, Moggs Myers and Shimell committing to support our Senior NCOs leadership team of Cdt WO2 Will Bayne (Section i/c) and Cdt CPOs Benedict Cunningham and Zac Warham. The knowledge, enthusiasm and organisation of this NCO team meant that the section largely ran itself with little staff input. With the return of central provision from CCF HQ we enjoyed opportunities to get afloat and, as always, we innovated to find new worthwhile experiences and I am very pleased to be able to report the following varied training outcomes.
Red and Blue Watches completed the 1* and 2* basic RN training syllabus during Monday Period 8 activities which, in addition to the theoretical sessions introducing the RN such as values and role, ranks and rates, ships and weapons systems, included plenty of physical activities such as the RN swim test, basic drill manoeuvres, field gun drills, shooting, pioneering, practical leadership tasks (PLTs) and compartment clearing drills. They also engaged with a varied Field Day programme with training encompassing: the recruit induction day at Pirbright Army Camp, gaining their RYA Powerboat Level 1 and canoeing and raft-building at Cobnor Activities Centre; Compartment Clearing and Virtual Battle Simulations at HMS Excellent; and a multi-paddlesports activity day in Gosport. During the paddlesports day the cadets experienced SUPs, kayak and Canadian canoe, practicing skills and then the focus was on fun and teamwork with relay races, a canoe obstacle course and attempting to get all 23 on a giant SUP (only 18 achieved before sinking!).
During Monday Period 8, Gold Wath completed their advanced syllabus training gaining their 3* awards, and the NCO team delivered and facilitated all of the section training with, pleasingly the vast majority ably delivered by the Lower Sixth cohort. Gold and NCO cadets also experienced a really valuable field day training programme which included: two days of afloat training aboard yachts and large powerboats in the Solent practising basic seamanship skills and learning navigation, marks and pilotage; Sea Survival training including a review of purpose and function of all lifesaving equipment and a very fun practical pool session to experience life jacket and survival raft training which included jumping of high boards and being blasted with fire hoses in the dark; paddle-sports at Gosport; and the Marine Compartment Clearing (MCC) training and Virtual Battle
Flare training
Marching at HMS Excellent
Raft-building in Chichester Harbour
Virtual Battle Simulations
Gaming
Marine
Compartment Clearing Drills
Paddlesports
Sea Survival TrainingLifejackets and Liferafts Fast Motor Launches in the Solent
Yachting in the Solent
Navigation training aboard a Fast Motor Launch
Simulations (VBS) at HMS Excellent. The VBS is essentially mass participation computer gaming with ‘players’ taking on specific roles in a battle simulation such as driving landing craft and RIBs, flying helicopters, driving Land Rovers and acting as Royal Marines - the system is evolving and will soon incorporate virtual reality headsets. The highlight of the day, though, was the MCC simulations with cadets donning webbing and using Nerf Guns to deploy into a room complex in order to ‘clear’ the rooms, neutralising threats and searching for intelligence. The focus of the drills are teamwork, communication and decision making. The simulations are intense and the cadets quickly realise how challenging this sort of operation would be in the real world.
As ever, several RN cadets also took advantage of the extensive HQ Camps and Courses opportunities during the school holidays: Of particularly note were Cdt LH Peter Hallas successfully completing the intense RN Senior Leadership Course at HMS Raleigh and Cdt LH Arthur Shimell achieving his RYA Day Skipper Sail qualification as well as attending the Army Summer camp. Several RN cadets also joined the RGS CCF Trident programme with Cdt LH Alex Chertkow performing strongly.
We are already looking forward to the coming year: Field Day plans are taking shape, and the cadet leadership team is already looking strong. Thank you to S/Lt Muchmore and our SSI Capt Mansfield for their continual support of the section.
Lt TW Shimell (CCF) RNR
In 2024 to 2025 the RAF section was ably led by the Senior NCOs Michael Goncharuk and James Nicholas. They worked tirelessly to produce an effective and stimulating RAF teaching programme throughout the year and they and their NCO team did a fantastic job all year. My thanks also goes to Flying Officers Busby and Woodman for their help in the Field Days and Monday Period 8 sessions.
In the weekly Monday Period 8 sessions, the NCOs covered the RAF syllabus which included wide-ranging topics including flight simulator training, principles of flight, the history of the RAF, aircraft in the RAF, and aircraft recognition. We have invested in our RAF flight simulators and the new flight sim equipment has gone down very well with the RAF cadets.
Field Days this year have included a tri-service induction at a local Army base, a Field-Craft and Navigation day at Bramshott Common, a visit to Tangmere Aviation museum and Goodwood Aerodrome, a High Ropes and Paintballing day, and a visit to Brooklands Museum of aviation and motor history. A number of cadets also had the opportunity to experience the thrill of powered flying at RAF Benson, where our cadets took part in the RAF Air Experience Flying in the Grob Tutor two-seater aircraft. Cadets also visited RAF Rissington for a Gliding Induction Course in the Viking winch-launched glider. These aviation opportunities have been the highlight of a successful and productive year in the RAF Section.
Teachers use their good subject knowledge to engage students in highly sophisticated discussions, using probing questions to challenge their ideas and encourage scholarship and thought extremely effectively.
This is further reflected in the additional activities, for example the ‘independent learning assignment’, undertaken by Year 12 pupils.
ISI Inspection Report 2025
“Students develop a breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm for scholarship. This is a significant strength of the school. This strong academic culture leads to students who readily engage in critical thinking and deep learning and display intellectual curiosity”.
The ILA/ ORIS Celebration Evening
TAs ever, both the calibre of the students’ research and the standard of their presentations were exceptional.
he best of this year’s ILA (Independent Learning Assignment) and ORIS (Original Research in Science) projects were presented to an audience of judges, students, parents and other friends of the school. As ever, both the calibre of the students’ research and the standard of their presentations were exceptional. It was a particular treat to listen to the film score that Ruvin Meda (U6-9) had composed as his ILA submission, to accompany a Felix The Cat silent animation. Ruvin was awarded first prize in the ILA Arts and Humanities category alongside Thomas Dowson (U6-1, Will Knot Theory Pave our Future?) In the ILA STEM category. Joel Sellers (U6-6, Initiating the Development of a Library for Plastic Polymers using Raman Spectroscopy) was awarded the inaugural ORIS award.
The Junior Scholarship Conference is now in its second year and it was wonderful to see nearly 100 students from the First, Second and Third Forms arriving to listen to presentations given by members of the Sixth Form, on topics ranging from determinism to the UK housing market. The Sixth Form students had chosen topics that particularly interested them and the question-and-answer session that followed the presentations indicated how engaged and inspired the younger students were.
For several years, the Senior Independent Learning Assignment (the ILA) has been a flagship part of our Scholarship for All programme, offering students in the Lower Sixth the opportunity to research a topic of their own choosing, with subject specialist support from a member of the teaching staff. This year, for the first time, we launched a Junior ILA (the ILA JNR). The programme was offered to students in the Third and Fourth Form. Each participant was paired with a mentor from the Sixth Form to support them in what was, for some, the most significant piece of independent research that they have completed to date.
Almost 80 students signed up with 40 students successfully submitting finished projects. All 40 of these students were invited to share their projects with a guest list of staff, parents and fellow students at the Junior ILA Celebration Evening at the start of the Trinity Term, culminating in the presentation of the inaugural Junior ILA awards. Leo Shaw’s (3T, Dobble: brilliant but flawed) won in the Third Form category, with Thomas Aczel (4V, Is time travel fact or science fiction?) And Theo Odhams (4H, Board Game Design) sharing the honours in the Fourth Form category.
The 200 Seconds is a competition that allows students in the First and Seconds Forms the opportunity to give a presentation on a topic of their choice, with one significant caveat: they have only 200 seconds to do so! This year, for the first time, the 200 Seconds competition was run in conjunction with RGSG Dubai, with a Grand Final taking place as parts of the RGSG Dubai visit to the UK in April. The theme of this year’s event was iconic, allowing for a variety of interpretations. Adithya Shetty (1L) and Chloe from Dubai won the First Form/ Year 7 competition, with Thomas Jacob (2P) winning the Second Form category and the overall prize.
The 200 Seconds competition was run in conjunction with RGSG Dubai, with a Grand Final taking place as parts of the RGSG Dubai visit to the UK in April.
RGS students have enjoyed an extremely impressive level of success in external academic competitions this year. Marcus Perkin (L6-4) won an unprecedented three separate national essay competitions, as well as being runner up in a fourth. Yuvan Raja (L6-9) represented the British Astrophysics Olympiad team at the International Astrophysics and Astronomy Olympiad in Mumbai, winning a Gold Medal and coming third in the world out of 288 competitorsthe highest a UK student has ever ranked. Alongside these and other individual achievements there have also been fantastic team successes, including the team of Daniel Ward (L6-1), Laurent Spilstead (L6-1), William Randles (L6-5), Leil D'Souza (L6-5), and Joe Millar (L6-1) finishing 12th in the Cambridge Biology Challenge run by Homerton College.
Mrs HE Tarasewicz, Head of Scholarship
FIRST FORM 11+ ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Harry Beck
Alex Heritage
Alex Rychlinski
Angus Woodman
THIRD FORM HONORARY ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Leo Larivé
SIXTH FORM HONORARY ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Krish Amin
Cameron Boston
Alex Boyd
Patrick Cooper
Thomas Fish
Percy Fisher
Stirling Gauld
Thomas Hargreaves
Henry Hebburn
Oscar Hodges
Anzhi Kuang
James Lloyd
Nicholas Malandrinos
Alastair Noble
Dominic Nugent
Eoghan O'Donnell
Sebastiaan Oosterom
Aaran Pegler
Alexander Power
Abdul Rafah
Siddhanth Shirol
James Thomas
Jack Thomson
Dylan Wall
Akshay Wechalekar
Edward Wilson
Jamie Withers
Noah Wyatt
THIRD FORM 13+ ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Eddie Lucas
FIRST FORM 11+ ART SCHOLARSHIPS
Ian Kim
Hugo Knight
FIRST FORM 11+ DRAMA SCHOLARSHIPS
Alex Heritage
Teddy Sutherland
FIRST FORM 11+ MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Shangchen Lyu King’s Scholarship
Arthur Barker
Zac Meng-Lewis
Sebastian Stott Fernandez
Jeremiah Varghese
Cooper Xu
William Zhao
FIRST FORM 11+ SPORT SCHOLARSHIPS
Lachie Lee
Ronan O’Hare
Alex Wynn
George Dodson-Waite
Owen Hughes
Samuel Hughes
Charlie Rona
Gabriel Wieremiej
Tom Williams
THIRD FORM 13+ ART SCHOLARSHIP
Sebastian Broom
Olaf Johnson
HONORARY ART SCHOLARSHIPS
Aryan Petras
Henry Smart
Theo Turner
THIRD FORM 13+ SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP
Mobi Akin-Olugbade
HONORARY SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS
William Raven
Kayan Sachdev
Bertie Stevens
Ollie Wynn
SIXTH FORM 16+ ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP
Aryan Sharma
SIXTH FORM 16+ SPORT SCHOLARSHIP
Luke Golding
UPPER SIXTH PRIZE - ACADEMIC
James Bowater Ancient History
Filip Spragg Art (Powell)
William O'Brien Biology (Robins)
Alex Mann Chemistry (Mellersh)
Daniel Cobb Classical Languages (Bishop)
James Fenwick Computer Science
Charlie Locke Design and Technology (Carter)
Georgie Paulson Economics (Leech)
Mahil Vasanth Electronics (Lazenby)
Jenson Anderson English (Simpson)
Nicko Lawrence French (Broadbent)
James Davis Geography (Feaver)
William Holmes German (Magnus)
Will Peasey History (Green)
Toby Rathmell Mathematics (Bailey)
Leo Saarinen Further Maths
Ruvin Meda Music
Tom Donnelly Physical Education
Harry Simmons Physics (Morden)
James Trowbridge Politics
Ollie Billingham Religion and Philosophy
Charlie Bourne Spanish
CO-CURRICULAR AWARD
Archie Secrett Art
Jonty Bloxham Clubs and Societies (OG Memorial)
Zac Tinkler Major Sport (Peel)
Marcus Woodhouse Other Sport
Jasper O'Conor Music
George Christiansen Musician of the Year (Steynor)
Toby Rathmell Service
SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Zac Tinkler Austen
Navin Sivayoganathan Beckingham
Dewi Phillip Hamonde
Alex Judge Nettles
Nikita Zubkov Powell
Archie Secrett Valpy
SCHOOL LIFE AWARD
Nicko Lawrence Outstanding Academic Achievement: Arts (Simpson)
Ollie Billingham Outstanding Academic Achievement: Humanities (Simpson)
Sam Thevenon Outstanding Academic Achievement: Sciences (Simpson)
Toby Rathmell Ambassador (Strick)
Harry Simmons Co-curricular Contribution (Young)
James Trowbridge Endeavour (Sellek)
Finlay Lomas-Clarke Fellowship (Windle)
Tom Bull Service to the School [Bowey]
George Christiansen Service to the School [Hardy)
Charlie Everitt Service to the School [Daniel]
LOWER SIXTH PRIZE - ACADEMIC
Will Gossage Ancient History
Jonty Edmonds Art (Powell)
Daniel Ward Biology (Robins)
Matteo Varda Chemistry (Mellersh)
Angus Scott Classical Languages (Bishop)
Joseph Ryan Computer Science
William Bullen Design and Technology (Carter)
Jonathan Bautz Economics (Leech)
Oscar Ford Electronics (Lazenby)
Marko Lock English (Simpson)
Daniel Bristow French (Broadbent)
Arya Khorshidi Geography (Feaver)
Dennis Dimov German (Magnus)
Archie Draper History (Green)
Oscar Ford Mathematics (Bailey)
Max Webb Further Maths
Yuvan Raja Music
Adrian Groenewald Physical Education
Spandan Sahu Physics (Morden)
Ryan Solomon Spanish
CO-CURRICULAR AWARD
Will Bell Art
Yuvan Raja Clubs and Societies (Hore)
Alex Jourdan Major Sport
Dennis Dimov Other Sport
Orlando Meadowcroft Music
Matteo Varda Music (Bentall)
Marcus White Service
SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Cameron Brown Austen
Luke Miranda Beckingham
Joe Pontin Hamonde
Jago Halliwell Nettles
Finn Heath Powell
Henry Goodchild Valpy
FIFTH FORM PRIZE - ACADEMIC
Andrew Kuang Art
Casper Jackson Biology
Nicholas Malandrinos Chemistry
Edward Hewlett Classical Languages
Paddy Cooper Computer Science
James Rogers Design and Technology (Binfield)
Basti Crutchfield Drama (Blocksidge)
Kiki Akin-Olugbade English (Davies)
Alexander Power French
Thomas Fish Geography
Krish Amin German
Stephen Bannister Greek
Leo Manolis History
Jack Thomson Mathematics (Gillingham)
Stirling Gauld Music
Jola Akin-Olugbade Physical Education
Dylan Wall Physics
Cam Boston Religion and Philosophy
Henry Hebburn Spanish
CO-CURRICULAR AWARD
Chen Liang Art
Josh Jacobs Clubs and Societies (Hore)
Ben Goldsmith Major Sport
William Jones Other Sport
Ben Robertson Music
Jack Barrow Service
SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Ronak Nair Austen
Jola Akin-Olugbade Beckingham
Aaran Pegler Hamonde
Eddie Wilson Nettles
William Jones Powell
Samuel Bayne Valpy
FOURTH FORM PRIZE - ACADEMIC
Arthur Ford Art
Charlie Wareing Biology
Zac Larivé Chemistry
Tom Chertkow Computer Science
Theo Odhams Design and Technology
George Gossage Drama
Thibault Amiel English (Johnson)
Michael Needham French
Max Baker Geography
Aarav Vaish German
Matthew Parker Greek
Jamie Nkrumah History
Muhib Ali Latin
James Kelynack Mathematics
Toby Beckingham Music
Mo Ben-Othman Physical Education
Ethan Logue Physics
Oscar York Religion and Philosophy
Joshua Broadbent Spanish
CO-CURRICULAR AWARD
Zac Larivé Art
Devansh Panda Clubs and Societies (Hore)
Fin Burns Drama
Cameron Lee Major Sport
Shourya Patre Other Sport
Theo O'Donnell Music
Arsene Levesque Service
SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Zac Larivé Austen
Devansh Panda Beckingham
Fin Burns Hamonde
Cameron Lee Nettles
Shourya Patre Powell
Theo O'Donnell Valpy
Oscar Davey Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Sam Low Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Oliver Kyle Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Hugh Bayne Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Samuel Webb Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Freddie Ramage Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Tate Brooker Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Jacob King Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Luke Barrett Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Kalaam Hu Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Sebastian Allam Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Hugo Wilson Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Lamine Sibachir Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Ben Thain Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Rowan Groenewald Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
James Blair Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Rajvir Mangat Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Ale Sutton Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Hugh Lawrence Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Leo Shaw Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Dario Alampi Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
LOWER SCHOOL PRIZE
Matt Boston Art
George Lye Design Technology
Ben Pitman Drama
Harry Radforth Sportsman of the Year
Sam Allen Sporting Excellence
Lucas Ngai Contribution to Music
Ethan Song Excellence in Music
Nathan Aliasgar Austen
Theo Patel Beckingham
Angus Jennings Hamonde
Rory Mitchell Nettles
George Holmwood Powell
Joshua Horsnell Valpy
SECOND FORM TUTOR'S AWARD
Silas Chan Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Jonathan Windle Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Ethan Yuan Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
William Raven Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Cameron Sibbald Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Rhys Jewell Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Thomas Parrott Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Ollie Wynn Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Albert Adams Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Ishaan Ansar Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Rex Ribet Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Jamie Briggs Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Nicholas Kasparis Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Henry Sword Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Olaf Johnson Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Demir Aras Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Gabriel Chan Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Seye Itayemi Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Tommy Teng Art
Innes Lamb Design & Technology
Luca Croft Drama
Edi Manners Sportsman of the Year
William Raven Sporting Excellence
Alexander Davey Contribution to Music
Davide Ciuchini Excellence in Music
George Robinson Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Neil Sharma Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Theo Baker Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Alexander Browne Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Felix Lotigie Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Huxley Tooze Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Oliver Ahlin Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Adithya Shetty Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Emile Tahir Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Gregory Nanidis Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Bertie Taylor Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Ciaran Mackay Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Mahid Khan Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Joseph Wooddisse Tutor's Award for Scholarship
George Guise Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Tom Alfredson Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Miles Ong-Seng Tutor's Award for Scholarship
Toby French Tutor's Award for Contribution to the School
Oli Barker Art
Nick Rawlins Design & Technology
Albert Banister Drama
Tristan Aylward Sportsman of the Year
Harry Dilkes Sporting Excellence
Jonas Xie Contribution to Music
Henry Mankabady Excellence in Music
Ali Zayyan Southampton
Allen Tom Bath
Economics and Finance
Economics with professional placement or study abroad
Amis Henry Nottingham English
Amiss Hayden Exeter Biological Sciences
Anderson Jenson Durham Law
Bayne William Durham Natural Sciences
Bedford Henry Bristol Medicine
Billingham Ollie Post A Level Application
Bishop Tom Bath
Politics with Economics
Bloxham Jonty Leeds Natural Sciences
Bourne Charles Durham
Bourne-Waterhouse Noah Exeter
Bowater James Oxford
Brown Oliver UCL
Bull Tom Exeter
Modern Languages and Cultures
Economics with Industrial Experience
Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
Physics
Biological Sciences with Study Abroad
Burton Tom Tartu (Estonia) Medicine
Carney Samuel Exeter PPE
Caulton Harry Durham
Chana Har-Rai Bristol
Chiragh Yusuf Post A Level Application
Christiansen George Oxford
Clough Matthew Cardiff
Biological Sciences
Economics and Finance with Study Abroad
Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Business Management with a Professional Placement Year
Cobb Daniel Durham Ancient History
Connolly Charlie Edinburgh
Coombs Sascha Bath
Crabbe Charlie Bristol
Craig-Wood Dougal Post A Level Application
French and Russian Studies
Economics with professional placement or study abroad
Aerospace Engineering
Cunningham Benedict Edinburgh Classics
Davey Ethan Sheffield
Architecture
Davis James Durham Geography
Donnelly Tom Nottingham
Industrial Economics
Dowson Thomas Exeter Mathematics
D'Souza Lionel Southampton
Earl Toby Nottingham
Artificial Intelligence with Industrial Studies
Industrial Economics
Ehlers Christian UEA Medicine
Elia Max Warwick
Elson Charlie Bath
Evans Alex Warwick
Politics and International Studies
Economics with professional placement or study abroad
Biological Sciences
Everitt Charlie Durham Law
Fenwick James Edinburgh
Findji Milo Post A Level Application
Artificial Intelligence & Computer Science
Fowler Tom Sheffield Civil Engineering with an Industrial Placement Year
Fowler George Leeds Natural Sciences (with Industrial Experience)
Gaseltine Arthur Post A Level Application
Ghosh Soj Liverpool Mechancial Engineering
Golding Aidan Nottingham Economics
Goncharuk Michael Southampton
Aeronautics and Astronautics / Aerodynamics with Industrial Placement Year
Gregory Rhys Durham Mathematics
Gupta Aarush KCL History and Political Economy
Haider Zidaan Post A Level Application
Hamlet William Bristol Economics
Harvey James Durham Ancient History and Archaeology
Hickley Charlie Imperial Computing
Hitchcox Christopher Nottingham Management Accounting and Finance
Ho Jason Exeter Computer Sciences
Holmes William Bristol Aerospace Engineering
Holt Ertan Southampton Computer Science
Hristov Miroslav Imperial Biological Sciences
Hughes Daniel Durham Physics
James Ollie Oxford Chemistry
Judge Alex Bristol Biochemistry
Kamstra Ben Bristol Economics and Management
Kellah-Nash Phoenix Bristol Economics
Kent Talus Exeter
Computer Science and Mathematics with Industrial Placement
King Elliot Nottingham Natural Sciences
Lawrence Nicko Post A Level Application
Lee Andrew Oxford Classics
Lewicki Julian Birmingham Computer Science with a Year in Industry
Ling-Winston Zeus Leeds Mathematics
Locke Charlie Surrey Electrical Engineering with Foundation Year
Lomas-Clarke Finlay Bath Aerospace Engineering with professional placement
Lukha Krish Exeter Economics and Finance with Industrial Experience
Malik Raoul Post A Level Application
Mann Alexander Post A Level Application
Mason Jasper Oxford Chemistry
Meade Noah Durham Geography
Meade Joe Bristol Economics
Meda Ruvin Royal College of Music Music
Murphy Raul Post A Level Application
Myers Joshua Southampton Mathematical Physics
Nicholas James Post A Level Application
O'Brien Will Cambridge Natural Sciences
O'Conor Jasper Durham Natural Sciences
Orchard Max Warwick
Economics, Psychology and Philosophy
Ough Richard Bristol Medicine
Partridge Ruben Post A Level Application
Pasarkar Shreyas Southampton
Patel Milan Bath
Patel Kush UCL
Paterson James Bath
Paulson George Durham
Peasey William Exeter
Phillip Dewi Bath
Aeronautics and Astronautics / Aerodynamics with Industrial Placement Year
Economics
Mathematics
Economics
Combined Honours in Social Sciences
Flexible Combined Honours
Economics with professional placement or study abroad
Plunkett William Melbourne Australia Mathematics
Pocock Daniel Durham
Ponniah Dylan Southampton
Pulendraraja Raahul Reading
General Engineering
Economics
Pharmacy With Foundation Year
Rathmell Toby Durham Natural Sciences
Rayaprolu Siddharth Warwick
Rayner Haytham Bath
Economics
Economics with professional placement or study abroad
Read Lorcan Leeds History
Reed Fraser Nottingham
Richardson James Post A Level Application
Rothwell Archie Bath
Saarinen Leo Duke (USA)
Saffiulah Ayad Post A Level Application
Sagoo Kiran Bath
Politics and International Relations
International Development with Economics with professional placement
Mathematics
Economics
Secrett Archie Exeter Geography
Sellers Joel Oxford Chemistry
Serpant Kian Sheffield
Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) with an Industrial Placement Year
Simmons Harry Oxford Engineering
Sivayoganathan Navin Bath
Smith Luke Birmingham
Sonnenberg Thomas Newcastle
Spragg Filip Sheffield
Srivastava Satvikya LSE
Stelfox Hugo Exeter
Sturridge Jerome UCL
Economics with professional placement or study abroad
Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year
Economics and Business Management
Architecture
Accounting & Finance
Politics, Philosophy and Economics with Study Abroad
Medicine
Sugeeswaran Mihin Bristol Economics
Sutton Barney Bath International Development with Economics with professional placement
Taylor Arthur Edinburgh Economics with Finance
Thevenon Samuel Cambridge Engineering
Thorneycroft Joe Edinburgh History and Politics
Tinkler Zac Durham Business and Management
Trowbridge James Oxford Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Turner Ollie Swansea Business Management
Uzielli Jake Durham Geography
Vasanth Mahil Edinburgh Electronics and Computer Science
Ventham Jake Lancaster Politics and Sociology
Wang Oscar Bath Civil Engineering
Wang Filip Bath Economics
Warham Zac Royal Veterinary College Veterinary Medicine
Warnock Oliver Warwick Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, Economics (MORSE)
Way Harrison Warwick Computer Science
Webster Charlie UCL Natural Sciences
Weeks Jack Durham Economics
Williams Jacey Durham Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Wilson George Nottingham Geography with Business
Wilson Lewis Exeter Mathematics with Economics and a Year in Industry
Woodhouse Marcus UCL European Social and Political Studies
Wright Dan Exeter Natural Sciences
Yates Dan Nottingham Industrial Economics with a Placement Year
Yousaf Hadi Post A Level Application
Zhang Denver UCL Mathematics
Zhu Noah Post A Level Application
Zubkov Nikita Durham
Ollie
Luke
Adam
Inglis James UCL
Jayakody Dulain York
Kim Nawon KCL
Meadowcroft Gabriel Oxford
Song Luke
Stork Tom Cambridge
Wigg Henry Eckerd Florida
The Library needs constantly to evolve in line with the changing needs of the school, and this academic year saw a dramatic change to the organisation of the Library as we responded to student feedback and rearranged the fiction into genres. This was a huge task, but hopefully it will be worthwhile in making it easier for users to find books that they will enjoy. We have also created some much-needed extra study space by re-locating the remaining books which were housed in the 'Reference Room' (now to be renamed!).
Away from the physical library, two Lit Quiz Club teams travelled to Tormead School for the annual Surrey CWIZZ, organised by children’s authors and illustrators. Quiz rounds included Clothing and Accessories, Sport in Books, and the notoriously tricky Uncover the Cover. After much wrangling and excitement, the RGS B team tied for first place.
For the first time, RGS entered a team into the What on Earth! Quiz, a fast-paced online general knowledge competition based on four issues of the What on Earth! Magazine. Unlike traditional literary quizzes, this required students to master information retrieval techniques such as skimming, scanning, and using contents pages - all under tight time constraints; topics ranged from human anatomy to astronomy and linguistics. Although our team was not among the winners on this occasion, it was a great experience, which we plan to repeat in future.
Later in the year, our two teams entered the South of England heat of the National Reading Champions Quiz, tackling 75 literary questions and puzzles. Out of 26 teams, the RGS A team tied for second place - just five points behind the winners - with the B team close behind. The regular Lit Quiz Club practice sessions which ran through the year clearly paid off! The final quiz of the year was the very first Manga Mania, run online; there was keen competition for a place on the RGS team, and enthusiastic participation in a challenging test of knowledge on the day.
Three students attended the Trinity Schools Book Awards ceremony at Emanuel School, where RGS student Toby French (1S) received a Highly Commended - Creative Response prize for his detailed model inspired by Tanya Landman’s Midsummer Burning. The event included a lively Q&A with six attending authors, and a bustling book signing session. Labeeb Ahmed (2S) also achieved national success, winning Third Prize for Creative Writing in the annual Show Racism the Red Card competition. At school, Olaf Johnson (2R) was the clear winner of our Olympic-themed summer competition, and we enjoyed reading the imaginative National Poetry Day entries on the theme of Counting
Who am I?
You are different. Where am I?
In OUR land.
Why do you treat me like this?
Because you are different. Why does that matter?
We don’t have room for you. I'm the same as all of you.
You want our land, our resources, our freedom, our friendship. But you're different. You look different.
Is that so bad?
You're different. You'll always be different. You'll never fit in. You aren't human. You're not one of us.
I am human too… why do you discriminate against me? I'm human. I have feelings. I have the same life as all of you. I experience the same things. I feel pain. I feel happiness. I feel sorrow.
You come into our land, take our resources, take our lives and make them your own.
It's…not like that. I have to live somehow! I'm human too. I deserve to live!
Really? What do you want then? Why do you try take our land?
I just want to live a good life, one where I am safe.
That’s…the same as us. We both want the same thing. Yes.
National
Burning
I see. It doesn't matter what we look like on the outside, on the inside, all we all really want…is to be safe, to be able to live, be happy, be free. I finally understand.
SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD
National Poetry
Day - Isaac Grubb (1C)
Harry Millen (2P)
Harry Gilliam (4P)
Genrefication
Olaf Johnson (2R) - Summer Challenge
World Book WeekWho's Reading
Bali Rai
Karl Nova
Chie Kutsuwada
Rob Eastaway Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Rob Eastaway event
RGS World Book Week showcased the importance of reading across the school, with two authors and an illustrator visiting the Library to talk about their work and to sign books, as well as delivering workshops elsewhere in school. Bali Rai discussed the participation of servicemen from India in the First and Second World Wars; Karl Nova explained his love of words and rhythm; and Chie Kutsuwada answered questions about manga art. To round off the year, Rob Eastaway visited to tell us about the many instances of Maths in Shakespeare’s work, and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé engaged in an illuminating Q&A session with the Fourth Form, at the end of the year’s project to encourage their reading.
Mrs TF Farthing, Librarian
Staff runners - Half Marathon Helpers
Volunteering Period 8
Tea Party
Sleep Out Sixth Form
Charity Family Quiz
The Baker Family at the Charity Quiz
Quiz winners 2025
Charity Quiz
In September, The Fountain Centre, The Felix Project and War Child were voted as our local, national and international charities. Over the year, we have held numerous events to raise money for these and other charities. The Comedy Evening proved as popular as ever with Ben Thain (Third Form) making his début on the stage alongside the professional comedians, compered by Paul Kerensa. Our Christmas Fair saw Business Enterprise companies selling quality products alongside stallholders, our ever-popular tombola, staff band and a real buzz in the hall as the community came together. My huge thanks to Mrs P Barrow and Miss AMH Williams for all their hard work and organisation of this.
In the Lent Term, over 15 staff participated in the Surrey Half Marathon, raising £2,950 for the Fountain Centre. Mrs KL Sweet organised a hugely successful Bake Off and the Staff versus First 11 football match was tightly contested. On Field Day 3, our Volunteering group hosted a tea party for 50 guests who enjoyed quizzes, karaoke and the company of our students.
The Trinity Term saw the return of the Second Form Sleep Out to raise money for Transform. We were blessed with good weather and raised £6,371. Mr M Bailey hosted a fantastic charity family Quiz, won by the Odhams family and the term ended with Sponge the Teacher, organised by Thomas Tallis and Arsene Levesque.
Throughout the year, we have entertained residents at local Care homes and participated in Poetry Together, in which Alex Ngo-Mclachlan and Luca Croft (Second Form) performed their poems at Central Hall. We have collaborated with the Blackwater Valley group on two conservation working parties and organised three Foodbank collections for North Guildford Foodbank. A new Service tie was introduced and 20 of these were presented to students in Upper Six for their contribution to charity and volunteering.
Mrs RJ Rathmell, Charity Committee
Working party group Oct 24
Leaf Collecting at Shere
Monty Membery (3E) and Mo Ben-Othman (4V) digging
Foodbank collection
Working Party Pond Digging Oct 24
The beginning
Ninety kilometres, ten friends, two days and one goal: raise money for Parkinson’s UK, a charity doing life-changing work, supporting people living with Parkinson’s disease.
We began our journey on Saturday 10 May at Windsor Castle, optimistic about what lay ahead. On day one we covered 25km, following the Thames Path, to Laleham Campsite near Walton-on-Thames. After an early dinner, we got as much rest as possible before a daunting second day.
We were up at 4am the next morning, head torches on, ready to tackle the 65km walk to our finish line - Tower Bridge. The second day really pushed us to our limits, aching legs, blisters and fatigue early on, scared us with the possibility that we may not even finish. However, as a team, we did everything we could to drag everyone along - one kilometre at a time. Along the way friendly strangers offered encouragement and praise, reminding us of why we were doing this in the first place. Eventually, we reached Tower Bridge, on Sunday 11 at 7pm, exhausted, but thrilled we had finally finished.
Jack Thabrew L6-7
Over summer half term, Finn Heath (L6-10), Inigo Schybergson (L6-12), Eddie Banks (L6-12), George Hewlett (L6-10), and Ben Dinenage (L6-6) took on the challenge of lifting 500 tonnes in five days, in gyms around Guildford, in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care. Phyllis Tuckwell is an incredible charity close to our hearts as we know a child who was amazingly cared for by Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. We took on the challenge with the aim of raising awareness and money for this cause, and we managed to hit our group target of 500 tonnes! It was tough, but worth it - and a great group experience.
George Hewlett L6-10
At 7.30am on Sunday 29 June, seventeen Lower Sixth Form Pilgrims met the Sixth Form team at the Portsmouth Harbour ferry. With bikes assembled and safety kit checked, they set off across to the Isle of Wight. Following a comprehensive briefing from Mr MRF Royds, and a rousing speech from Mr WHN Spouge, the group loaded up their navigation systems and began their loop around the island. After a fairly slow start, it was decided that they should shorten their route on the first day. Unfortunately, this led to some confusion in the group, with twelve out of the sixteen students turning West at one checkpoint instead of East - adding 10km to their overall tour of the island. Despite the challenges, the Pilgrims arrived at the campsite at 8pm for a well-earned rest.
Monday brought with it some 30+ degree temperatures. Regardless, following a smooth crossing on the ferry, the Pilgrims clocked up the kilometres on their way back to Guildford. As the day wore on, fatigue started to set in with two of the three cycling groups, as a considerable gap opened up between the front group and the rest of the pack. Fortunately, on their arrival in Godalming, the breakaway group were able to stop at one of their houses, and spent the next one and a half hours eating ice cream in the sunshine. Once the group reassembled, they began the final leg of the journey, finishing as they entered the RGS front gate - at which point, one of their back wheels fell off.
I would like to thank Mr MRF Royds, Mr WHN Spouge, Mr BJD Rogers, Mr CP Scampton, Mr N House and Mr SJH Yetman for their support in planning and overseeing the challenge. I would also like to congratulate our Lower Sixth Pilgrims on planning and completing such a challenge - it was a pleasure spending the weekend with them. My final thank you must go to Max Windle’s family for their continued support of the Pilgrims’ Challenge - at the time of writing, the group have raised £5,500 for the Trust. A wonderful outcome.
Mr JDN Lythgoe, Head of Pilgrims Challenge
Assembling at the ferry terminal
Checkpoint on the Isle of Wight
Camping at Kite Hill Farm
This academic year the focus of our partnership work has been two-fold: continuing to promote, encourage and embed co-educational opportunities for our students; and continuing to support the development of the West Surrey Partnership to enhance the provision for all students in the area. Staff are increasingly organising co-ed activities in a business-as-usual manner having made the links with colleagues at other local schools, trialling an event, and seeing the benefits. The West Surrey Partnership strategy of organising more, smaller events, repeating successful events from previous years, and adding new events to the offering has also seen a very satisfying growth. The partnership is through the start-up phase and is now ready to mature. However, while focussing developmental efforts in these two areas, I am delighted that we have continued to run all of our normal partnership and outreach activities and I am immensely proud of our collective efforts to create inspiring and memorable educational opportunities for our local community.
West Surrey Partnership (WSP)
In its third year, the WSP really found its feet, expanding the programme of events for students, employing a partnerships coordinator, publishing a newsletter and events calendar and strengthening links across the partnership. The Headmaster and Mr Shimell continued to work at the heart of the partnership guiding strategy within the Steering Group and planning and delivering events as part of the Operations Group. In addition to previous events, new this year WSP introduced: Orchestral concerts for Year 4 to 5 students with Southern Pro Musica at
Charterhouse and RGS led by Mr Chambers from RGS Music Department; a Model United Nations conference at Tormead supported by Miss Williams from the RGS History Department; a student council at Tormead supported by our Senior Prefect team; a Year 5 to 6 robotics programme and competition lead by Charterhouse; and a Decision Making staff CPD session hosted by RGS. The RGS also hosted regular events such as our weekly Tudor visits for Year 5 students, The Masterclasses Year 6 students, and a Year 9 SATRO Planet Utopia event.
Due to the huge dedication of Mr Chambers and Mrs Webb the String Scheme has continued to thrive at Boxgrove and Sandfield Primary schools. The Scheme teaches every Year 4 pupil (c.120) to play the violin or cello through weekly group lessons over the course of a year. Twice a year concerts are held for parents which enable every pupil to perform; the end of year concerts held at RGS are a particular highlight with parents, Headteachers, sponsors and even the Mayor of Guildford gathering to hear the whole cohort perform and demonstrate the extraordinary progress they have made over the year. Additionally, provision is made for those wishing to continue their learning in Year 5 to 6 via group lessons and instrument loan and continuers orchestra. This scheme is only possible due to the generous support of the Primary schools and also our principal donors: The Surrey Hills International Music Festival, the Mila Charity, the Sheryl King Trust and the Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust.
Forming part of our West Surrey Partnership provision, on four Saturday mornings in September and October, we hosted c.145 Year 6 students from 28 different Primary schools for enrichment lessons. Students were nominated by their primary schools for a suite of six strands: Creative Arts (Drama, Music, Art, Writing); Design Technology; Humanities (History, Politics, Geography, RE); Mathematics; MFL (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Japanese); and Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Forensics). These sessions are to provide opportunities to encourage ‘the love of learning’, to take students out of their academic comfort zone, to build confidence and to excite about their upcoming transition to secondary school. Over 30 RGS teaching staff and over 50 RGS Sixth Form volunteered their time to make this wonderful experience possible. Huge thanks must go to Mrs Newman for her perfect administration and organisation.
“I personally found the whole experience very rewarding and would happily tell my friends to have a go if they ever get the chance.”
“It was really fun and it really boosted my confidence. It feels like you unlock another part of yourself that you didn’t know about.”
Most Fridays we provide a day of Tudor themed lessons at RGS for Year 5 classes including an introduction to the history of the Tudor school with the Headmaster including a visit to the Chained Library, a Tudor music and dance session with Mr Chambers, a Shakespeare literacy session with Mr Amis, a Tudor games session with Mr Shimell, and a Tudor portraiture session with Mrs Shepherd. This year we hosted an impressive 21 visits from ten schools, with over c.630 students enjoying sessions enabled by over 200h of RGS staff time. Mrs Newman, continued to expertly administer the Tudor Project. The costs continue to be met by a very generous £18,000 corporate donation facilitated by one of our governors Rob Waterhouse.
Masterlasses: Languages Design Technology Science
Community Garden:
Apple Pressing
Clearing A Bed
Making Paths
The RGS continues to have positive links with our local Learning Partners (LP) Multi Academy Trust (MAT). Four of our Leadership Team are Trustees or Governors in the trust. Three RGS staff are deployed to teach in LP schools providing: Physics tuition for Year 11 Kings College students with Mr Royds; introductory Latin classes for Year 7 and 8 King College students with Dr Fanti-Byrne and Mr Callaghan and French lessons for Year 5 and 6 Sandfield Primary School students with Mr Marchiafava. Additionally, the String Scheme operates at Sandfield and Boxgrove Primary schools, we continued to support the Chess Club at Sandfield Primary as part of the General studies Programme, and to provide Stretch and Challenge Maths support for able Year nine students from Kings College as part of the Period 8 Programme. We are also working across all of the LP schools through the WSP activities and events and are planning an ambitious reading literacy programme for next year with secondary school students acting as reading mentors for primary school students.
As part of the Guildford 11-19 Partnership, the RGS continued to lead the Interested, Motivated and Able (IMAG) programme - an innovative project, administrated by Mrs Webb, to enable any pupil at member schools to attend a joint programme of academic enrichment events. In 2024 to 2025 we ran over 11 events from five different organisations. The RGS contributed two courses of life drawing classes, the RGS Careers Convention, and the RGS Scholarship Conference. Visit www.imag.education to know more.
This year, all of the Lower Sixth at RGS and GHS were obliged to pick one ‘community’ option in their General Studies course choices. In partnership with GHS, we had expanded the options to include work at the Rosamund Community Garden, Abbot’s Hospital, Pilgrim’s Wood Care Home, chess clubs at Sandfield and Holy Trinity primary schools and a primary robotics and STEM project. Across the year 240 students volunteered during this time contributing c.950 hours of time. In particular, the Rosamund Community garden was a wonderful addition to the programme with students contributing by helping press apples to make juice, making paths, clearing areas, making compost, collecting manure, weaving fences, weeding, and digging and constructing a hibernaculum!
Working in partnership with our local girls’ schools and in particular GHS, Tomead and St Catherine’s, we continued to offer academic enrichment, activities and social activities across all year groups. A selection of examples are:
The First Form had a social discos at Tormead and a return fixture at RGS with both raising funds for the Nepal partnership. The First Form also joined with the whole Tormead First Form for Field Day five multisports at Bradstone Brook followed by bowling. For Field Day 3, the whole Second Form joined forces with Tormead for a ‘Building the City of the Future’ activity challenge day at Tormead. The RGS and Tormead Prefect teams joined for leadership training at the start of the year and a social BBQ at the end of the year. The RGS Sixth Form were also invited to attend the Tormead Winter Formal.
We have also had several co-ed sports fixtures with First to Third Form teams playing cricket, hockey and tennis with Tormead and GHS. Our swimmers formed a RGS-Prep-Senior team for a gala against St Catherine’s and, separately, formed a joint RGS-St Cats team for a gala against George Abbot School. Tormead girls have also joined our shooting club with several girls training in jackets and will be were entered into the SCSBRA Winter League. We also ran joint sailing sessions with St Catherine’s for First to Fourth Form with students sailing double-handers in mixed pairs.
There has also been academic collaboration across several departments: The Biology Department have invited Tormead to our Medical Society and also invited the girls to participate in our CRISPR gene technology practical; The RS Department joined forces with GHS to form a new joint Philosophy society - with c.20 students attending they are looking expand to wider Guildford Schools; Our PE Department collaborated with GHS for a joint Sixth Form exam technique seminar; Our History Department took Lower Sixth students to Tormead to take part in a History debate regarding British responsibility for partition and the troubles in Ireland; Our MFL Department ran several joint events across the year for Sixth Form students such as Spanish cooking at St Catherine’s, a National Theatre screening of our Spanish set text; La Casa de Bernarda Alba with Lower Six students from St Catherine’s including tapas, and a Sixth Form French Cultural afternoon at RGS with Dr Eleanor Hodgson from the University of Exeter leading an interactive seminar on Le Rap Français et Lidentité Française and Dr James Wishart from King’s College London delivered a revision lecture on L’Étranger, included 44 students and 6 staff from RGS, Reeds, GHS, Guildford County and George Abbot. Our Music and Drama Departments have also continued to work closely with GHS with the Canterbury Tales drama performance, and successful events with the Joint Scholas Choir and culminating in the summer music tour.
Mr TW Shimell, Head of Partnerships and Outreach
Co-Ed: Sailing
Cricket DramaCanterbury Tales
MFL
Speed-dating
Heritage Day
Miscellaneous:
There are many more examples of smaller collaborations and so to finish here is a small selection of examples:
Whole-Staff RGS-GHS Teach-Meet: With the theme of ‘Feedback’ RGS and GHS staff met for teaching and learning presentations followed by discussions in faculty groups.
Art Workshop: Sixth Form students from six different schools gathered in the Art studios for a portraiture masterclass with Andy Pankhurst, who conducts workshops at UCL’s Slade School of Art, The Royal Academy Schools, and The Royal Drawing School. The students were painting from a life model and learned to perceive temperature in their colour palettes and honed their observational skills.
P8 Primary Maths: In addition to their weekly sessions at Holy Trinity, during Field Day 4, the P8 Maths group visited Busbridge Junior School to deliver an ancient Egyptian maths session with Year 6 students.
Drama: 29 first Form and 14 Second Form performed Ernie's Incredible Illucinations to a full house from Merrow Primary (Year 5) and Sandfield Primary (Year 5 and 6) – 150 students in total.
Careers Law Seminar: 100 students (and a few of their parents) attended from eight local schools: Collingwood, Fullbrook, George Abbot, Guildford County School, Howard of Effingham, St Catherine’s (20 students), St Peter’s (30 students), and St John the Baptist.
D&T: Loaned a box of BBC Microbits with instructions for use at Sandfield Primary to enable them to introduce some coding with their Year 6.
Trustees: Fourteen RGS staff act as governors or trustees of other educational institutions in both state and independent sectors and both primary and secondary phases.
Music Market Day Concerts: Monthly at Holy Trinity Church, free to members of the public.
Heritage Open Day: This is one of the only occasions when the Tudor Old Building including the Chained Library is open to members of the public.
Ties
The RGS Bursary Programme ensures that talent and potential are the only criteria for admission to the School. It opens the door for bright, promising students who have earned their place but whose families are unable to afford the opportunity. We also step in to support current students facing unexpected financial hardship, particularly during critical exam years, so their education is not disrupted.
A community that reflects a broad range of backgrounds enriches everyone. It brings different perspectives into the classroom and shapes a better future as many bursary recipients go on to make a lasting, positive impact in their chosen fields. This shared belief in opportunity, character and inclusion is what defines the RGS and is something our Old Guildfordians carry with them long after they leave.
This year we’ve been delighted to host events from Guildford to Dubai to New York and Palo Alto, reflecting the strength of our global community. Wherever life takes you, your link with the RGS endures … a connection built on shared experience and the belief that education changes lives.
If you’re a parent, you can join us online at www.rgsconnect.com, our digital platform for the RGS community. For current students, you’ll be able to sign up after completing your A levels, becoming part of a vibrant network that continues to open doors and create opportunities for generations to come.
Miss H Dixon, Marketing and Development for Alumni
68
www.rgsroadto2035.co.uk
Figures taken from 2023 to 2024 management accounts
Total number of RGS boys receiving financial assistance
539
Number of families that made a donation last year
£1,213,000
Total spend and investment on means-tested bursaries
The RGS is a special place. This is one truth that over my five years at the School has become abundantly obvious and that I have had time to really consider during my post exam freedom. I would like to reflect on why this is so and how the ‘Class of 2025’ has contributed to that legacy.
After contemplating my own time at the School, long discussions with a number of friends and considering the contrasting experiences of mates at different colleges, it is clear to me that two things dramatically set the RGS apart -people and culture. When I say ‘people’ I mean the dual force of students and staff. We are blessed with a uniquely brilliant array of teachers at the RGS, members of staff who take genuine interest in the lives and wellbeing of their students, and who push them to excel. Consequently, we are also surrounded by supportive, driven classmates who above all else are kind.
The power of ‘people’ can be observed all throughout this School year; most recently through the efforts of Mr Pressley and Mrs. Sweet in organising a thoroughly enjoyable Leavers’ Ball, and the celebration of RGS achievement that is Senior Prize Giving. Perhaps even more clearly, it can be seen through simple acts of humanity: Mr Dudley dedicating a portion of his rugby report to thanking and awarding full colours to Jonty Bloxham (who, despite missing the season to an ACL injury, spent countless hours helping younger years to train); Ollie Turner’s dire performance of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ to cheer up a care home at his own expense; Georgie Paulson and James Davis carrying Chris Hitchcox up hills when he suffered cramp on the Pilgrims’ Challenge. The reality is I could go on and on, but the genuinely good members of staff at the RGS, and the good people they help to shape, create a culture of respect, tolerance and humility that permeates every aspect of School life.
Nowhere were these two motifs better exemplified than in the tireless work of the Senior Prefect Team; well-humoured Monday morning meetings, and surprising enthusiasm to help with Prefect duties, met with the generous guidance of the Senior Management Team to create a formidable force where once again the value of people was evident; in the character of Soj Ghosh stepping up not once but twice to deal with last minute reflection mix-ups; or the work of Finlay Lomas-Clarke in mapping out an introductory support network for Lower Sixth joiners. But now that our time of service has come to an end, I would like to wish the Prefect team of 2026 the best of luck for the upcoming year, as well as giving my best wishes to Alex in his new role. He is someone who understands deeply what it means to lead, and I have no doubt he will be an exceptional School Captain.
In closing, I will always fondly remember my time at the School and I am excited to transition to the final stage of the RGS experience: joining the impressive network of Old Guildfordians.
Charlie Everitt, School Captain 2024 to 2025
Farewell to our leaving staff, we wish you all the best for the future.
Mr Stephen Black, Head of Maths
We bid farewell to Mr Black, a deeply respected colleague and former Head of Mathematics, whose enduring impact on the RGS community will be felt for many years to come. Throughout his distinguished tenure, Mr Black provided unwavering leadership, assembling a team of dedicated and passionate educators whose commitment to the subject is a direct reflection of his own love for Mathematics.
Mr Black's vision for the Department was rooted in academic rigour, intellectual curiosity, and a belief in the transformative power of excellent teaching. Under his stewardship, the Mathematics Department consistently achieved outstanding public examination results, a testament to his high standards, careful planning, and the professional development he nurtured among his team. His colleagues speak of him as ‘remarkable, fastidious, supportive, encyclopaedic in
his knowledge, and the undisputed master of spreadsheets’ - epithets that hint at both his analytical brilliance and his meticulous approach to leadership.
Beyond his academic contributions, Mr Black has been a stalwart of the wider school community. He has played an influential role in the school’s shooting team and contributed richly to the extra-curricular life of RGS. His presence at these events reflected his belief in a well-rounded education and his genuine interest in supporting students beyond the classroom.
Mr Black’s legacy lies not only in the success of his Department, but also in the countless students and colleagues he has inspired with his clarity of thought, unwavering professionalism, and subtle wit. His departure marks the end of an era for the Mathematics Department, and he leaves with the gratitude and admiration of the entire school community.
Mr CH Wakeling
Dr Judith Bodmer, Examinations Officer
Judith joined the RGS in September 2000 from a large pharmaceutical company. Her students were curious that she had an MBA and were impressed by the senior position she held in industry prior to teaching.
She was already an established Chemistry teacher when I arrived as Head of Chemistry some twenty years ago. Her support has made it possible for the Department to make a number of changes, which resulted in a significant improvement to A Level results and the number of students taking the subject. I had the privilege of sharing Sixth Form sets with her and taught many memorable students together. When the school captain Kyle Fleischer graduated from the RGS, he presented us both with personalised lab coats. Mine was inscribed “The Beast from the East” and Judith’s was more respectfully “The Doctor”.
Judith contributed much to co-curricular activities most notably as the Head of Swimming. Being an excellent swimmer, she has helped the students win many county competitions. She was a link teacher for Young Enterprise and has organised numerous Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions. She also likes to exercise and supervised the gym during Senior games. A Sixth Former once challenged her to a contest on the rowing machines, which ended with him fainting from exhaustion (embarrassment?) When he failed to keep up with Judith’s pace!
I will always be grateful to Judith for her help and support on so many occasions and will very much miss our conversations. I wish her every happiness after the RGS and look forward to seeing her in school events.
Mr W S Lau
Whilst working in the Chemistry Department, Judith began to support the school’s Exams team, taking charge in September 2020. It is through this role that thousands of students (and parents) at the RGS will be grateful for her care and support.
If Judith were to be a contestant on Mastermind, her specialist subject would undoubtedly be 'The JCQ Exam
Regulations handbook'. No one knew it better than she did (all 123 pages) and even the most minor of changes would be duly noted and acted on almost before the ink was dry.
Whilst her attention to detail was incredible, she was less observant about the fuel gauge on her car and one day drifted into the staff car park, glided effortlessly into her parking space and then realised that the reason her car had stopped running was that she had run out of fuel.
Judith’s encyclopaedic knowledge of examination went hand-in-hand with a strong adherence to the RGS’s own exam rules, and students were left in no doubt when they turned up with the wrong uniform, unshaven, without equipment, late or (horror) with a mobile phone exactly what would happen if this happened again. It never did.
Academic achievement is important at the RGS and in that sense, Judith was at the centre of operations in what can be the most stressful of times. Always calm, always professional, Judith was like one of the giant icebergs of the Antarctic that she swam amongst upon her retirement - what you saw outwardly was only a tiny part of all the work that went on behind the scenes supporting candidates, parents and colleagues. No matter what the hour was, if there was something that needed sorting out Judith was always there to action it.
My own reflection of my time working with Judith was probably best exemplified by my experience working on Teacher Assessed Grades during Covid. The epitome of a team player, Judith worked tirelessly with Peter Dunscombe and I to interpret the rules and guidelines imposed by the regulator, through evenings, weekends and holidays, to bring about a fair result for our students.
We were all very sad when Judith announced her plan to retire, but at the same time happy that she can spend well-deserved time with her family, friends, swimming and of course, Gary Barlow.
Mr DSJ Wright
Katie joined us in 2022 and has been the PA to the Bursar and the Governing Body with unwavering dedication, professionalism, and efficiency. Behind the scenes she has organised countless people, events and meetings, her ability to juggle so many responsibilities with
After over two decades of service, it was sad to say goodbye to Helen Curtis this year. Helen was a popular and well-loved teacher of English at the RGS. Her students loved her for humour, kindness and expert subject knowledge. Her passion for English literature inspired countless students in the RGS and several of her students went on to study English Literature at university. Her love for the subject transcended the classroom and she was keen
calm efficiency has been nothing short of remarkable.
Katie's warmth, humour, and thoughtfulness have left a lasting impression on all of us. We wish her well in her new role at St Georges, Weybridge.
Mrs JC Isaacs
to take the students on trips to inspire them, from exploring Mary Shelley’s haunts in Bath to poetry in Wales. As well as teaching English, Helen was a First Form tutor for many years and threw herself enthusiastically in supporting her tutees. She was also a hockey coach and dedicated many weekends to her team on the hockey pitch. Above all, Helen will be missed by her Department who valued her kindness, generosity and team spirit. We wish Helen all the best for the future!
Ms TT Wijesinghe
Mr Guy Elliot-Davies, Data Manager
It's not entirely clear when Guy joined RGS (some say he's always been here) but this speaks to how much a part of the school fabric he became. From boy to OG, OG to Data Manager, Guy was an ever-present fixture of RGS, as long as it was after 10am.
Guy started his RGS working life as an IT Help Desk technician before moving on to become the school's Data Manager. His work behind the scenes on the Lanesborough and RGS merger cannot be understated, and this represents only one of his many successes at the school.
Guy would often regale the team with tales of his time working in music production on a Katie Melua album, and that one sea shanty song that everyone knows but can't name.
He was the only member of staff permitted to use a MacBook - because he would refuse to work otherwise - and remains the only member of the IT team able to afford to live in a house with a clock tower.
Some famous "Guyisms" which remain part of the team culture include the phrases "Get in the sea", and "I am Guy, and I like Michael Bolton", and his refusal to acknowledge that gammon can be a primary protein in a roast.
Guy is and remains a close friend of the whole IT team. His friendship, dedication to the school, willingness to go above and beyond, and even his often-furrowed brow will be sorely missed.
Guy moves on to a broader role in database development at Godalming College, and we wish him every success in the future.
Mr K Rivers
Mr Stephen Ling-Winston, Teacher of Computer Science
We say goodbye to Mr Ling-Winston, a well respected and liked member of the Computer Science Department.
Mr Ling-Winston joined the Department with a wealth of experience from his previous role as Head of Computer Science. His expertise and insights have helped the Department grow since he joined and his input into the A Level NEA process has been invaluable.
During his reasonably brief tenure at the RGS, Mr Ling-Winston set up a coding club and helped students to enter a Raspberry Pi competition which ultimately required us to sew an LCD monitor into the stomach of a teddy bear!
An excellent colleague, Mr Ling-Winston has moved onto a new post as Head of Computer Science at Tormead school and goes with our best wishes and gratitude.
Dr J Jackson
Miss Jo Marchington, Receptionist
We bid farewell to Miss Marchington, an incredible colleague whose warm presence will be deeply missed in the Front Office and by all of us amongst the school community. She is not only funny but exceptionally personable, one who makes all feel welcome and most notable, feel seen.
Ms Rosie Millais, Science
As we bid farewell to Ms Millais, we do so with immense gratitude and admiration for all that she has contributed during her time at our school. A truly exceptional Biology teacher, Ms Millais has inspired countless students with her passion for the subject, her dedication to excellence, and her unwavering commitment to their success.
Her lessons have been nothing short of inspiringcarefully crafted to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and challenge every student to reach their full potential. Her teaching has consistently combined clarity with creativity, making even the most complex biological concepts accessible and engaging. The outstanding outcomes achieved by her students are a true testament to her skill, care, and high expectations.
Jo's reliability often meant she was always at work early. Her amazing planning made her invaluable to the daily running of the organisation. Her ability to answer just about any query or know exactly who to pass it on to has been vital.
We wish Jo all the best for her future endeavors and look forward to hearing about her life outside of the RGS.
Miss JL Hodson-Walker
Beyond the classroom, Ms Millais has been a warm, supportive colleague whose presence in the Department will be deeply missed. Her collaborative spirit, thoughtful insights, and ever-positive approach have made her not only a pleasure to work with but also a source of encouragement and calm in even the busiest of terms.
As she moves on to new adventures, we know that her new school would be fortunate to have her. We thank her for her dedication, her passion, and the lasting impact she has made on the lives of the students at the RGS.
We wish Ms Millais all the very best for the future - and hope she takes with her not only fond memories, but the deep appreciation and respect of all who have had the pleasure to learn from and work alongside her.
Mr S Burns
Kate started at the RGS as Deputy Bursar in September 2007. She joined us with very valuable expertise and experience as a chartered accountant at KPMG and she left that renowned organisation as Head of People Development. As a Guildford resident, we were very fortunate that the Deputy Bursar position came up at a time when Kate was looking to escape from the drudgery of London commuting and it was with a sense of excitement and anticipation that we managed to secure Kate’s services to work at the RGS.
It was entirely apparent that we had been very fortunate to have employed Kate. She threw herself into her role with alacrity. Her familiarity with finance and HR made her an invaluable addition to the Bursary team and she demonstrated that she was entirely dependable, hard-working and dedicated to her roles. She also demonstrated a willingness to upskill herself in many other bursarial disciplines so that she could be relied on to provide sound and sensible advice in so many areas.
On the retirement of Ian Watson, Kate become Acting Bursar during a short interregnum. She performed this important role with common sense and careful people management, a skill which she has always demonstrated through her career at the RGS. The acquisition of such
experience led, eventually, to her appointment as Bursar and Clerk to the Governors in September 2016 and we relied heavily on Kate throughout her career here.
She was always the lifeblood of the SMT, she led the support staff with expertise, kindness, and compassion, she always had the extraordinary complexities of the School’s budgets completely at her fingertips, and she did her job with professionalism, with diligence and with decency.
Kate spent a decade as Bursar during some of the most challenging times for the RGS. She faced extraordinarily complex assignments, but she always rose to the occasion, and the School finances and operations were run efficiently and effectively under her guidance. The Covid crises revealed her organisational expertise and the fact that we got through those harrowing months relativity unscathed was due in no small part to her organisational prowess. She was a complete rock, professional in her guidance, generous with her time, and incredibly kind and caring to myself and to others.
We will miss Kate’s friendship, support, care and her gentle manner. We all wish her well as she explores new and exciting opportunities and we thank her for everything she has done for the RGS during her time here.
HEADMASTER
Grace joined the RGS Geography Department in 2016 and quickly took on the role of Head of Athletics and later became head of General Studies.
It is hard to imagine a person with more enthusiasm: She always went the extra mile to think creatively about ways to teach. Her strategies ranged from porridge glaciers with ketchup in drainpipes to jelly based spaghetti structures for earthquake zone adaptations. Grace’s desk in the base was almost an assault course, with a wall of hurdles and javelins to navigate through on the way to her seat.
Grace made a huge contribution to all kinds of trips has been immense: Tenerife, Spain, Iceland, Cambodia and France for the ski trip. She has driven the RGS minibus for thousands of miles on fieldtrips, athletics fixtures and field days to Cornwall.
A talented musician, she sang with grace and stepped in to play the organ at assembly at short notice. She even introduced many students to bell ringing at Holy Trinity Church in general studies.
Most importantly, Grace has been a kind, supportive and generous colleague. We wish you and your family all the very best for your adventures in the future. Good luck!
Mrs RG Waters
Ben joined the R and P Department on a one year contract to substitute for Karim Tayar while he was on his year’s sabbatical at RGS Dubai. Ben threw himself into the RGS - both inside and outside the classroom- with gusto from the beginning. The most obvious mark of John’s teaching was his breadth of academic learning and his passion for ensuring that making complex ideas accessible to students didn’t involve dumbing down, which his students at all levels clearly relished. His enthusiasm for broadening students’ engagement with his subject was never clearer than in the diverse, challenging and fun topics that he introduced in the Junior, Middle and
Senior School Philosophy and Theology Societies, which he ran with great aplomb.
Ben also brought his great skills and infectious enthusiasm to a range of co-curricular activities. He co-directed a very well received Senior Drama production - Bouncers; ran the Junior Drama club; participated both chorally and instrumentally in a range of musical activities; and successfully managed the Under 13A Cricket team, winning the Coach of the Year award.
An outstanding colleague in the Department in every way, Ben moves on to a permanent post as RS teacher at Repton School, where he will surely be a remarkable success. Mr RB Meadowcroft
Mr Bob Ukiah, Chief Executive - International
It is with a sense of great sadness that we say farewell to Bob Ukiah after 12 years of exceptional service to the RGS.
Bob joined the School in January 2013. He came to us with a wealth of experience of both business and school management, and he has used this experience to guide the development of the RGS and its associated organisations in so many ways.
After reading Modern History at Christ Church, Oxford, Bob spent sixteen years working in finance. He enjoyed spells at Danske Bank, Credit Suisse and the credit agency, Standard and Poor’s, where he rose to become a Director, and these positions allowed him to hone his financial expertise. After his time in the City, and with a young family, Bob decided to seek a lifestyle shift. He enjoyed his time as a governor of a local primary school, and this stimulated an interest in the transformative power of a high-quality education. He joined St Helen’s School, Northwood, as Bursar with a brief to manage both the financial and operational aspects of the school.
When the position of Bursar at the RGS became vacant, it became apparent that a Bursar of the highest calibre was required. We were delighted that the head-hunters earned their remuneration by finding Bob for the RGS. He came to us in January 2013 with the strongest reputation and he did not disappoint. We were very fortunate to have secured his services.
Bob was an excellent Bursar in every respect. He quickly established leadership of his team who, throughout his RGS career, have always held him in the highest esteem. Bob led by example; he was diligent, hard-working, fastidious in his attention to detail, and he quickly surmounted the challenges of simplifying a somewhat complicated and unwieldy financial management system. As a Bursar, Bob’s greatest strength was in financial planning and modelling. During his tenure, a significant number of capital projects were completed, all of which were modelled and managed by Bob and his team. His grasp of the financial aspects of each project provided significant reassurance to the Governors and the Executive team so that everyone knew that such investments were sensible and affordable.
Having seen the Bursary team safely through an ISI inspection during his first year in post, Bob was typically generous with his time, training to become an ISI Team
Inspector, and he used his skills and experience in support of inspection teams to pass fair and sensible judgements on other independent schools. In a similarly generous manner, Bob is now a trustee of the Bourne Education Trust, where his skills have been fully utilised.
There is so much of which Bob can be proud of achieving over the course of his career at the RGS, but his most important legacy has been the establishment of a growing family of international RGS branded schools. The RGS had been interested in international expansion for some years before Bob’s arrival, but it needed his energy and enthusiasm to make our wishes a reality. When we received our first enquiry from a group in Qatar, Bob’s determination to overcome the many new challenges which were presented by such a complex project meant that, just two years after the first meeting with our Qatari partners, our first international school was opened. Bob’s inspirational management of RGS International has ensured that we have continued to expand, adding China, Dubai and Oman to the list of RGS overseas schools. It quickly became apparent that combining his duties as a Bursar with his management of our growing international arm was not possible and I was pleased to appoint Bob as our first CEO of RGS International.
As CEO, he built an excellent International team and his parting gift to us is the agreement to open four schools in India. Bob has worked tirelessly to manage our overseas schools, and I know that our international partners and the staff and managers of our international schools are extremely grateful for his support and sorry to see him go.
Bob has been an exceptional member of SMT throughout his time at the RGS. He has not just focused on finance and operations; he has been generous in his support of whole school issues. He was a key driver of the equality, diversity and education focus of the RGS over the past three years, managing this strand of our whole school development plan very effectively. I have welcomed his input into discussions, his sagacity when faced with the many challenges which arise in school management, and his willingness to think tangentially on occasions. Most of all, I will miss his personal support on which I have relied throughout his time at the RGS.
Bob has been a wonderful part of the RGS for so long, but he has decided that retirement will open up so many other exciting experiences and opportunities; I can think of no-one who deserves it more. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bob for his service to the RGS, for his friendship and support, and to wish him and Nicola a very long, happy and fulfilling retirement.
HEADMASTER
