Welcome to our Virtual Open Day
We know how important your choice of secondary school is, never more so than in the current climate.
We are delighted to welcome you to our Virtual Open Day. Although there is no substitute for visiting a school in person, we hope our remote experience provides a genuine feel for what is such a vibrant, dynamic and welcoming community. Our Virtual Open Day also allows you to access the RGS from the comfort of your homes at a time to suit to you and your family. We hope you enjoy the experience.
The welcome from the Headmaster video provides a great starting point to gain an overview of the RGS: our 500 years of history, our ethos and our values. You can then hear from boys, staff and parents as they provide an honest insight into various aspects of the RGS experience, as well as following a typical day-in-the-life of one of our wonderful students. We also invite you to view our FAQS which we hope you find helpful.
Although our current series of Q&A Forums has come to an end, we are here to guide you through our admissions process, and we will be running further Q&A Forums in the coming months. If you would like further information, or have specific questions, we recommend that you register your interest to join us at one of our Live Q&A Forums. We will then contact you to advise you of dates when available. Alternatively please email admissions@rgsg.co.uk.
We hope to welcome you on a visit to the RGS in the Autumn, but in the meantime, we hope that this Open Day gives you a good sense of our thriving school community.
Dr Jon Cox, Headmaster
Virtual Open Day Videos
Welcome from the Headmaster
Student Life
Approach to Learning
Co-curricular Opportunity
Pastoral Care
Heritage and Ethos
A day in the life of…
You’ll Always be Part of the RGS
Live Q&A Forums
The admissions process to secondary schools can seem daunting. We are here to provide reassurance and clarity over the whole process and support you and your son.
Our current series of live Q&A Forums has come to an end, but we plan to hold further Forums in the coming months. These events focus on providing an overview of the admissions process, providing an insight into daily life, as well as the ethos and values of the RGS, and giving an opportunity to ask questions. After an introduction from the Headmaster, panel of senior staff answers questions which have been submitted prior to the event as well as those which are posted during the event. Booking is essential. Please click here to register your interest in attending a Live Q&A Forum and to find out about the next available dates and times. A specific event for Sixth Form entry will take place on 3 November at 7.00pm; if you are interested, please click on the appropriate section. The events typically last no longer than an hour.
Register for Q&A Forum
PLEASE NOTE: Our series of Live Q&A Forums has come to an end. We will be holding further events in the coming months. Please register your interest below. Thank you.
FAQs
To help prospective parents while we are unable to welcome you to the School in person, we have answered many common questions below that are often asked at Open Days. Please visit our main Admissions section on the website for up-to-date information about changes to examination arrangements for those applying for a place in Year 7 for September 2021 or a deferred place in Year 9 for September 2023.
How are you providing remote learning?
The teachers and support staff at the school have worked tirelessly to ensure we provide our boys with the best education during this period of remote learning. Boys are following timetabled lessons tailored to the remote learning environment and we continue to review and adapt our provision regularly to ensure we maintain the highest possible standards.
Our parents have given us some very positive feedback about our remote learning provision. Read some of their comments here.
What is the pastoral provision at the RGS?
Treating each boy as an individual and providing a supportive, positive environment is at the heart of our philosophy. The boys establish lasting relationships within the year group; in addition, the house system, mentoring, and role of all senior boys as prefects ensure friendships are forged throughout the School. The outstanding pastoral care on offer from dedicated form tutors, Heads of Section, Heads of Year, peer mentors and personal tutors, all overseen by the Deputy Head (Pupils), enables the boys to thrive in a mutually supportive environment where every boy can flourish as an individual in a community which is felt to be secure, sympathetic and supportive. The presence of the School Nurse, Head of Learning Support and the School Counsellor provide further professional, bespoke support as required.
How many boys join in Year 7 and how many join in Year 9?
The intake in First Form in Year 7 is usually around 125 boys from state Primary Schools, Independent and Prep Schools. Two years later, they are joined by approximately 25 boys from Prep Schools.
For those boys at Prep Schools, is it better to join the RGS in Year 7 or Year 9?
This is totally up to you. We would be delighted if your son joined us in either Year 7 or Year 9 from his Prep School. This decision has to suit you, your son and the rest of your family. You know your son the best and in discussion with the Head of his Prep School, you will be able to make an informed decision. If your son joins us in Year 7, he will join with the majority of boys and join the RGS at the start of his RGS journey along with all the Primary School boys. If he joins us in Year 9, he will join with a smaller number of boys from Prep Schools having had the opportunity to be the ‘big fish in the small pond’ for those final two years. To provide extra reassurance that your decision will be the right one whichever one it is, the entrance point shows no difference in GCSE and A Level examination results.
Are boys ‘set’ in First Form for any subjects?
No. The reality is that there is such a small difference in ability between all the boys joining that there is no need to set them in any subjects. The only decision they have to make is whether to study French or Spanish as their core language when they join us.
What kind of support is there if my son has a special educational need like dyslexia?
The School is committed to helping every boy at the RGS achieve his full potential academically, socially and in co-curricular activities. There is a Head of Learning Support (HoLS) who oversees the identification of specific learning support needs, the arrangement of suitable support, and communication with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure consistency of approach. In addition, the HoLS has an additional dedicated member of staff to assist them and the department works closely with colleagues in the Mathematics and English Departments to provide additional support classes where necessary, including dyslexia support, study skills, and classes to support emotional intelligence.
If your son has had any learning support in his previous school, it is very important that we are fully informed. Please send a copy of any reports from the school or any other professionals such as Educational Psychologists to me, so that we can ensure this is taken into account in our provision of support for your son.
Do boys have to play rugby in First Form?
For the first two years in their games sessions, the boys are expected to play rugby in the Michaelmas Term, hockey in the Lent Term and cricket and/or athletics in the Trinity Term. This arrangement is both to offer boys experience of a broad range of sports and to develop their wider sporting skills. As part of the First Form weekly timetabled Physical Education lessons, the boys have a half-termly rotation of swimming and a general sports programme.
How much homework is there each evening for First Form?
Boys will be set three to four homeworks on each day of the school week that should last no more than 20 minutes per subject.
What time does school start?
The school day begins with form registration at 8.45am; boys are allowed to access the School from 8.30am. Should boys wish to access the school earlier, the Mallison Library opens for quiet study from 8.00am and the canteen is also open for boys to buy breakfast.
Parents’ Feedback
Read some of the heartwarming messages received from our School community.