Reigatians: A caring community where children can be their best and do their best
Reigatians: Architect of their own learning
Reigatians: As many ways to achieve as there are children
Reigatians: Extra Curricular - The heartbeat of the school
Reigatians: Good sports
Reigatians: Creative by Design
Reigatians: Music Talents
Reigatians: Sixth Form - Leadership and Learning
Once a Reigatian, Always a Reigatian
Curriculum
Financial Support
Location
ONE OF THE LEADING CO-EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, REIGATE GRAMMAR SCHOOL VIETNAM OFFERS A FIRST CLASS EDUCATION FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 3 TO 18.
MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER
To be trusted with the education of other people’s children is both a great responsibility and a wonderful privilege.
At Reigate Grammar School Vietnam, we understand that happy students produce great results. We strive to create an environment in which our whole school community can flourish, in an environment where everyone is safe, all are respected and each person is encouraged to achieve their potential. We embrace internationalism, welcoming all nationalities and forging global links, exemplified by our close relationship with Reigate Grammar School UK, one of the leading independent schools in the country, founded in 1675.
Excellent learning and teaching underpin our consistently enviable academic results, while students are also encouraged to show ambition beyond the classroom. We pride ourselves on developing and showcasing sporting, musical and artistic talent. We provide a variety of opportunities for students to experience student leadership.
We place great value on the role that parents play. We are fortunate to have very supportive and proactive Parent Teacher Associations, who contribute immensely to our school events.
We are all Reigatians in the historic, vibrant city of Hanoi.
Mr Patrick Glennon Headmaster of RGS Vietnam
MESSAGE FROM REIGATE GRAMMAR SCHOOL UK
Dear members of the Reigate Grammar School Vietnam family, I am delighted at the new collaboration between RGS Vietnam and Reigate Grammar School. This will see us focus on a new paradigm: a blend of the best of our two cultures and education traditions.
For nearly 350 years Reigate Grammar School has provided excellent education in the UK. This year 97% of our students progressed to Oxford, Cambridge, Russell Group, medical school or universities in America. RGS is the 2020-2021 Tatler School of the Year and we are one of the highest attaining schools in the UK. We are committed to this new joint way of working as a milestone event in the school’s history.
Together, we will continue to support the students of Reigate Grammar School Vietnam to go on to attend world class universities, equipped with the qualities of character to be amazingly successful young adults, making the world a better place.
Our teaching and student communities in the UK are excited at the prospect of making new friends, forming new professional partnerships and developing even better practice to benefit all the children in our care. As ISV, RGS Vietnam was one of the most successful and prestigious schools in Vietnam and so it is important we at RGS UK support the leadership team and the RGS Vietnam teaching staff to continue with their excellent work. Also, RGS in the UK will help wherever we can add some value, wherever it can help the students.
I look forward to working together on the classroom craft, metalearning, pastoral care and personal development; on preparation for exams and for university; on curriculum development, staff training, recruitment and induction, quality assurance and so much more. This is a true collaboration between two strong partners ready to work together because children get one main chance of an education and we will get it right.
The Reigate Grammar School team and I are all looking forward to visiting RGS Vietnam and to welcoming your community to RGS in the UK. We will be stronger together and together we can make a difference.
Yours in friendship
Mr Shaun Fenton Headmaster of RGS UK
OUR EDUCATION JOURNEY
Reigate Grammar School Vietnam (RGS Vietnam), formerly known as The International School of Vietnam (ISV), began its educational journey with only a handful of students in the year 2013. The not-for-profit project of RGS Vietnam was first planned in 2007, approved by the city’s authorities in 2009 and started building in 2010. In 2013-2014, the first academic year was opened, welcoming 65 students from Pre-K to Grade 5.
On 03 June 2014, ISV was authorised by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) (formerly known as Cambridge International Examinations CIE) to be a Cambridge school teaching Cambridge Secondary 1, Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Cambridge AS/A Level. In 2016, after completing the authorisation process, ISV officially became an IB school as authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) teaching Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) in 2018.
On 15th September 2021, the school signed an international collaboration agreement with Reigate Grammar School in the UK and was officially renamed from The International School of Vietnam to Reigate Grammar School Vietnam, becoming the first school in Vietnam to be linked with a UK independent school.
With our dedicated staff, support of parents, and the passionate commitment of our pupils, the small beginning continues to grow and has the opportunity to reach great heights. Today RGS Vietnam is a noted academic powerhouse of our city, Hanoi, with over 400 pupils from 30 nationalities. Its high standards are providing our community with an outstanding education, a quality IB World school, living up to our school motto: “Every child is a master of their own destiny”, and ethos: “We believe that every Reigatian is on a life-long journey of noble purpose. We will empower each one of them to fulfil their unique potential through a happy, healthy and high-achieving life.”
THE STORY OF OUR FOUNDER
Ms. Mai Bich Thuy, Founder of RGS Vietnam speaks at Speech Day 2024
Ms. Mai Bich Thuy, the founder of The International School of Vietnam (now Reigate Grammar School Vietnam), found and chose the land of the school site in 2008. She then embarked upon a strenuous journey with stern resilience, perseverance, and professionalism to lead the school to achieve from one success to another.
Ms. Thuy was born in Hanoi in 1971 and grew up during the hardest post-war time in Vietnam as the country suffered from shortage of food and essential goods. However, her family managed to give her the best education possible and she went to the best school in town. Ms. Thuy was well aware that her friends and many other children were not as lucky and could not afford schooling. This realisation nurtured her dream to become a teacher, which grew profoundly as the years passed.
Thanks to hard work and innate talent, Ms. Thuy went all the way from high school to Hanoi Foreign Trade University and graduated magna cum laude in 1993 and was retained by the university as a lecturer - a rare honour accorded to undergraduates. Thanks to her experience at Hanoi Foreign Trade University, Ms. Thuy came to realise the importance of creating a great education and educational environment and became more ambitious in having her own system rather than being part of an existing system.
Over the many years since 1993, Ms. Thuy’s passion for education led her to conduct several educational projects in Vietnam that now have connections to the UK educational platform.
Ms. Thuy decided to start her international school project - The International School of Vietnam in 2007 after her feasibility study was approved by the Hanoi Municipal Authority and the Ministry of Education and Training. It took two years for other paperwork, fundraising, selection of school site, purchase of land, school design and the actual construction of the school. Ms. Thuy’s unlimited source of strength and perseverance kept her on the right track in the face of numerous difficulties, challenges and even obstacles. Between 2010 to 2012, the design and construction of ISV gradually evolved to meet International Baccalaureate standards. The site soon became acknowledged by environmentalists and social activists to meet “green” standards and promote sustainable goals. Ms. Thuy’s dream-turned plan to establish an international school, open to both local and international students thus materialised.
ISV officially opened its doors in the 2013-2014 academic year with only a handful of students; as a candidate IB-PYP School. In the following few years, under the constant leadership of the Founder and the Board of Management, the school successfully attained accreditation from Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). And, as planned, RGS Vietnam was fully authorised to be an International Baccalaureate (IBO) PYP school in early 2016. As the students’ numbers increased, ISV achieved IB Diploma Programme status in 2018. Student diversity grew, and the school witnessed an intake of a broad range of nationalities. This opportunity enabled the school to develop its international-mindedness and policy structures with its community in mind.
In addition to ISV, and over the same time period, Ms. Thuy developed the dual programme of Cambridge A-Level and Vietnam national high school programme, initially executed in Chu Van An High School, Hanoi. From 2016 to 2019, RGS Vietnam assisted Hanoi DOET in organising the first two classes. In 2019, the students graduated with outstanding results and were offered tertiary opportunities from prestigious universities in Vietnam and worldwide.
As ISV’s reputation was growing, Ms. Mai Bich Thuy took one further step of making it internationally recognised by entering a collaboration agreement with Reigate Grammar School (UK) - one of the top 5 fully co-educational K-12 independent schools in the United Kingdom. Following this agreement, The International School of Vietnam was renamed as Reigate Grammar School Vietnam.
Ms. Mai Bich Thuy has gone a long way from a dreamer to a practitioner, from entrepreneur to educator (edupreneur). She has taken great care of and created great opportunities for children of thousands of families, Vietnamese and international.
RGS Vietnam’s journey all began with the founder’s great vision for outstanding education in Vietnam. She has been and will be devoting her intellect, energy, and enthusiasm for education to RGS Vietnam’s new plans and projects, all for one goal – to contribute to the development of the young generation. It is also her way of life - to pay back what she has been endowed with. But she pays back generously.
VISION & MISSION
Vision
Reigate Grammar School Vietnam aspires to nurture, empower and connect students with their local and global communities, to become international citizens who are active, compassionate and lifelong learners.
Mission
At Reigate Grammar School Vietnam we value community and connection; the relationships we have with one another are central to our happiness and success at School and beyond. Our mission is to care for and support each individual’s potential to become wellrounded, life-long learners with a strong sense of purpose based on their core values.
We empower and inspire our pupils by providing a challenging and diverse curriculum inside and outside the classroom that enables them to develop skills as reflective, brave, caring and principled learners.
We encourage our internationally-minded children to be inquisitive, collaborative and innovative by providing an inclusive and supportive environment.
We prepare our Reigatians to use their unique talents and abilities to make this world a better place by providing opportunities to give back to our community.
REIGATIANS:
A CARING COMMUNITY WHERE CHILDREN CAN BE THEIR BEST AND DO THEIR BEST
Safe, secure amongst friends, looked after by adults and aware that older children are on their side. Until your child knows that we care, they will not care what we know.
For us, being a Reigatian is being a part of a big family and everyone in the RGS Vietnam community is now a welcome part of our growing worldwide family. The support and pastoral care we give begins even before a Reigatian’s first day at school.
The journey through the school years will bring success, achievement and personal fulfilment. We will be there to share those successes but equally, and more importantly, we will be there to guide and support through any difficulties and challenges.
Safe in the knowledge that we care, Reigatians make great progress, explore talents that they didn’t know they had and achieve more than they ever thought possible. If children are happy then they are able to flourish both in and out of the classroom.
REIGATIANS: ARCHITECT OF THEIR OWN LEARNING
Reigatians develop a passion for learning and nurture a spirit of inquiry and creativity in order to become increasingly independent and successful.
The school is built around each child. Our pupils will make guided choices about their learning pathways and we will tailor the curriculum around their needs.
We have an outstanding academic culture, and the main purpose of the innovative RGS Vietnam curriculum is to offer a challenging and balanced education, equipping pupils for the opportunities and demands of their future lives. In an RGS Vietnam classroom teachers are focused on developing a passion for learning and they have the time to do so.
Our classrooms are technologically fluent, but relationship-focused, learning environments buzzing with intellectual freedom and using the best blend of modern and traditional methods to inspire young linguists, historians, geographers, artists, businesspersons, mathematicians and scientists. Our teachers are experts in and passionate about their subjects, and they venture well beyond the assessed syllabus. We will inspire our pupils and respond to their questioning and curiosity.
A Reigatian will become confident, will try new things at the right time for them, both within and beyond the classroom. there will always be a friend or teacher to help them go further or, importantly, to catch them if they stumble.
REIGATIANS: AS MANY WAYS TO ACHIEVE AS THERE ARE CHILDREN
Achievement matters and RGS Vietnam pupils regularly go on to attend the world’s best universities. Top exam results secure life chances.
Achievement matters, but there needs to be as many ways to achieve as there are children in the school. We will provide Reigatians with opportunities to achieve beyond the classroom in sporting, artistic and cultural arenas. The art displayed around the school is as likely to be from a future lawyer as it is from a student soon to start at Art School. Our students know a school that recognises the value of good manners, of being a true friend and doing the right thing. No one gets lost in the crowd.
Achievement and enjoyment at school are the launch pad for a sustainably happy and successful adult life. There is so much more to a great education than exam results and, so, we blend the academic work with the many other important things that open children’s eyes to a world of wonder and aspiration. Whether trekking in Sapa, exploring Cuc Phuong National Park or performing at the school musical show, our students have their eyes lifted to the horizon as they make life-time friends and secure life-long memories.
Those moments form us and set us up for a life well-lived. Securing those childhood moments for our students is an important achievement. Achievement matters.
REIGATIANS: EXTRA CURRICULAR THE HEARTBEAT OF THE SCHOOL
School days should be great fun and develop a child’s personal character: time spent with friends full of laughter and full of wonder.
On the playing field or on the stage, dancing in the studio or competing in a swimming competition, debating in the RGSV Model United Nations or learning Korean calligraphy, there are so many ways to learn about yourself, to learn about others and to make the most of your school days. The extra-curricular programmes are the heartbeat of the school and there is something here for every child.
Poetry club, K-pop dancing, Board Games, Coding, 3D Printing, RGSV Choir, Lego Creations Club, Embroidery, Yoga, or RGSV TEDx Club – every day, a plethora of clubs, trips and activities see students engaged and having fun.
The House system allows leadership to be nurtured, talent to shine, confidence to surge, teamwork to flourish and a competitive spirit to develop. Most importantly, everyone can feel part of the team. This enhances our ethos and our family atmosphere. Cross Country Day, Swim Gala, Sports Day, or Musical Shows are all fun, exciting and enhance important personal and community values.
Smiling and laughing, pupils’ aspirations evolve, their skills develop and their hopes for the future become clarified. As our young people experience the plethora of opportunities around us, they will develop personal character that will set them up for a sustainably happy and successful adult life. They will surprise their families and themselves, even though their teachers always knew that they could do it!
The School believes that education is as much about building character and relationships as it is about gaining knowledge and aims to broaden the opportunities of each and every pupil through an exceptional array of opportunities and facilities in music, theatre and sport as well as dozens of clubs and societies.
REIGATIANS: GOOD SPORTS
Our commitment to sport enables all students to maximise their ability, their progress and their enjoyment of sport.
Whether a pupil is an elite athlete, simply loves their sport or engages for all the physical and mental benefits sport and good health bring, they benefit from a combination of professional coaches for each major sport.
There are various sports activities that are on offer throughout the school. RGS Vietnam has a large number of teams and clubs, which are drawn from those involved in the extra-curricular activities. Sport will play an important part in the School House system with a full programme of inter-house sports competitions and challenges.
Additional sports facilities, including two indoor swimming pools, indoor multipurpose gymnasium, FIFA standard football pitch, and basketball court are situated at the main school site.
Our sports development programme helps students to develop the habit of a winner, but not at all costs. Sporting values are important for life beyond school and the House system means that every single boy and girl can feel part of the team.
Sport can be for everyone but not everyone will love the same sports. RGS Vietnam is a highly personalised environment and our students take part in a huge range of sporting activities. From football to basketball, running to swimming, volleyball to dancing – children and sport thrive at RGS Vietnam.
REIGATIANS: CREATIVE BY DESIGN
Artists flourish and many Reigatians discover a talent that thrives here. Creativity in areas of art and design are an integral part of life at RGS Vietnam. For the talented, for the enthused or for those who simply want to have a go, artists of all kinds will flourish here. The walls of the School are covered with hundreds of pieces of their artwork.
The Visual Arts department is a centre of creativity and realisation. It is a place of inspiration and a creative sanctuary for many an absorbed young artist – wrestling with traditional techniques in oils, with photography (film or digital), with ceramics, use of metals, wood and plastic or with 3D printing, at the forefront of a new generation of creativity and design.
REIGATIANS:
MUSIC TALENTS
Music helps the soul to soar and the heart to beat along. Music infuses our ethos and is an integral part of each school day, whether it be performances in assembly, a significant community event or one of the plentiful concerts that fill the calendar.
The hard work, talent and dedication of our musicians, supported by their teachers, shines whether in the classroom, at the school’s musical show or in an international instrument competition. The emphasis is on diversity and versatility with every pupil encouraged to develop their musical potential.
REIGATIANS: SIXTH-FORM LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING
“My education at RGS Vietnam has provided me with the skills to pursue my ambitions and an environment where questions and challenges are always welcome.
- Old Reigatian
We believe in our young people so that they can achieve more than they dreamed possible, and they do so, again and again, whilst at school and beyond. Reigatians grow into mature adults with a secure moral compass, prepared and ready for a happy and successful adult life. Reigatians will go on to be effective professionals in their chosen field. They will be good partners, parents, friends and neighbours with a fulfilled life inside and outside of their careers.
Our young adults, on the cusp of university and life beyond school epitomise all that is best about RGS Vietnam, whether leading in the House System, within the school community, supporting and spearheading events for younger students or in the wider community. The hallmark of our Sixth Form, including IB DP and A levels, is much more than just academic excellence. We offer a remarkable breadth of training and opportunity for student leadership.
Guidance and support for options, careers and university progression is crucial and starts lower down the school, building up to concentrated support for the pupils in their final two years. Our University Counselling Department comprises a team of wellqualified and experienced professionals, which is now backed by the phenomenal support of a vast body of Old Reigatians. This network of Reigatians forms a living library of advice and practical help from people working across a huge range of industries and disciplines, united by their readiness to help younger Reigatians.
ONE A REIGATIAN, ALWAYS A REIGATIAN
RGS Vietnam pupils enjoy the privileges of being part of the wider RGS International family. They enjoy a lifelong relationship with their school and camaraderie with fellow Reigatians from all over the globe. The rich programme of events established by the RGS Foundation brings Reigatians (pupils and parents) across the generations together for socialising, networking and the support of a common cause.
This proactive, mutually supportive Reigatian community is exceptional and offers more and more opportunities to engage each year.
All good schools have an alumni community, but few maximise network benefits as effectively as the RGS Foundation, particularly through the RGS Professionals network. Whether in London or New York; Singapore or Hong Kong; Hanoi or Sydney – there is already a Reigatian network in place, established and ready to help students on their journey through adulthood beyond school – RGS is a school for life.
““Reflecting upon my journey, what I learnt at RGS is very much central to giving me the confidence and skills necessary to pursue the ventures I am involved in today.”
- Old Reigatian
CURRICULUM
For a full list of the subjects on offer, please refer to the curriculum plan for the current year, which is available via our website: www. reigategrammar.edu.vn
We believe in our young people so that they can achieve more than they ever thought possible and our innovative, distinctive curriculum enables a greater breadth of study and the skills for lifelong learning. It is designed to develop personal character, a moral compass and to prepare RGS Vietnam students extraordinarily well for a happy and successful personal and professional adult life.
The Prep School Curriculum
The IB-PYP curriculum is a student-centred approach to education for children aged 3-12. The framework begins with the premise that students are agents of their own learning and partners in the learning process. It prioritises people and their relationships to build a strong learning community. PYP students use their initiative to take responsibility and ownership of their learning. By learning through inquiry and reflecting on their own learning, PYP students develop knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and the attributes of the IB learner profile to make a difference in their own lives, their communities and beyond. The framework emphasises the central principle of agency, which underpins the three pillars of school life: the learner, learning and teaching and the learning community.
The PYP is designed to focus on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is a framework guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, as well as approaches to learning (ATL) skills. The PYP framework is flexible enough to accommodate the demands of most national or local curriculums and provides the best preparation for pupils to engage in our Secondary School programmes.
The Secondary School Curriculum
The Lower Secondary Programme is designed for students from Year 7 to Year 9 at Reigate Grammar School Vietnam. Through exposure to a broad range of subject areas, the RGS Vietnam Lower Secondary Programme builds on the foundations set in our Preparatory School education in developing students’ concepts, content, experiences and abilities.
The programme develops the skills of research, analysis, evaluation, reflection, collaboration and communication. It strengthens the links and common understanding across subject areas.Pupils can access a broad balanced education, helping them to thrive throughout their schooling, work and life.
A wide range of subjects are taught in the Lower Secondary Programme, such as English, Maths, Humanities, Languages, Science, Arts, Music and more.
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
The IGCSE is a two-year programme leading to externally set, marked and certificated examinations from the University of Cambridge. The programme is offered to Year 10 and Year 11 students at RGS Vietnam.
Cambridge IGCSE (part of Cambridge Secondary 2) is the world’s most popular international qualification for 14 to 16 year olds. Developed over 25 years ago, it is tried, tested and trusted by schools worldwide. IGCSE is usually accepted as an entrance standard to many schools offering A- levels, IB Diploma Programmes (DP) or Advanced Placement (AP). It is recognised by leading universities and employers worldwide and is an international passport to progression and success.
IB Diploma Programme
IBDP is a very popular international qualification for 16 to 19 year old students. It is recognized by leading universities and employers worldwide, and is an international passport to progression and success. At RGS Vietnam, Year 12 and Year 13 students study the IB Diploma Programme to prepare for their university studies.
The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.
A-level Programme
A-levels (Advanced Levels) are regarded as one of the most prestigious academic pre-university qualifications in the UK and internationally. 95% of undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge followed A-level courses. With the IB Diploma, A-levels are the ticket to access world class universities, including the top universities in Vietnam. With the aim of offering students access to a bespoke individualised curriculum, RGS Vietnam has now introduced a new A-level programme for students aged 15 to 18 (Years 11-13 equivalent). This gives RGS Vietnam students the ability to choose either the A-levels or the IB Diploma programme after they complete their IGCSEs in Year 11, this is a choice available exclusively at RGS Vietnam.
LOCATION
Address: No. 6-7 Nguyen Cong Thai Street, Dai Kim Urban Area, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi.
RGS Vietnam lies in the Dai Kim urban area, located mainly in Dinh Cong ward and a part of Dai Kim ward, Hoang Mai district, Hanoi, Vietnam. This area is on the ring road, conveniently connected with the central areas of the city.
Dai Kim is an urban area with many convenient community facilities such as hospitals, post offices, green parks, sports complexes, entertainment and shopping centres,... This is a safe, modern and one of the most livable urban areas in Hanoi.
The residential area of Dai Kim is civilised, safe and clean with a low air pollution index, all creating a suitable area for learning and training for children.
One can reach RGS Vietnam by private vehicles such as motorbikes or cars. Public transportation or taxis are available as well.
