THE REGISTER
RGS Guildford Photo Album
ISSUE 45 TRINITY 2024
As General Election fever hit the UK in the months of June & July, so the corridors of the RGS were certainly not exempt from political frenzy. Aristotle famously said that man is a political animal. As well as focusing on our responsibilities as a public citizen, he also reflects on our inherent sociability & communal tendencies, the delicate balance between collective belonging & personal identity. This edition of The Register allows us to reflect on a term where individual successes & highlights have been the result of collaboration & teamwork, where service to others & generosity of spirit & time have been equally, if not more, important than isolated successes. And we also unashamedly celebrate the joy of being part of a close-knit community, the joy of friendship, laughter & an ingrained sense of fun.
The beginning of term reminds us that friendship & togetherness are the foundations on which success is built.
The last year-group photograph for the Upper Sixth Form takes place on the front lawn: sealed in the archives of the RGS for years to come.
Beginning-of-term haircuts, freshly-pressed suits, clean shoes, & ready smiles: the Class of 2024 prepares to strike a pose.
The theme of the 200 Seconds Competition was The Unexpected which – appropriately – was tackled from an innovative array of angles.
The smiles just say it all!
The Concerto Concert with Southern Pro Musica & the Choral & Orchestral Concert, under the guidance of Director of Music, Sam Orchard, were two of the absolute highlights of our musical calendar.
From a Jazz Night at The Boileroom to The Great Hall of Rock – with covers from bands including Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Franz Ferdinand & Nirvana – our musicians found a stage on which to perform.
Our annual Art Summer Exhibition showcased artwork of extraordinary quality & diversity in a range of media.
Our talented artists were on hand to talk about their artwork & provide an insight into the inspiration behind their work.
Campaign trails, hustings, Q&As, posters & canvassing all ensured that the whole community was engaged in the RGS Mock Election.
Students of all ages participated in a range of drama productions from Mime workshops to the House Drama competitions, supported by senior students, staff, & professionals.
Just beautiful weather conditions for the sports team photographs in the historic setting of the courtyard: sunshine & smiles all round.
A whole host of trips –both academic & co-curricular –saw students immersing themselves in a wealth of opportunities outside the classroom as they challenged & stretched themselves.
The five Field Days throughout the year – in which the teaching is suspended for the day – provide opportunities by land, on water & in the air.
Friendship, camaraderie, working together is a key component of our co-curricular programme.
The immaculately prepared wickets at Bradstone Brook provided the setting for a succession of individual & team highlights across the age-groups, as well as sportsmanship & smiles in equal measure.
On a beautiful day at Guildford Spectrum for Sports Day, a succession of school records were also broken, some in spectacular fashion!
Our Under 14s survived a nail-biting finale to be crowned Tier 1 National Plate Champions: an incredible achievement by a talented & committed set of hockey players...
...and the celebrations were well worth the wait!
Charitable initiatives including the Sleep Out saw the RGS raising for charity this year an absolutely incredible amount of money... just over £21,000!
Raising awareness as well as much-needed funds were equally important, as the annual Pilgrims’ Challenge focused on mental health in the young through the Max Windle Memorial Trust.
The Leavers’ Ceremony, our graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024, at Holy Trinity preceded the start of the glittering RGS Leavers’ Ball: a fitting send-off for an amazing year group.
A sparkling finale as the Class of 2024 signed off with a bang, as the Old Building & Guildford’s night sky were lit up in celebration.
RGS senior staff visited each of our international schools, & we also welcomed our overseas colleagues to experience the heritage and ethos of the RGS.
Always a pleasure to see so many Old Guildfordians kindly & generously giving of their time to return to speak to, & inspire, our students...
...or simply to reconnect & reminisce at one of our old boy events.
As the lights go out on another academic year, 2024 will be forever imprinted in our memories, and on our phones!
Thank you to every single individual – students & parents, staff & governors, & the wider community alike – who have contributed so much to this Trinity Term, as participation & opportunity, camaraderie & enjoyment remained very much at the heart of our ethos. The old adage is, indeed, true: school days really are the best days of your life!