The Bulletin 243 by RGS Guildford

FROM THE HEADMASTER

I hope you and your family had a relaxing summer holiday and that your son is refreshed and ready for the start of the school year. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome to the RGS family all those new to the School. The beginning of the academic year and a fresh intake mark an exciting stage and I have every confidence that the new students will make a real impact upon the School and, most importantly, thrive and grow as confident, happy and kind individuals. I look forward to getting to know them individually and to observing them as they develop and flourish.

The RGS is a close-knit community and the happiness of every single student is of paramount importance to us all. We all play a significant role in embedding in our school a culture where each individual’s psychological needs are met: kindness, compassion and friendship; being understood and listened to; a deep sense of belonging and inclusivity; the satisfaction of achievement; the autonomy to have control over elements of one’s life; a sense of purpose to fulfil goals and to make a difference to others. Our students cannot achieve if they are not in a good place emotionally and this continues to be our absolute focus and priority. We are incredibly proud of the success of our students and, indeed, striving for excellence and harbouring healthy ambition are admirable traits which epitomise the RGS; however, these are achieved in a caring and supportive way. For us, our School Values of inclusivity, scholarship, integrity, respect, courage and collaboration define who we are and allow us to face our successes and setbacks equally. The RGS is a welcoming environment where a mutually supportive ethos is at the very heart of our philosophy. Each individual at the RGS has so much untapped potential; to unlock this, the students must be confident and happy, open and honest, and realistic enough to appreciate that things will not always go smoothly.

If you have any concerns with regard to your son, however seemingly trivial, please do not hesitate to contact the School via his Tutor. My experienced pastoral team are always on hand to provide support. Each student has a number of members of staff he can turn to if he wants advice or guidance. His Tutor is likely to be his first point of contact; however, every individual also has their Head of Year, Head of Section, Housemaster, Personal Tutor (Fourth Form and above), Assistant Head (Pastoral) Designated Safeguarding Lead, our newlyappointed Student Wellbeing Practitioner, the School Counsellors, and the School Nurse. In addition, the senior students, with the benefit of professional training, take an active role in the mentoring of junior students to provide peer support. Talking openly and airing concerns are the most important lessons we can teach our students.

For the benefit of those parents new to the School, the RGS newsletter The Bulletin is published electronically every two weeks. We are very proud of the efforts and achievements of our students and this fortnightly publication provides an opportunity to celebrate the many diverse successes enjoyed by our community. I am always keen to hear news of RGS students so that their energy, industry and achievements can be recognised; please do not hesitate to keep me informed.

The happiness of every single student is of paramount importance to us all. “

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As well as The Bulletin, the RGS website and social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – also provide useful means of staying updated with news from the School and gaining an insight into daily life. In addition, each day, The RGS Today is emailed to all students and this, again, provides them with an invaluable way of keeping aware of the many diverse opportunities open to them.

I am reminded of a speaker at one of our Inset Days who stressed that the strength of a wall is not derived from the strength of the individual bricks but from the mortar that binds them together. I could not be more proud that the mortar of the RGS is firmly based upon the respect, kindness and values which are at the very heart of our ethos. We all want the very best for the students and, in that regard, student voice and parent voice remain powerful ways for us to continue to refine and improve every aspect of school life. In the coming weeks I shall share with you just some of the initiatives which have been implemented which were the direct result of the input of members of our community. As an institution, our strategy is student-centred and we continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the RGS experience is as positive and fulfilling as possible.

So, as we embark on a new term, I wish your son a very happy and fulfilling year and look forward to meeting you in person in the coming months.

INCLUSIVITY SCHOLARSHIP

INTEGRITY

RESPECT COURAGE

OUR VALUES

COLLABORATION

SCHOOL PRIORITIES 2022-2025

Our current RGS school development priorities are Collaboration, Student Experience and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. These priorities are in the final year of our three-year cycle.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

We have focused on responding to student and staff voice, as well as experienced external providers, to inform our strategy which is currently centred around developing a more inclusive curriculum; staff diversity; and providing additional training and support for staff and students with the aim of making our whole community more tolerant and inclusive.

COLLABORATION

We are focusing on four areas: staff collaboration to develop and improve teaching and learning; sharing best practice between RGS and RGS Prep; co-educational opportunities and links for our students socially and academically; and linking with our international schools to provide students with cultural and academic enrichment opportunities.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

This is always an area of continual development; however, our current focuses are on student appearance; the reporting process; academic tracking and reporting; co-curricular participation; literacy; pastoral support; reviewing the Sixth Form curriculum provision; and effective use of student devices and the possibilities that AI offers.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sports Fixtures

We very much welcome parental support this term at weekend sports fixtures including rugby at Bradstone Brook. May we politely remind you that dogs are, regrettably, strictly not allowed. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

May we also remind you that with unpredictable weather this term, it is all the more important to check our sports cancellation policy and social media platforms prior to leaving home to ensure there have been no cancellations or changes to the published arrangements.

Friday 13 September

Orchestra and Choir Tour Reunion Concert 7.30pm at Holy Trinity Church. Everyone welcome. No booking required.

Tuesday 17 September

Class of 2026: Welcome to the Sixth Form event in Great Hall.

Thursday 19 September

New Parents’ Reception on the Headmaster’s Lawn.

Class of 2026: Welcome to the Sixth Form

Tuesday 17 September | Great Hall

Please note: this event is for parents only

CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS

LATEST NEWS

RESULTS

Our students achieved another outstanding set of A Level results. 38.4% of all grades were the gold standard A*; in total, 346 A* and A grades were secured by our hard-working cohort. 87 students achieved a clean sweep of grades at A or A*, 31 of those achieved 3 or more A* grades: these are richly deserved and just reward for all their efforts.

In terms of university entrance, of those preparing to study at UK universities, the students, almost without exception, secured offers on the most competitive courses at the leading institutions in the country, predominantly at their first-choice institution. This is all the more impressive as 97% of places confirmed are to Russell Group or one of The Times Top 20 ranked universities with Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Oxford, UCL and Warwick continuing to be the most popular destinations for our students.

At GCSE, the most common grade achieved by our students was the gold-standard grade 9; in total 576 grade 9s were achieved. In addition, 448 grade 8s were also secured: over two-thirds of all grades were at grade 9 or 8. 66 students achieved nine or more grade 8 and 9s; 10 students secured the remarkable profile of 10 or more grade 9s.

Congratulations to all our students: their hard work, determination and resilience have been tested to the full and they have emerged with results of which they can all be rightly proud and which provide the foundations for them to have the most ambitious of aspirations.

TRIPS

A busy summer for school trips included: the rugby tour to South Africa; the music tour, in conjunction with Guildford High School, to Spain; the Cambodia expedition with girls from Tormead School; the CCF summer camp; the Physics Department engineering trip, the Silver DofE expedition in Exmoor; and a number of sporting fixtures and training sessions for football, rugby, sailing, shooting, surfing, and tennis.

STAFF

We are delighted to welcome a number of new members of teaching staff to the RGS. We welcome: Dr Shahov and Mrs Dupont (Music Department); Mr Gamble and Mr Turvill (Religion and Philosophy Department); Mrs Ambridge (Chemistry); Dr Lamb (History); Mrs Lewis (Modern Foreign Languages); Miss Millais (Biology); Mr Patel and Miss Record (Mathematics); Miss Paterson (Classics); Mrs McMillan (Learning Support Department) and Mrs Mason (Student Wellbeing Practitioner). In addition, our new Sports Assistants are Mr Chilcott, Mr Foster, Mr Sherrington, and Miss Skov. I would like to wish all new members of staff the very best of luck for an enjoyable career at the RGS. We wish them all the very best for a successful and fulfilling time with us as they join the RGS community.