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There are six [[House system|houses]] at the RGS, named after various benefactors of the school (house colours are shown in parentheses):
There are six [[House system|houses]] at the RGS, named after various benefactors of the school (house colours are shown in parentheses):


* penis (yellow)
* Austen (yellow)
* sausage (red)
* Beckingham (red)
* willy (dark blue) current Champions est. 2006
* Hamonde (dark blue) current Champions est. 2006
* magic wand (light blue)
* Nettles (light blue)
* a sticky stick (maroon)
* Powell (maroon)
* cock (white)
* Valpy (white)


Each pupil is assigned to one of the six houses upon joining the school, and a pupil's house can be indicated to others by optional colour-related clothing. If someone joins as the second in their direct family to do so, they are put in the same house as their relative. At the end of the school year, the points from all the events done during the school year are added up and the house which has the most points wins the Cock House Cup.
Each pupil is assigned to one of the six houses upon joining the school, and a pupil's house can be indicated to others by optional colour-related clothing. If someone joins as the second in their direct family to do so, they are put in the same house as their relative. At the end of the school year, the points from all the events done during the school year are added up and the house which has the most points wins the Cock House Cup.

Revision as of 09:35, 26 November 2010

Royal Grammar School, Guildford
File:RGSGuildfordLogoGreenHorizontal.jpg
Address
Map
High Street

Guildford
,
Surrey
,
GU1 3BB

EnglandEngland
Information
TypeIndependent School
MottoDieu et mon droit
(God and my right)
Religious affiliation(s)Anglican
Established1509
FounderRobert Beckingham
Chairman of GovernorsDr Henry Pearson OBE
HeadmasterDr Jon Cox
Staff92 (teaching staff)
GenderBoys
Age11 to 18
Enrollment899
Houses6
Colour(s)Green, Maroon and White
PublicationGuildfordian
Former pupilsOld Guildfordians
School CaptainKyle Fleischer
Websitehttp://www.rgs-guildford.co.uk/

The Royal Grammar School is an English independent school for boys in Guildford, Surrey. It is situated in the High Street in Guildford, Surrey, in the same site as it was founded in 1509 and later received a royal charter from King Edward VI. It has a rich history and, notably, it is home to a rare example of a chained library[1] established by John Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, in 1575 and is also the location of the first recorded game of cricket. The school has a reputation for being one of the top schools academically in the country.

History

The school was originally founded in 1509 after Robert Beckingham left an order in his will for a free school to be established in Guildford. In 1512, Beckingham's executors gave the lands in the will to a body of trustees, who included the Mayor of Guildford. With the rents, they were able to make a free grammar school.

Later on, the Mayor of Guildford petitioned Edward VI to grant him further money to improve the school. In 1552, Edward VI ordered that there was to be 'one Grammar School in Guildford called the Free Grammar School of King Edward VI for the education, institution and instruction of boys and youths in grammar at all future times forever to endure'.

In 1598, a court case referred to a sport called kreckett being played at the school around 1550. The Oxford English Dictionary gives this as the first recorded instance of cricket in the English language[2].

Timeline

The Old Building
  • 1509 Robert Beckingham's Will leaves money for setting up of the school.
  • 1512 Foundation of the governing body of school.
  • 1552 The granting of the charter.
  • 1555 Purchase of the High Street site.
  • 1557 Construction of the school began.
  • 1550 - 60 First Recorded Game of Cricket ever played, at the RGS Guildford (called kreckett)[3]
  • 1586 Building of the old school completed.
  • 1888 Restoration of the Old Building and its continuation as a day school only.
  • 1944 Education Act under which the school adopted voluntary controlled status; tuition was free; and entry was to be by common entrance examination at the age of eleven.
  • 1958 The construction of the New Building started on Allen House Field.
  • 1977 The school withdrew from the government maintained system and became independent and fee-paying.
  • 1978 Acquisition of Lanesborough Preparatory School
  • 2002 Construction began on a new £5 million pound Sports Centre and All Weather Training Area.
  • 2009 The school celebrated the 500th anniversary of the founding of the school, including a visit from HRH The Princess Royal.

Admissions

RGS has its own entrance exam, sat by all applicants at the age of eleven, and an interview is also conducted. This allows the school to retain its high academic standards. If a place is awarded, entry can be deferred by boys in preparatory schools to allow them to enter RGS at thirteen. For entry at both eleven and thirteen an additional scholarship exam can be sat. One boy will be awarded the King's Scholarship, allowing them to receive their education for half of the normal fees.

Academic

RGS is one of the most academic schools in the country. The school enjoys consistent 100% pass rates, and in 2009 was the top boys' school in the country for A-level results.[citation needed] In the 2009/10 leavers' year, a record 42 boys have received offers from Oxbridge, and the school sends many pupils to other top universities, including Durham, Imperial and UCL. The school is also shortlisted for independent school of the year 2009/10 based on Outstanding Community/Public Benefit.[4] Unfortunately though, after all this, RGS results still didn't rival official league tables from the Department for Education, remaining behind Dean Close School, Cheltenham, Cheltenham College, Cheltenham, Cheltenham Ladies College, Cheltenham, and of course Pate's Grammar School, Cheltenham. [5]

School Terms

As in most schools in the UK there are three terms in the Academic year :

  • The Michaelmas Term from early September to mid-December. This is the normal term for new boys to be admitted into the school
  • The Lent Term from early January to a time a week or two before whenever Easter falls that year
  • The Trinity Term from mid-late April to early July, during which time boys sit most public exams

School uniform

The school's uniform for the 1st to 5th years consists of a white or grey shirt, black or grey long trousers and a navy blue school blazer. For the lower and upper sixth, dark coloured suits are instead worn, and upper sixth formers are permitted to wear coloured shirts. All years wear a school tie, of which there are a large number, including colours ties for representing the school or a house, ties Praefecti Seniores and a tie which celebrates the school's 500th anniversary.

House system

RGS 500 Logo
The Logo used during the year 2009/2010 to celebrate the 500 anniversary of the founding of the school.

There are six houses at the RGS, named after various benefactors of the school (house colours are shown in parentheses):

  • Austen (yellow)
  • Beckingham (red)
  • Hamonde (dark blue) current Champions est. 2006
  • Nettles (light blue)
  • Powell (maroon)
  • Valpy (white)

Each pupil is assigned to one of the six houses upon joining the school, and a pupil's house can be indicated to others by optional colour-related clothing. If someone joins as the second in their direct family to do so, they are put in the same house as their relative. At the end of the school year, the points from all the events done during the school year are added up and the house which has the most points wins the Cock House Cup.

The school's official livery colour is green, picked as a house-neutral colour.

Classes

There is a First Form (Year 7) intake of 3-4 classes; there is another intake in the Third Form (Year 9) of 2 or 3 classes depending on the cohort's size from the First Form. The pupil to teacher ratio is 10:1, which is low by general school standards. Class sizes start at around twenty to twenty-five in the First Form through to GCSE and are less than 16 by the final two years.

Publications

The school has two sets of publications acting to summarise recent school events; one is the Guildfordian published annually, it contains pieces ranging from images of impressive student artwork to university destinations of the leaving school year; the other originally published as Really Good Stuff and now published as The Register, is a termly newsletter documenting significant achievements of the pupils. A weekly news letter is published on line every Tuesday.

Notable alumni

For full list, see Category:Old Guildfordians

Arts

Business

Military

Politics

  • David Broder - Libertarian Marxist and migrants' rights campaigner
  • Sir George Grey - Prime Minister of New Zealand
  • Robin Halward - Director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service
  • Arthur Onslow - Speaker of the House of Commons, Treasurer of the Navy, member of the Privy Council & Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal
  • Richard Onslow - Member of Parliament for Guildford, governor of Fort William & Governor of Plymouth
  • James Purnell - Former member of the Cabinet
  • John Rickman FRS - Creator of the Census

Religion

Sciences

Sport

Television

External links

References

  1. ^ "Royal Grammar School Website". Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  2. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary Online". Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  3. ^ "Royal Grammar School Website". Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  4. ^ "The Independent School Awards 2010". Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  5. ^ "BBC League tables based on Department for Education results". Retrieved 2010-09-24.

51°14′12″N 0°34′08″W / 51.23667°N 0.56889°W / 51.23667; -0.56889

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