Information for New Support Staff 2026-2027
Key People Your Line Manager/Head of Department, colleagues in your department and school ‘buddy’ will give you lots of help and advice but selected other people who may be able to assist you are listed below; The Senior Management Team (SMT) Headmaster Senior Deputy Head (Pupils) Deputy Head (Staff and School Development) Senior Master Assistant Head (Teaching & Learning; EDI ) Assistant Head (DLS & Pastoral) Assistant Head (Curriculum) Assistant Head (Co-curricular) Assistant Head (Partnerships) Headmaster’s PA Deputy Head and Heads of Year PA Deputy and Assistant Heads’ PA
Jon Cox Adrian Woodman Jill Thorpe Jimmy Pressley Natacha Goul-Wheeker Nick Gough David Wright Steve Yetman Tom Shimmell Jen McAllister Shelley Kidgell Gerry Newman
JMC AUW JRST JWP NSGW NWG DSJW SJHY TWS JLM SKI GTN
Jamie Lythgoe James Witts Matt Baggs Will Spouge
JDNL JCW MFB Gemma GES WHNS
Head of Fifth Form
Julien Marchiafava
JM
Head of Fourth Form Head of Third Form Head of Second Form Head of First Form
Alan Dodd Matthew Bailey Chloe McGeady Ian Wilkes
ACD MBA CCM IW
Teacher Training Mentor Chairman of Staff Forum Staff Forum Social Secretary Head of Digital Learning Head of Mentoring Head of Research and Development Head of Scholarship Librarian Head of Learning Support Learning Support Assistant Cover Supervisors
James Stratford and James Muchmore Richard Presley Verena Lewis Nina Odhams Sophie Cox Kalpesh Patel Henrietta Tarasewicz Tamsin Farthing Nicola Strivens Cat Wilson Louisa Gordon Jacintha Janmohamed
JDS/ JGM REP VLE NLO SJC KPA HET TFF NCS CSW LHG JJA
Site Manager School Nurse School Counsellor Student Wellbeing Practitioner
Andrew Poon Sharon Pontin Josie Weaver Elena Jeffery Ellie Mason
AKKP SBP JAW EKJ ECM
Chief Strategy Officer
Sam Maiden
STM
Other positions of responsibility Head of Upper School Head of Middle School Head of Lower School Head of Upper Sixth Spencer Head of Lower Sixth
Bursary
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Director of Finance and Operations Head of Finance Head of Estates Head of Human Resources Senior HR Advisor HR Administrator Financial Planning and Analysis Accountant Payroll and Benefits Lead Assistant Accountant Accounts Assistant (Purchase Ledger)
Becky Whitham Peter Channing Paul Lyons Jane Isaacs Karen Rourke Lily Cates Deb Banks Dariya Yohannan Rajan Cristina Stevenson Preema Aravinthan
RFW PBC PL JCI KLR LFC DMB DYR CMS PAR
Accounts Assistant (Billing)
Amanda Keeley
AJK
Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) Development Director
Monica Popa
MPO
Front Office School Receptionist School Secretary Cover Manager Front Office Lead
Rachel Bolton Jill Beech Jessica Hodson-Walker Kathleen Winterburn
RBO JPB JLHW KAW
ICT Director
Karl Rivers
JKR
ICT Network Engineer Data Manager
Abinash Budhathoki Fiona Little
AB FL
IT Service Delivery Manager Assistant IT Service Delivery Manager
Sean Comer Jon Scott
SFC JSC
Senior IT Technician
Bertie Stegeman
ROS
IT Helpdesk Technician
Hasan Naeem
HN
Assistant Systems Engineer
Matt Bettridge
MBE
IT
The IT Team are brilliant at sorting out any problems with, or answering questions about, computers, systems, printers etc. They are based in F23 or email helpdesk@rgsg.co.uk . Emailing any of the above named people is very straightforward. Their email address is initials followed by @rgsg.co.uk. For example, to email Adrian Woodman (Deputy Head) use AUW@rgsg.co.uk. This is also the format your RGS email address will be in, using the two to four letter initials combination that you specify. Car Parking and Access Car Parking Car Parking for support staff is in our Sydenham Road car park (behind the old building) and entry is by number plate recognition. Space is limited so you may have to double park. If you park in a space blocking another car it is important you inform the Front Office and, if you are willing, leave your keys with them so your car can be moved in an emergency. As you can imagine there is a degree of common sense required to make this system successful and hopefully when you arrive you’ll get the hang of it! Access to School Buildings 2
During the day all external doors are accessed using a finger-scan (your finger will be scanned as part of the IT induction process). It is possible to access the main school building out of hours via the white, metal door down the steps to the right of the main school entrance. Please ask your Line Manager for the code to the external door (outside the Auditorium, beneath Reception) - please don’t share this - and the internal door is a finger-scan. Key Rooms The Lower (‘Working’) Common Room This is where you will find pigeonholes, noticeboards, a (colour) photocopier, a laminator, a guillotine, a large work table and spare staff desktop computers. The Upper Common Room Tea, coffee and water are available throughout the day here and staff briefing takes place on Monday and Thursday (10.37 to 10.50am). Attendance to staff briefing is expected. Fruit and biscuits are available at morning break. There are also both Ladies and Gents toilets in the Common Room complex. The Staff Dining Room This is located upstairs from the Upper Common Room, accessible via the servery on the floor above. Lunch is available from about midday onwards until c1:20pm, with a wide range of hot food, vegetarian options, sandwiches, soup, salad and desserts. There is a rule of being collegiate and only choosing one ‘protein’, lunch option and pudding (i.e. not taking a double helping of a hot chicken main course and also then the beef/ cheese based salad. Similarly staff should not take a sandwich and a main course.) This is fairly common sense and means that there is still a choice of salads for staff who arrive later. The Photocopying and Stationery There are two colour photocopiers (Photocopying Room). It is also possible to retrieve any items that you have sent to print at these photocopiers; you will need your 4-digit code to retrieve these items (in fact, you can retrieve your printing at any photocopier or printer in the school this way). The (locked) door on the left contains precious stationery and Jess, Cover and Logistics Manager is the key master! Non-precious stationery is in the back room and you are free to take what you need. Ladies’ and Gents’ changing rooms and toilets There is a male changing room with showers on the first floor and another one on the lower ground opposite the Biology base. Outside the Auditorium, there are Ladies’ and Gents’ facilities, as well as an accessible toilet. There is also a shower and changing space for ladies. Additional accessible toilets can be found around the school, please ask your Line Manager to point them out. In the Old Building there is a Gents’ at the bottom of the staircase on the left and a Ladies’ outside the Headmaster’s secretary’s office. There are also changing rooms for both sexes in the North Building as part of the PE facilities. The John Brown building has unisex shower and changing facilities on the first floor alongside staff toilets on all floors. Old School, Music, Art and Sixth Form Centre The Old School building houses the Headmaster’s office along with his PA, Jen McAllister. The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) and Admissions Office along with Big School (a large assembly room) and small music rooms can also be found here. Beyond this building are the Art Building, Music Building and Sixth Form Centre. Useful Information Teaching Unions Helen Dixon (Daro), Justin Kelly (Head of Design and Technology) and Sam Burns are currently the school union representatives. The School Calendar
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This contains all events for the term, including assemblies, together with future term dates, sports practices, extracurricular schedules etc. It is the first point of reference for what is happening and can be accessed online at www.rgsgcalendar.co.uk. In addition to the School Calendar, a Staff Calendar is issued termly via email. This contains a list of the School’s governors, staff and students, useful phone numbers and email addresses, the school calendar for the term ahead and other information that you may find useful. School Day - The Daily Routine 8.30 8.45 8.50 9.15 9.50 10.30 10.50 11.25 12.05 12.45 1.50 2.00 2.40 3.20 4.00
Assemblies Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Pupils allowed into school, Tutors should be in form rooms Registration Assembly Period 1 Period 2 Break (Briefing in Common Room on Mondays and Thursdays) Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Lunch (see below for special lunch arrangements for 1 st and 2nd form) Registration Period 6 Period 7 Period 8 (Extended to 4.30 on Monday for 4th – 6th form only for Period 8 activities – see below) School Ends
Full school assembly (Hymn, reading, and notices for everyone) Tutor periods with the occasional year group assembly Occasional House Assemblies Fourth and Fifth Form Assembly
Support staff are welcome to attend Assemblies, although it is not compulsory. Calendar invites are sent out via email and it is possible to watch the Assembly via Teams. Communication Jimmy Pressley (JWP), the Senior Master is responsible for communication and marketing. For student communication, The RGS Today is the central hub for all daily communications which gets sent out daily via email to students and staff. There is a 3.00pm deadline the preceding day (including Sunday for Monday) for any submissions for the following day’s The RGS Today. It is a great opportunity to provide reminders or advertise any events taking place etc. Email today@rgsg.co.uk. For parental communication, any letters should be sent out through the weekly parental e-comms which are circulated at 4.00pm each Tuesday; the deadline for submissions via email to jwp@rgsg.co.uk is the preceding day, Monday, at 2.00pm. Monday Period 8 and Field Days Every Monday, during period 8 (and until about 4.30pm), students from the Fourth Form and above take part in cocurricular activities. Fourth Formers choose between CCF and Outdoor Pursuits, but for the Fifth Form there is a wider choice. Many staff help with one of these ‘Period 8’ activities. Bronze D of E runs within these activities but Silver and Gold are organised separately. See Steve Yetman (Assistant Head (Co-curricular)) if you would like to know more about any Period 8 activity or D of E. In addition, there are five Field Days a year (two in Michaelmas, one in Lent and two in the Trinity term) where lessons are suspended for the day, giving the students an opportunity to take part in different activities. The House System
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Every student in the school is allocated to one of the six houses: Austen, Beckingham, Hamonde, Nettles, Powell and Valpy; all named after benefactors of the school. The houses are primarily divisions for sporting and other competitions, although the Fourth and Fifth Forms are also divided into House tutor groups. The Housemasters are as follows: Austen Beckingham Hamonde
Jonah Varney (Maths) JOV Ian Rossiter (Biology) IPR Nuria Gonzalez (MFL) NGG
Nettles Powell Valpy
Karim Tayar (RS) KPT Steven Beever (Maths) SEB Sam Baker (MFL) SJB
Sam Baker is the Senior House Master and oversees the running of events. There are house competitions in Rugby, Hockey, Cross-Country, Cricket, Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Basketball, Chess, Debating, Reading, Music, Drama and many others besides! Regular House Assemblies are held on Wednesdays throughout the school year. Discipline RGS students are used to an orderly and purposeful classroom atmosphere and they expect to be required to maintain one. Everyone should insist on high standards of appearance and behaviour and consistent adherence to school rules. The positive and friendly approach of the vast majority of RGS students helps to establish a good atmosphere both in and out of the classroom. It should not, however, be allowed to lead to over-familiarity, any lowering of standards or non-enforcement of school rules. For example, ensure students are dressed correctly when they arrive at and leave your lesson. Students’ Uniform Students should wear a blazer and tie at all times. Students in the Sixth Form wear suits. Jackets removed during lessons must be replaced when they leave the lesson. On the way to school, in the buildings, in lessons and on the way home students must have shirts tucked in and top buttons done up. (There is some leniency at lunch time when they are playing outside.) When the weather becomes hot in the summer term the Headmaster will announce summer dress and the students do not then need to bring their jackets to school, do not need to wear jumpers and may roll up long sleeve shirts. They should not attend academic lessons in games kit unless specific permission has been given. If students travel home in sports kit, it must be the full school tracksuit and certainly never a blend of uniform and games kit. School shoes, not trainers, should be worn with uniform unless a note has been obtained from parents on medical grounds. It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that students are wearing the correct uniform. Staff Dress Code All staff are expected to dress in a way that conforms to the high standards required of the students. A suit or jacket and tie are the norm for male staff, while women are expected to dress in a similarly professional fashion. Shoes should be polishable. Dress for Development Days (INSET), Field Days and school holidays is smart casual unless otherwise specified. Commemoration This event is held in September, with attendance compulsory for teaching staff, although it is recommended Support Staff attend on at least one occasion. The Commemoration Service, which is held in Guildford Cathedral, commemorates the founders and benefactors of the school. This year the Commemoration Service is on Friday 18 September. Carol Services These are held in the last week of the Michaelmas Term. This year the carol cervices are being held on Tuesday 8 December. Staff can choose which one of the two carol services they wish to attend (afternoon or evening). Prizegivings Senior and Junior Prizegivings are held in Holy Trinity Church on Guildford High Street. Both are held in the second half of the Trinity Term (dates not yet confirmed for 2027). Teaching Staff are expected to attend at least one of the two prizegiving ceremonies. Unexpected Staff Absence If you are unwell or unable to get to school because of some other emergency situation, then send an email to the HR Team (RGS-HR@rgsg.co.uk) and your Line Manager by 08:00 on the day of absence. If you are too unwell to call or email, then a family member may of course do it on your behalf. 5
On return to work, please ensure you complete a Self-Certificate Form by following the link below. Self Certificate Form Planned Staff Absence If you need to request advanced notice for personal, medical or other absence request, please email your Line Manager. Booking Annual Leave Requests for annual leave should be discussed with your Line Manager and booked via Veracross. Fire Practices and Lock Down Drills Fire evacuation drills are completed on a termly basis. Generally, only a few key staff in higher risk departments are informed in advance. On hearing the fire alarm (a continually ringing bell), all staff and students are to evacuate in silence to their designated fire muster point (Old Building side = Top Court; New Building side = AWTA). Pupils are to line up in tutor groups with their tutor. All remaining teaching staff, non-teaching staff and any visitors are to assemble together in their designated space also for registration. All staff are to follow direction from the Assistant Heads. Lockdown drills are completed at least annually. Staff and students are not notified in advance of these drills (with the exception of SMT, Head of Estates and those identified in the fire drill section above). The purpose of a lockdown drill is to secure the school site in the event of an external threat to staff/student safety. When the lock down alarm sounds, all students and staff are to remain in their classroom/office/base or take refuge in the nearest classroom when they first become aware of the lock down alarm. When the lock down procedure is initiated all external doors and windows are to be locked where possible. All internal doors are to be closed and locked if possible. If it is not possible to lock a door, attempts must be made to barricade it with anything that is available. All windows, where applicable, must be closed and all lights are to be switched off. Where possible and safe to do so, blinds and curtains are also to be closed. The all clear will be signaled by the activation of the full fire alarm, at which point the fire evacuation procedure should be followed. Minibuses You are not permitted to drive a school minibus until you have had training and been tested. Licences dated post-1997 must still take a Cat D1 minibus test. The training and testing is arranged through Steve Yetman, Assistant Head (CoCurricular) and Paul Lyons, Head of Estates. Minibuses can be booked via the database, they are parked on North Court in marked spaces and the keys can be collected from the Front Office. Please ensure that you return the keys promptly after you return the bus. Probation Your probationary period is at least 6 months from the date you start work. Your Line Manager will meet with you and in collaboration you will set objectives to help you settle into the RGS community and get you up and running in your role as soon as possible. Development Days (INSET) There are six development days a year, which cover a range of topics designed to support our continuing professional development. Attendance is compulsory, unless absence has been agreed by their Line Manager. Part time staff can request time in lieu to attend or can get paid for additional time in school. New Staff Induction Regular weekly induction sessions take place for all new staff throughout the Michaelmas Term. These sessions are run on Thursday mornings before school (08:15- 9:00) and staff and are led by many different RGS staff with varying responsibilities. These are coordinated by the Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning), Natacha Goul-Wheeker. 6
Your Line Manager will be able to advise you which sessions you should attend. A Selection of Key Dates 2026 -2027 Dates correct at time of entry, but please double check using the online calendar Attendance at Development Days, the Commemoration Service, Open Day and either the Junior or Senior Carol Service is compulsory for teaching staff. MICHAELMAS TERM 2026
Tuesday 9 March – Friday Timetable
Tuesday 01 September
Staff Development Day 1
Wednesday 10 March
Second Form Parents’ Evening (remote)
Wednesday 02 September
Staff Development Day 2
Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening (in
Thursday 03 September
Term Begins
Thursday 18 March person)
Thursday, 25 March – Friday 16 April; Easter Holidays
Friday 18 September Commemoration Service, Guildford Cathedral (14:30) Friday 21 September Field Day 1 Friday 02 October
Open Evening (18:00)
Saturday 03 October
Open Day (09:30)
TRINITY TERM 2027
Monday 20 October – Friday 30th October; Half Term
Monday 19 April
Staff Development Day 5
Tuesday 20th April
Term Begins Monday Timetable
Thursday 22 April
L6th Internal Examinations
Monday 02 November
Staff Development Day 3
Thursday 29 April
GCSE Study Leave
Wednesday 04 November
Monday Timetable
Friday 30 April
U6th Study Leave Begins
Wednesday 11 November
Remembrance Service (11:00)
Monday 03 May
Bank Holiday
Thursday 12 November
Friday Timetable
Friday 14 November
Field Day 2
Thursday 19th November
4th Form Parents Evening (on-line)
Monday 18 May
Field Day 4
Wednesday 19 May person)
Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening (in
Thursday 27 May
Monday Timetable
Wednesday 25th November First Form Parents’ Evening (in person) Tuesday 1st December Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening (on-line) Tuesday 8 December
Carol Services (14:30 and 19:30)
Friday 11 December
Term ends (16:00)
Monday 14 December – Friday 1 January; Christmas Holidays LENT TERM 2027 Monday 04 January 2027
Staff Development Day 4;
Tuesday 05 January
Term Begins; GCSE Mocks
Thursday 29 January
Third Form Parents’ Evening (in person)
Thursday 28th January
Fifth Form Parents’ Evening (in person)
Monday 15 February – Friday 19 February; Half Term Monday 23 February
A Level Mocks Start 7
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