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FROM THE HEADMASTER

American entrepreneur Ted Turner once commented: “If I only had a little humility I’d be perfect...”. It is well established that there are marked cultural differences between various countries around the world when it comes to individuals’ self-promotion and selfaggrandisement. While acknowledging that he was inevitably stereotyping, he went on to claim that many nationalities are not in the habit of speaking the language of self-effacement. As he illustrated, “underplaying your status in this town [Washington] is akin to smearing yourself in fresh elephant dung on your way out of the house – people may still speak to you, but it’s going to be terrifyingly brief.” Those in the public eye – politicians, celebrities, and so on – are all too often selfpublicists using their profile as well as channels such as social media to ensure that their achievements and movements are broadcast vociferously to all.

In stark contrast, self-deprecation has long been the British way. Josh Clancy noted that “we cloak ourselves in the armour of irony and selfabasement to ensure that no one will ever call us anything dreadful such as pushy, ambitious or a bit keen.” This tradition of nonchalance and perceived indifference is deeply ingrained in the British psyche. The RGS is, perhaps, guilty of further embedding this mindset. As one of our six values, within the value of integrity, we talk of the importance of approaching life with humour and celebrating traditional qualities such as decency, politeness, and humility. So, are we selling our students short? Are we nurturing a culture whereby students undersell themselves or are embarrassed to reveal their true talents? In my opinion, this could not be further from the truth and this last week at the RGS has highlighted this.

Scholarship for All is firmly embedded in our ethos; rather than the domain of a select few, scholarship unites and inspires us as a community. Our Junior ILA (Independent Learning Assignment) Evening provided our Third and Fourth Form students – supported by their Sixth Form mentors – with the opportunity to discuss with the attendees their research projects at a science-fair-style event. The rich diversity of topic impressed: the role of women in Islam to the future of bitcoin; drum rhythms from 90s rock bands to the morality of autonomous weapons; neurological diseases to the decline in trust in UK politics; why we find things funny to whether humans have really developed. In this event, it was, however, not the range of subject matter which really struck me but the passion, the articulate way the students expressed themselves, and the complexity and sophistication of investigation. Our students spoke with genuine conviction and confidence.

Hard graft, dedication and devotion do yield remarkable results and the same now holds true for those students about to embark upon public examinations, and upon school examinations. They should all take reassurance from the fact that we have every confidence in them and know they have the ability and potential to have the most ambitious of aspirations this summer.

…humility is not an obstacle to progress; humility is an absence of arrogance and self-entitlement, a desire to continue to reflect and improve. “ ”

It is not enough, however, simply to wear the RGS blazer or to put on an RGS tie; it is now time for the students to reinforce this natural ability with sustained, targeted focus and consolidation. With industry and commitment, the students can fulfil their potential academically, and I wish them all the very best of luck over the revision period. I would also like to remind them that my staff are here to provide all the support they can, both academically and pastorally. If you have any concerns about any aspect of your son’s progress or wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact, in the first instance, his Tutor. Our first priority will always be the happiness and welfare of every single individual in our care.

Our culture of mutual respect and high achievement means that our students are proud not only of their own achievements but equally celebrate those of their peers. We publicly acknowledge success and use this in an aspirational way to, in turn, inspire others. For me, therefore, humility is not an obstacle to progress; humility is an absence of arrogance and self-entitlement, a desire to continue to reflect and improve, and, perhaps most importantly the ability to take what you do, but not yourself, too seriously and to be able to laugh at yourself. And if that means being a bit keen and applying metaphorical elephant dung from time to time, then so be it.

I wish your sons all the very best for a successful and fulfilling term.

Our Values

INCLUSIVITY SCHOLARSHIP INTEGRITY

RESPECT COURAGE COLLABORATION

Our Vision

A high-performing and inclusive independent day school, which provides a great education so that students can lead happy, successful lives and have a positive impact on society.

Our Strategic Priorities

Integrate our pastoral and wellbeing offer, and tailor this to meet the needs of a modern-day student community.

Develop a more focused co-curricular offer, organised around a character development framework based on our school values.

Enhance our academic strength, in terms of exam results, developing minds and preparing students for higher education.

Maintain a healthy future pipeline of students in the face of increasing demographic, market and regulatory challenges.

NOTICES

Sports Fixtures

We very much welcome parental support this term at weekend sports fixtures including cricket at Bradstone Brook. May we politely remind you that dogs are, regrettably, strictly not allowed. To support the School’s sustainability drive, please also bring your own re-usable mugs for coffee etc. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

May we also remind you that with unpredictable weather forecast for this weekend, 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.

Forthcoming events

Friday 1 May

Upper Sixth Form Study Leave starts.

Monday 4 May

Bank Holiday: school closed.

Tuesday 5 May

Monday timetable for all lessons and activities.

Wednesday 6 May

Concerto Concert in Holy Trinity Church.

Click to book your tickets

LATEST NEWS

Debating

After a gruelling couple of days at a selection camp at Warwick University, Upper Sixth Form student Daniel Ward has been selected to represent the UK at the International Biology Olympiad in Vilnius, Lithuania this summer. This is the fifth year in a row that an RGS student has been selected to represent the UK in an international Olympiad competition: a wonderful achievement by our students.

Music

Upper Sixth Form student Oscar Ford has been awarded a Choral Scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge. This is an exceptional achievement and one that recognises Oscar’s outstanding musicianship. As he comes to the end of his time at the RGS, where he has made a profound contribution to the musical life of the School, this award marks an exciting new chapter in his musical journey.

Careers Convention

Over 300 students attended our Annual Careers Convention from both the RGS and other local schools. What makes the event so special is that the vast majority of the advisors are Old Guildfordians, with very strong representation from those who left in the last decade, or members of our community including current and former parents.

Trips

A busy Easter holiday saw over 100 students involved in a range of academic, adventurous, and cultural trips in the UK and further afield. These included: the Sixth Form Science Trip to Switzerland; the Senior Classics Trip to Sicily; the Junior French Trip to Normandy; and the Gold Qualifying DofE Expedition.

Junior ILA Celebration Evening

The Junior ILA Celebration Evening provided the opportunity for 33 students from the Third and Fourth Forms to share their insightful and diverse work with fellow students, parents, staff and judges during a Science Fair–style event. The evening celebrated the dedication and achievement of all participating students, acknowledged the invaluable support of their Sixth Form mentors, and culminated in the recognition of the most outstanding work across the following categories:

Fourth Form winner

Rajvir Mangat: The effect of the gut-brain axis on depression and its significance in medicine.

Fourth Form runner-up

George Lye: Tuned Mass Dampers: What are they, and how are they changing the future of Mountain Biking?

Third Form winner

Labeeb Ahmed: What is the Veto Power of the United Nations Security Council and to what extent does it contradict the principles of the UN?

Third Form runner-up

Albert Adams: To what extent did privateers help Britain evolve from a minor feudal European state to a global superpower?

Mentors’ prize winners

Cameron Sibbald (STEM), Lucas Medeiros (Arts/ Humanities)

Judges’ special mentions

Leo Shaw, Jackson Bigmore

SPORTS NEWS

Skiing

Cricket

In their opening fixture of the season, our 1st XI beat St John’s Leatherhead by 144 runs with impressive performances with the bat from Harry Griffiths with 111 and George Mellor with 60. This was then followed by the first block fixture of term against KCS Wimbledon, played against the back-drop of idyllic blue skies. Highlights included a clean sweep of four wins for our Under 13 age group including the Under 13As who edged a thrilling one-run victory; a commanding 9-wicket win for the Under 12Ds; and a hattrick with the ball for Oliver Ridout in the Under 12Bs, and an outstanding unbeaten Jeremiah Varghese (50)* in the same match.

Freddie Lueken has achieved some excellent race results during this winter’s ski season. These have included: 1st place in the Super G at the U12 Anglo-Scottish Championships in Switzerland; 2nd overall in the U12 age group at the English Alpine Championships in Bormio; 3rd in the U12 Giant Slalom at the GB Alpine Championships in Santa Caterina; Podium position in the GP Migros qualifying race in Grâchen/Switzerland, thereby progressing through to the national GP Migros finals as one of the top 50 racers in his age group.

Swimming

Lucas Goodey De Diego competed at the Welsh Swimming Nationals, impressing throughout the tournament to become the 200m fly champion.

Biathlon

Fencing

In the Surrey Youth Épée Championships, Albert Adams finished in third place at Under 16 level, while Sebastiaan Oosterom came second.

Football

Etienne Victor has been offered a twoyear contract with the Southampton FC Academy.

The RGS biathlon team travelled to the University of Bath for the 2026 Great British Schools Biathlon Championships. The competitors completed a run event followed by a separate swimming event. Our Second Form Team, comprising Eli du Preez, Abhay Khanna and Ciaran Mackay, finished a fantastic third in the Year 8 team event. Particularly notable individual performances included seventh place for Marcus Cotonet in the Year 7 individual event, and sixth place for Eli du Preez in the Year 8 individual event.

Chess

Mike Amos played in the Major section of the Guildford FIDE 2026 Chess Congress, competing in a tournament of 58 players. He won the tournament outright with 4.5 points out of 5; this placed him ahead of five strong adult players who finished on 4 points and shared the remaining prize places. This is a remarkable achievement, especially considering the status of the tournament and the fact that Mike was only 11 years old at the time of his victory.