Royal Grammar School, Guildford

The Royal Grammar School, Guildford (originally 'The Free School'), also known as the RGS, Around that time, its pupils were playing cricket and their activity was later documented as the earliest definite reference to the sport. The school's Old Building, constructed between 1557 and 1586, is the home of a rare example of a chained library. It was established on the death of John Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, in 1575. The majority of pupils, approximately two thirds, enter at age 11 in the first form, a few (3–5 pupils) enter in the second form at the age of 12, with the remainder entering at 13 in the third form. Admissions are based on an entrance examination set by the school, and an interview. In December 2025, RGS Guildford and RGS Prep announced that they will become co-educational, with the first girls being admitted from September 2027.

History

16th century

Robert Beckingham, a wealthy grocer, member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers, and Freeman of the City of London, died in 1509 leaving a will which requested that the parishioners of St Olave's Church in Southwark should obtain a licence to endow a chantry priest to say masses for his soul. If they failed to do this within two years of his death, his executors had discretion either to use the property to 'make a free scole at the Towne of Guldford' or to put the income to some other good charitable use. The licence was not obtained within the required time, and so in 1512, Beckingham's executors formally conveyed the lands in the bequest to a body of trustees consisting of the Mayor of Guildford and four 'sad and discrete men' who had formerly been mayors. With the rents, they were to provide a free grammar school in Guildford with a 'sufficient schoolmaster', The school was built in 1520 in Castle Ditch (now Castle Street) with financial assistance from Guildford municipal corporation.

left|thumb|The Old Building of the Royal Grammar School, Guildford in 2013

Over the coming years the school ran into financial difficulty and so "The Mayor and Approved Men" of Guildford petitioned Edward VI to grant them further endowments for maintenance. One of the King's closest advisers, William Parr, had a particular affection for the town, having himself spent a large amount of time at the King's manor house in Guildford, and it was he who advised the King to re-appropriate some of the funds arising from the Abolition of the Chantries Acts to the school. Thus in January 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", along with a grant of 20 pounds per year; the school acquired therewith the right to style itself a Royal Grammar School. The high street site was purchased in 1555 with the construction of the Grade I listed Tudor Old Building starting in 1557. Construction was completed in 1586. This land, said Derrick, he had known for fifty years past and:

<blockquote>Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford, hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies.</blockquote>

John Derrick was then aged 59 and his testimony confirms that cricket was being played by children in Surrey c.1550 and it is perhaps significant that cricket is the only one of the "plaies" referred to by name. In his will he gave "the most parte of all my Latten bookes whereof shall be made a catalogue as shortelie as I may God sendinge me lief", Since this date the library has been added to, most notably between 1600 and 1800. The library is housed within the Gallery (now the Headmaster's Study) in the Old Building, with the present bookcases dating from 1897. The oldest book within the library was printed in Venice around 1480, with the oldest English book printed in about 1500 bearing the imprint of Wynkyn de Worde. Today the library is one of the few remaining examples of a chained library located within a school.

17th century

right|thumb|The original charter granted to the school by [[Edward VI ]]

After the granting of the charter, it took 50 years before the first set of statutes to govern the school were completed. The Bishop of Winchester approved the statutes on 16 September 1608, and they constituted a major change in the way the school was run. Until this point the boys were instructed in English and accounting, but following the statutes lessons were in the subjects of Latin and Greek; with students required to speak in Latin unless licensed by the master to do otherwise. Admissions following the charter also changed, with "none to be admitted scholar into the said school before he be brought to the schoolmaster of that school, and upon his examination shall be found to have learned the rudiments of grammar, called the Accidence." All scholars from the town of Guildford were required to pay the master 5 shillings on admission to the school, and for those from outside the town the charge was 10s. The number of pupils at the school was capped at 100, although this number was rarely reached. The statues also saw the introduction of school fees. Although defined as a "free" school, fees were still charged at the rate of 4s. per annum, paid as 9d. per quarter for the provision of "rods and brooms", with an additional shilling due on the feast of St. Michael, which was used to pay for "clean, wax candles".

On the death of Joseph Nettles (an old boy of the school) in 1691 the school's first university scholarship was founded. Nettles left eleven acres of land in his will to his daughter Elizabeth Brindley, then following her death to Sir Richard Onslow and his heirs, with the rents from the land to be paid to the school for the maintenance of a scholar at Oxford or Cambridge. The scholar was to be a son of a freeman of the town of Guildford who "should have read some Greek author" and "be well instructed and knowing in the Latin tongue". His fitness in these fields was tested by the master of the school, and the rectors of the parishes of Stoke next Guildford and St. Nicholas in Guildford. If admitted to any college within the universities, he would then receive the rents from the lands for six years. At the end of six years, upon the scholar's death, or his removal from the university (whichever the sooner), another scholar was selected. The scholarship ceased to be awarded at some point after 1951.

19th century

In 1866 the then headmaster Revd Henry G Merriman (headmaster 1859–75) purchased Allen House, a large house set in extensive grounds which stood opposite the school. The house took its name from Anthony Allen, Master of Chancery and Mayor of Guildford in 1740. This was initially used as a boarding house for the school between 1866 and 1874 before later being purchased by Surrey County Council in 1921 and was used by the school until its demolition in 1964. The grounds surrounding the house were purchased in 1914 by HA Powell and donated to the school as playing fields.

During the mid to late 19th century the school fell into disrepair and decay. Guildford Municipal Charities established a committee to report into the general condition of the school and the buildings. The committee reported in 1881 that the school had no funds available for repairs and that there were only nine boys "instead of the former ordinary number of 100". A new Charity Commission scheme came into effect in November 1888 which resulted in the Old Building being restored, and the school's continuation as a day only school.

The school became independent in 1977 when the parents and staff of the school, led by the Chairman of the Governors, John Fergrieve Brown, raised sufficient funds to purchase the school. The RGS then withdrew from the government maintained system, becoming independent and fee paying. This was followed in 1978 by the purchase of Lanesborough Preparatory School which became the junior school, preparing boys for entry to the RGS at either 11 or 13.

RGS Guildford has opened a campus in Doha, Qatar as part of Qatar's Outstanding Schools Program. RGS Guildford in Qatar was open initially to boys and girls ages three to seven years old (pre-school to year 2) in September, with the rest of the primary school opening in 2017. According to Bob Ukaih the school aims to open two separate single-sex secondary schools – one for girls and one for boys – in Doha by September 2018.

Following the announcement of the formation of a partner school in Qatar, the school came under fire from current and former pupils, as well as concerned members of the public, due to the country's poor human rights record. An online petition was started by a former pupil in April 2016 challenging the decision to open the school, however, this proved unsuccessful and The Royal Grammar School Guildford in Qatar (RGSGQ) opened for pupils on 19 September 2016. The school was also criticised for claiming to be an inclusive environment for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, while opening partner schools in countries where men involved in same-sex activities face the death penalty. The controversy spread when articles in The Times, the Daily Mail and The Guardian claimed that RGS had removed its policies on homophobic bullying from the rules in RGS Qatar. A spokesperson from RGS said the school had to abide by the rules of the country in which it operates, but many pupils, staff and members of the public have voiced their concern online.

October 2016 saw the opening of the John Brown building which was built replacing Trevone House for the Classics, Economics, History and Politics departments as well as for Design Technology. The building incorporates modern ecological design with a roof terrace and glass bridge connecting it to the first floor of the Main Building.

RGS Guildford also opened RGSG Dubai, a new campus in Dubai, UAE, which started accepting both boys and girls from ages 3–18 in September 2021, in patnership with Cognita. The school has grown to have over 1,800 students.

RGSG Nanjing was also opened in China in September 2020 in patnership with Gemdale Education, part of the Gemdale Corporation, a major Chinese property developer. There are currently over 500 boys and girls attending.

In 2023, the school was the site of an industrial dispute over plans to withdraw from the Teacher's Pension Scheme. The teachers chose to strike, not attending lessons, in response to proposed moves to force lower-yielding pension options, or be subject to 'fire and rehire' plans.

School life

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 pupils to be admitted into the school
The Lent Term from early January to a time a week or two before Easter falls that year
The Trinity Term from mid-late April to early July, during which time pupils sit most public exams

There are six houses at the RGS, named after various benefactors of the school:

{| class="wikitable"

! House Name

! House Colour

! Benefactor

| Austen

| Yellow

| John Austen

| Beckingham

| Red

| Robert Beckingham

| Hamonde

| Dark Blue

| William Hamonde

| Nettles

| Light Blue

| Joseph Nettles

| Powell

| Maroon

| Powell Family

| Valpy

| White

| Arthur Valpy

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 house-coloured ties.

The Hardy Cup used to be called the Cock House Cup, the traditional name given in British public schools for the in-school competition cup, but it was renamed by 16 June 2022. The Senior Housemaster (Karim Tayar) believed the concept of having a 'cock of the school' was contradictory to RGS's ethos of respect, teamwork, and fun. The name 'Hardy' comes from the donors of the original trophy used, Bertrand and Stanley Hardy.

The school's uniform up to the end of Fifth Form is a white shirt, grey trousers and a blazer. A grey v-neck pullover may also be worn. For the lower and upper sixth, navy blue or grey suits are instead worn, and upper sixth formers are permitted to wear pastel shaded shirts.

On 6 February 2016, Old Guildfordian Jack Clifford became a full England rugby international when he made his full debut as a replacement for Chris Robshaw during the Calcutta Cup match after 69 minutes.

Since 2003 the six Royal Grammar Schools (Colchester, High Wycombe, Guildford, Lancaster, Newcastle, Worcester) have held the "RGS Cricket Festival", hosted by a different school each year. It is based on a round robin format and held over a period of five days towards the end of the Trinity term.

The school has no playing fields on the town centre site. A ground called Bradstone Brook, located a few miles away in the village of Chilworth, is the location of the rugby and cricket pitches. There is a single AstroTurf located at the main school for hockey and football. The majority of hockey takes place at Guildford Hockey Club, located at Broadwater School in Farncombe or Surrey Sports Park. Athletics and swimming both take place at Guildford Spectrum.

Extra-curricular activities

There are several dozen clubs and societies at the school, as well as The Register (originally Really Good Stuff), a termly newsletter documenting achievements at the school.

Music is part of the core curriculum for first to third forms. Pupils take lessons with peripatetic music staff within different disciplines. There is a symphony orchestra composed of students, along with several other smaller classical ensembles. The RGS choir perform regularly in Guildford Cathedral, and have in the past performed at The Royal Albert Hall. In addition to classical music, there are also a number of jazz and rock bands within the school as well, and to recognise this in addition to the four main music prizes awarded each year, there is an additional contemporary music prize.

Drama is offered as an academic subject from the first form. Plays are staged for all year groups in association with local girls schools. The department has an auditorium which was converted from the old gymnasium as well as the Hansford Room studio sited in the North Building.

Period 8 is for extra-curricular activities which include Combined Cadet Force, outdoor pursuits, Scouts, lifesaving and community service. There are five field days in the year, on which these activities take place. Before the fourth form, pupils have the opportunity to decide between the CCF, outdoor pursuits and the scouts. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme is 'Hors Combat' for choice, being available to all students, regardless of their other options, so no longer officially constitutes part of period 8.

Admission and fees

Initially tuition at the school was free, funded by various endowments and rents obtained from lands the most significant arising from the Abolition of the Chantries Acts, School fees were introduced in 1977 when the school withdrew from the maintained system and became independent. For the year 2025/26 they are £27,000 (approximately €30,000 or US$35,000 as of November 2025) per year excluding lunches. All those wishing to be admitted now take the school's own internal 11+ entrance examination which tests creative writing, mathematics and verbal reasoning and attend an interview with a member of staff. Previously those entering at thirteen had to take the 13+ Common Entrance or the scholarship examination to confirm their place, but starting 2026, 13+ entrance is no longer accepted . Until the start of the 2009/2010 academic year, the value of scholarships was substantially higher with the King's Scholarships worth 50% of the fees and a range of lower scholarships between 10 and 30%.

Charitable status and public benefit

The school is a registered charity and currently has three charities registered with the Charities Commission: King Edward VI's Grammar School (The Royal Grammar School), Guildford, The Royal Grammar School Guildford (representing the governors), and The Royal Grammar School Guildford Foundation After the withdrawal of the Assisted Places Scheme in 1997 the social diversity of the school decreased, as a result the school began to offer bursaries to students whose parents could not afford the fees, with the first bursary offered in 2007.

The school also runs numerous outreach programmes for children from maintained schools in the local area, including a series of master-classes in science, mathematics, technology, languages and drama for local primary school children. Also for primary school children is the Tudor Experience Project where students can explore the Tudor past of the school through a number of activities. At the higher end of the school, numerous careers and university seminars are run for sixth form students from the local area, in addition to Oxbridge preparation classes and practice interviews for local sixth form students. The school also runs several more outreach programmes, and as a result of these initiatives was recently awarded the Independent School Award 2010 for Outstanding Community/Public Benefit Initiative.

Headmasters

The post of headmaster (schoolmaster or just master as it was originally known) was created following the grant of the Royal Charter in 1552, with the first appointment made in 1554. There have been 35 appointments since the creation of the position. Until the re-organisation of the school in 1888, the post was almost exclusively filled by men from a religious background; the first headmaster was Sir Lawson, a friar from the monastery in Guildford that had been dissolved in 1538. The most notable headmaster was Roger Goad (1569–1575), who was Provost of King's College, Cambridge and three times Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge; he was headmaster during the time when George Abbot (Archbishop of Canterbury 1611–1633) was at the school.

Notable alumni

Robert Horne, Bishop of Winchester
George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury (1611–1633)
Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons (1728–1761)
Terry Jones, Member of the Monty Python comedy troupe
Bob Willis, England cricket captain
Andy Salmon, Commandant General Royal Marines
Simon Bird, Actor and comedian
Martin Tyler, Football commentator
Arvid Lindblad, Formula 1 racing driver
Philip Sales, Lord Sales, Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

References

Bibliography

Brayley, E. W., Britton, J., Brayley, E. W., Jun., The History of Surrey, Volume I, Part II. 1841
Cambray, Barry. A directory of rare book and special collections in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. 1997.
Collins, Tony. Martin, John. Vamplew, Wray Encyclopedia of traditional British rural sports. Oxford. 2005.
Gilbert, Richard. Liber Scholasticus. London. 1829
Russel, J. & S. The History of Guildford, the County-Town of Surrey. 1801
Rutherford, J. Sir George Grey. 1961
Sturley, DM. Royal Grammar School, Guildford.
Watson, Nigel. The Royal Grammar School, Guildford – An Illustrated History. 2004.
Wright, G. N. A new and comprehensive gazetteer; being a delineation of the present state of the world Volume III. London. 1836

External links

Royal Grammar School Guildford Website
Profile on the Independent Schools Council website