RGS Guildford

oh really sorry footballteacher ...brave you you to post a "no" as most don't when that happens....hope your DS succeeds in finding a great school soon. It must be a 'No but try again at 12+' (which leaves some hope) because all the Nos went out early on I thought.

We got a "No", so well done to all the boys who got through and best wishes for continued academic success !

Ohh .. Received offers from RGS and Reigate! So glad for my DS. But he quite like an idea of coed school (which is Reigate) and I''m torn between them now..

Has anyone please considered pluses and minus between them? BBC league tables from last year rate them almost identically with Reigate being even a bit stronger..

well done too nodumbblonde, we are lucky in that we have decisions to make over the weekend too! Nice problem to have though....RGS is an excellent school and the new ISI report resoundingly confirms that.

Well done to your DS barbour. My DS has an offer of a first first form place and we have some decisions to make...

Received an offer for (13+) 2016 entry today together with hard copy of excellent new ISI Inspection Report 2014 for RGS.

Thanks both. Given us something to think about.

Longsuffering, I think that's a really helpful, reassuring post about your DD.

It's so easy when they are still at primary to be concerned that they'll shrivel if they are not top dog in the pack. But the truth is, being middle of the range of a really bright class can be the best thing that ever happened to bright but lazy DC. (Not referring to DS2 at all here!)

Ozboz, sounds to me like your DS would suit Reeds or Hampton, both near RGS but in the direction of London. Both sportier than RGS in many ways. Hampton does football. I know this because it was the decider for the son of a friend of mine. It is a very sporty, academic school. Brilliant in many ways. My DC are a bit geekier by nature so RGS suits them better. But I don't want to give the impression RGS is only geeky. It's..quirky. Lots of the boys are slightly eccentric in an absent minded professor sort of way. But not all. DS1 is rugby mad and was rugby captain. He too used to be a chess champion - all those day-long Megas but gave it up because he preferred to be outdoors, and he is extremely happy at RGS. Thriving there.

Yes they are being posted 1st class Thursday. Not much longer - bit grrrr that RGS is one of the first indies to test yet one of the last to dish results. Ozboz my DD couple of years ago was languishing at top of class without breaking a sweat....bit of a loafer at heart and always will be. Decided to put her in GHS at 11+.....first 3 months had melt-down "everyone's amazing, I'm totally crap....blah blah blah". Year and a half on things have settled. She's a solid, middle of the pack student within GHS - not Einstein but certainly has much more to give. Lovely friends. Loves the school. Will always be someone who needs the occasional whip crack. We are all glad that she is where she is. Hope that helps!!

So, do we think THE letters will be posted tomorrow?

Good points all. He is smart but quite lazy. He likes the adulation of being smart- which is good because it motivates him to stay there, but not enough to come home and do homework without being told.

He is not a genius, unless it is in charming those around him, but he is at the top of his year, he is a fab piano player but only because I insist, not because he loves it (trying to keep his options open in case he doesn't get the England football team job). He was school chess champion even when in year 3 but has given it up because it clashes with football........he doesn't seem to be the boy that everyone describes here. He isn't quirky with thirst for knowledge unless it is about sporting results. He doesn't read unless it is football magazines. But give him a verbal reasoning and he gets 100%. I maybe need to look at quasi academic but with lots of sport schools. I am disappointed that so many eg RGS, Churchers, Lord Wandsworth do not do football. How to motivate a 10 year old boy about schools........

As you all say, at some point he needs to reach a point where he finds life a little bit harder and realises that it so doesn't all come that easy....

It's a tricky one Ozboz....to be within a school where DS is king of the castle might be nice, but a bit of a false reality. He will encounter gifted and talented others at some point - university, employment. But then he will glean benefits from being with those folks and raise his own game. I say all this, but a mum's instinct is also to protect.

Ozboz, I used to worry that, until my DM pointed out that it was quite good for DC, who were effortlessly top of class in state primary, to need to put some effort into things and still not come top. Confidence is crucial but a bit of humility and the need to knuckle down and really apply yourself are also vital qualities that the brightest might not learn in a less selective school.

I don't know ...there is an argument that if you have a clustered clever cohort of boys around you, where it is cool to be smart ...then "all boats rise"

Just to wish you all luck for results (hopefully) this week. I'm watching this thread with a similar decision point next year.

My dilema is - would ds be happy where he was no longer top of the class with increased academic pressure or whether, if he is smart enough to get into RGS, am I short changing him by sending him somewhere where he gets an easier life, still swans about at top of the class but has less academic doors opened.

I still have to persuade him that the football issue is one we could manage outside of school.

hmm...I think that's always the risk with going to any very academically selective school though...feeling average even when in the grand scheme of things, one is not at all...

Sorry...that's 'self-confidence' (without a lisshp!)

I do take your point Barbour, but just wonder if some better than others at nurturing all and where RGS stacked up....do we know if only attainment publically applauded or effort also? Was saddened to read older thread of leaver saying her older RGS DS got GCSE 6A* and 4A's but felt very average within the school. Sure, there's got to some nature / nuture at play but being humble comp educated myself, had hoped one thing indie education would give would be a bit of shelf confidence?

longsuffering2, you are going to have that issue with any highly selective school coming from a non-selective ... a child at top of top set may have to get used to being perhaps half way down but I imagine it's in the school's interest to get the best out of all boys though there will be a large number (half?) who are accelerated in maths and do the IGCSE a year early ...not sure how or when they set the rest of the subjects. Curious to know when and how they start to identify and the "honorary scholars" (eg is it based on end of year exams?) being who those who did not qualify or enter for scholarship at 11+ or 13+ but are subsequently given the scholarship in name but no money and what are the extras that that brings.

Sorry.....this is another idle question whilst waiting for the letter........does anyone have a view on the important question of 'encouragement of all' at RGS? Our DS is smart but not Einstein, he thrives on accolades as a bit insecure. Gets lots of these at prep school. Am worried that being a small fish in a very big and clever pond might not be the best. Do RGS only applaud the best? What about your average solid student?

Thanks for raising note of caution on CE papers Ballylee.....the CE papers sat/marked for Reeds are the same papers sat/marked for RGS - this is the case at our Prep, can't comment on others.

glad you've moved on so quickly slideraft and good luck to your boy ...people who succeed in the long run are often those that can bounce back quickly after setbacks, so well done to your DS for that

You may not be comparing apples to apples Longsuffering -

Reeds talks about "qualifying"papers whereas RGS talks about sitting the 'highest tier" CE in English, French and Maths (Reeds don't mention that they have to be highest tier levels) . Having said that a boy that gets into RGS should be able to achieve 70% at CE as it is an average. I think they set it at that % (it used to be 65%) so prep boys don't simply get complacent and coast for 2 years before they join at 13 after succeeding at the 11+ pre-test .

Reeds say:

Following the Pre-Test offers of a place will be made which will be conditional upon a pass at Common Entrance. We require a minimum of 55% average on the ‘qualifying papers’ – Maths, English, a Modern Foreign Language and Science. A similar quality is expected from the other C.E. papers in Geography, History and R.S.; Latin is optional.

RGS say need 70% average:
Candidates must sit the Highest Tier Common Entrance papers in English, French and Mathematics together with papers in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The RGS would expect the majority of boys to offer Geography, History and Religious Studies and would welcome Classical Greek, German, Latin and Spanish. Candidates choosing to offer these must sit the Highest Tier papers available.

Actually gleaned an interesting snippet today (can't divulge sources but can state it was solid) for anyone else out there who might be panicking about RGS Common Entrance conditions.....Reeds average CE mark last year was 70% (they require 55) minimum. The highest CE mark received by Reeds was 87%. So, RGS requiring 70% very attainable - and very fair actually.