Reigate Grammar School

[SWLondon2]

We’re thinking of moving to Reigate with a view to our children going to Reigate Grammar School and would love some feedback on the school please. How is it pastorally and academically? Is it friendly and is it good for sport, music, drama, art etc? Thanks very much

Which year are you looking at for entry? You have to register by September usually for the entrance exam in Jan for entry the following September.

They were advertising places for September two weeks ago, probably Sixth form to attract high grade GCSE achievers. Yes it is all round but focus is mostly on academics if you look at their recent post A level and GCSE reports. It tends to attract local families.

The children would start at Reigate St Marys (in the higher years) and are doing very well academically so I'm not really too concerned about the entry but it's more about what Reigate Grammar School is like. I'd love to hear feedback from parents of children who go there please.

I have friends whose children started at RSM and have gone on to RG or to Dunottar.

The children are faring very well academically at both secondaries.

Do you have places for them at St Mary's. They are usually running a waiting list.
Reigate Grammar is known for academics, and can sometimes been seen as a hot house. However, the do tend to win awards for independent school of the year which encompasses the wellbeing side too.

Do you know what the sport/drama/art/music is like? It’s really hard to find out information about the reputation so I’d love to hear any views parents have. Thank you

OP, it's a really good all rounder Surrey school catering to drama/sport etc.
Once you get outside London schools of this level tend to offer a rounded education but they are dependent to some extent of the skill set of the cohort that lives within commuting distance of the school. You have always got the option of a boarding school if your dc has a great skill in sport or acting - ie Millfield or Bedales. For an idea of the schools that RGS plays against for sport you can view their Twitter feed etc.

not great if you are gay though - friend's son had a terrible time and was not supported by the school at all.

It’s excellent for drama and sport. Lots of the kids will play to county and even national level, but everyone is accommodated. Likewise, drama. You’ll get a very good sense at the open day.

As others have suggested, academics very strong.

It’s a great school all round with lots of drama, music, sport etc. Also one of the few academically excellent co-ed schools in south-west London/Surrey.

I’m not a current parent (recently turned down a place very reluctantly for my DC as the alternative was a much easier commute.) We really liked the flexibility and focus on individual strengths eg. Much more flexibility over GCSE options than many similar schools.

I do know lots of current and former parents. General experience is that if your DC are at the right level and engaged academically, then they are happy and flourish there. DC who have been unhappy were either overtutored to get in, so had to work really hard to keep up, or simply weren’t academically engaged and motivated to do the work. That would be true of most academic schools though.

That is true but you find many are already doing such activities at high level outside school (club/county sport, orchestras, theatre groups) and do well accordingly, rather than purely because of what happens there.

Of course, but isn't that true of almost all schools?

Unless you go somewhere that's effectively providing professional instruction from an early age (for example, Purcell or Chetham's for music), schools help guide extra-curricular ability rather than out and out develop it.

I was simply suggesting that's it's a busy school with lots of enthusiastic participants.

Yes that is true. I'm not sure how strong , for example, their sport coaching is but they do attract a cohort of keen and experienced pupils to form their teams and share experience. Some sports are better supported by the school than others, boys' hockey apparently suffers in comparison for example.