RGS (Guildford) going Co-Ed

[Fifthtimelucky]

I know that RGS is a popular school with many on these forums so I thought I’d pass on the news that it is going co-ed from 2027.

I was very surprised, given that it has always been so popular and that there are three selective girls schools in Guildford which are also very popular. It obviously adds to the options for academic girls, and gives those who want a co-ed environment a great choice, but it severely reduces the options for boys. I don’t think there will be any boys schools left in the area.

I have no boys and no connection with RGS, but my daughters went to Guildford High School and I can’t help thinking that there will be knock-on effects there - not so much in terms of losing pupils (they might, but are so over-subscribed it probably won’t make much difference) but in terms of reducing opportunities for collaboration. At the moment there are number of joint activities between RGS and GHS (and possibly also the other girls schools) and I suspect in time those will stop, which will be a real shame.

Apologies if there is already a thread on this, but I couldn’t find one.

https://www.rgsg.co.uk/

Quite a few years ago now we moved away from Guildford due to the lack of choice for boys in the private sector. This will only reduce that choice further. It’s astonishing to me and must be making the established girls schools a bit nervous.

The guildford schools pride themselves on high results.

The higher costs change who is demanding places. Sure they might have plenty of people applying but are they the kids they want who are going to achieve the results they need?

It used to be a school full of kids of highly academic parents - doctors, lawyers etc.

In the last decade there's been a shift and it tends to be business owners who can afford private fees now. These are not all super academic types! The private schools are all fighting to attract a big enough pool of applicants to be able to select the most academically able.

@Fifthtimelucky there is an active thread in the private school section.

Thanks. I obviously posted mine in the wrong place!

@Fifthtimelucky, there is an old thread that has been picked up in secondary education too.