Guildford private schools

[Jugglingmotherhood]

Hi

we are moving to the Guildford area next year and are considering schools for our 3 children - DD (going into year 7 in 2026), DS (into year 1) and DD (will be aged 2).

my eldest DD is very academic so her current headmistress had suggested we considered Guildford High Junior school for her. I’d been a bit reluctant as want her to be able to enjoy her childhood without too much pressure early on. If DD did GHS, I think we’d need to explore RGS for DS

My alternative option is Longacre which I like (and has the benefit of a nursery for the baby) - lots of lovely open space and chance to be children and the children could be together. But the recent merger makes me slightly nervous and I am struggling to get a feel for whether strong children are pushed academically.
someone has also just thrown Tormead into the mix which I hadn’t really considered as I had thought if I was going to split DD and DS up it should be for GHS and RGS.

Leaving aside whether they get in, has anyone got experiences of any of these schools? Are children at GHS and RGS given the chance to be children without lots of pressure? Are children from Longacre less prepared for 11+?
(I’m hoping to go to open days soon to get a feel for them in person but any extra info much appreciated)

Thank you!

Friends at Guildford boys and they are the most well adjusted geniuses I've met in my life. Gorgeous school community and their GCSE and A-Level results were stellar.

Honestly, GHS juniors is actually pretty relaxed. They don’t do entrance exams so aren’t stressed by those in Y5/6. If you had a daughter who was right at the bottom academically, that might feel harder but is probably the same at most schools. My children have been through a range of schools and the GHS junior school is definitely my favourite. Happy to tell you about our other experience if you want to pm me.

Darn, just noticed a typo in my first post! DD will be age 7 going into year 3 so currently focusing on the junior schools and then considering senior options longer term!

Thank you! I’ve sent you a PM!

So RGS and GHS are academic so that will be a good fit. Both get great results. Depending on the type of children you have they can be great, I know some children who didn’t like it and left and some who thrived. Neither sets of children did better or worse in their GCSE grades, they just didn’t feel like they found their space and wanted to be somewhere a bit less formal (this was secondary though nor primary)

Strong advocate for Tormead, which you mentioned above. GHS is obviously a good choice, but don't discount the other Girls' school in Guildford, especially as academically it is excellent (obviously not GHS), but better than 'pretty much' everywhere else in the immediate vicinity, and it has a solid reputation for pastoral care with down to earth girls. That's not to say GHS doesn't have these attributes too, which I'm sure it does, but it still might not be the right fit.

Your best bet is to go see them both, as that will ultimately inform your decision - the worse mistake anyone could make is to pick a school just down to 'academics', so go see what they both offer on-top.

Worth noting on the Tormead front, RGS prep school is literally next door, making drop off a piece of p***, lol. Lots of DD/DS siblings are at Tormead and RGS Prep. Also on the Tormead front, with your little one, who will be too young for RGS prep, Tormead have just acquired Rydes Hill School, which has a nursery, Yr 1 & 2, and from 2026 will be growing again, adding Year 3 all the way through to Year 6, as the current Yr 2 progresses upwards.

So if you want Co-Ed for your DS, then that's a solid option.. There is also multiple child discount between Tormead and Rydes Hill, which applies across the two schools, plus a shuttle bus starting in September, so you can drop everyone off at Tormead and the bus will take the kids across to Rydes Hill and bring them back after school.

Anyway - GHS good, RGS good, Tormead good, Rydes Hill good (especially now it has Tormead backing behind it) - so you've got some great options. I'd call, have some tours or do all their open days.