About our School

We are proud to be an integral part of our local community which is home to many students from all walks of life from 3 years old through to 18.

We ask ourselves: What’s best for our students? How can we help them become individuals that make a difference? In our view, one of the most important things is that we encourage a climate of openness and awareness, based on mutual respect. From the Prep School onwards, we foster an academic boldness and encourage curiosity and creativity – an insistence on how to think, not what to think. This is at the very heart of the RGS ethos.

Our 500-year tradition and heritage, impressive as it is, is nothing if not a catapult for innovation and modern-mindedness. In this forward thinking climate, attitudes and passions are formed that suit the future. To foster these fully, we have all the facilities you would expect from a school of our nature, and many more that are unexpected

Our strong academic performance is the result of many factors:

We have inspiring, passionate teachers;
Our collaborative culture is central to fostering a supportive, positive mindset throughout all aspects of school life;
The breadth of our activities – sports of all kinds, art, drama, music promote success in academic performance by developing the confidence to try many things and work hard.

What is achieved in our school happens in the midst of a thriving town. Students take part in many joint activities with the local girls’ schools. We learn to think for ourselves, express ourselves and navigate.

This is how our students grow, and you, the parents, can watch the truly remarkable transformation – students developing into extraordinary young people.

FAQs - Find out more about RGS Guildford

Tell me about the Royal Grammar School Guildford?

Royal Grammar School Guildford, known as RGS or RGS Guildford, is an independent day school in Guildford, Surrey, educating children aged 3 to 18 across Nursery, Prep, Senior and Sixth Form. It is one of the best-known schools in Guildford, with a history stretching back over 500 years.

Is RGS Guildford a grammar school?

RGS Guildford is an independent, fee-paying day school that has carried the name Royal Grammar School Guildford for over 500 years. The School was set up in 1509 after Robert Beckingham, a Freeman of the City of London, left a bequest in his will to establish a free school in the historic town of Guildford. While some families searching for grammar schools in Guildford may mean selective state schools, the RGS is an independent school rather than a state grammar. It remains one of the most highly regarded of the historic grammar schools in Guildford, across Surrey and nationally.

Find out more about the School’s history

How does RGS compare with other grammar schools in Surrey?

Among families looking at Surrey grammar schools, RGS is consistently named alongside the best grammar schools in Surrey for academic achievement, although it is independent rather than state-funded. Whether you are weighing up grammar schools in Surrey or a Grammar School Surrey families admire, RGS offers academic challenge with exceptional breadth.

Where is RGS Guildford located?

RGS has two sites located a short walk away from one another in Guildford: RGS Prep on Maori Road (GU1 2EL) and RGS Senior on the High Street (GU1 3BB). This central location makes it convenient for families across Guildford and Surrey looking at the leading schools in Guildford for children of all ages.

What are the School's values?

RGS is a kind, inclusive community whose values are Inclusivity, Scholarship, Integrity, Respect, Courage and Collaboration. With consistently strong academic results and a huge co-curricular programme including a wide variety of clubs and societies, it is regarded as one of the best schools in Guildford.

More about the School’s values

Is RGS Guildford becoming co-educational?

Yes. RGS is becoming fully co-educational, with girls welcomed into both RGS Prep and RGS Senior through phased entry from September 2027. From September 2027 girls will be welcomed alongside boys into Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and Year 12 with girls joining Year 7 from September 2028. This makes RGS one of the newest co-ed independent schools in Surrey, offering girls the same opportunities boys have enjoyed for centuries: academic enrichment and challenge, diverse co-curricular experience and outstanding pastoral care.

More about RGS Guildford’s move to co-education