FAQs
Prep Admissions
What are the main points of entry?
At RGS Prep our main intake Year Groups are:
- Nursery (joining the September after your son turns 3)
- Shell/Reception (joining the September after your son turns 4)
- Year 3 (joining the September after your son turns 7)
We occasionally have space for mid-year entry or in other Year Groups. To find out what places are available please contact Mrs Hills, Admissions Manager by email to prep-admissions@rgsg.co.uk.
What is the admissions process?
After you have had a look at admissions process here, please get in touch to visit the school. We hold Open Mornings in March and October. Click here to book.
Registrations for a place at RGS Prep should be completed here together with payment of a £100 non-refundable fee. Following registration, your son will be invited to an assessment session.
What opportunities to visit are there?
We welcome visitors at our Open Mornings in March and October. Click here.
Please contact the Admissions team for availability of small group / individual tours during term time via email prep-admissionss@rgsg.co.uk.
How do I register my son?
You can register your child using our online form and by paying the non-refundable registration fee of £100.
What is the assessment process?
RGS Prep aims to provide a happy, purposeful environment for pupils and we try to demonstrate this on assessment days by putting candidates at their ease and making it as pleasant an experience as possible.:
Nursery (3+)
Our Nursery Stay and Play assessments take place in the morning and last for approximately 45 minutes. It is a play-based session in small groups and is led by our highly experienced staff. Our aim is for your child to have a positive experience with us, in a warm and friendly environment. Whilst the boys are playing, parents are invited to stay for refreshments and have an opportunity to meet our Head.
Shell/Reception (5+)
Our Shell/Reception Stay and Play assessments last 45 – 60 minutes. Children are observed playing in small groups and our Early Years Teachers engage with them in a variety of activities. Whilst the boys are playing, parents are invited to stay for refreshments and have an opportunity to meet our Head.
Year 3 (7+)
Registered boys are invited to the Year 3 assessments; the main session takes place on a Saturday morning in November. Boys complete assessments in English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning and take part in music and sport workshops.
Ad-hoc availability
Occasionally places become available in other Year Groups. To register your child for an occasional vacancy, please complete the online registration form and you will be contacted when a place becomes available to arrange an assessment for your child.
What do you look for in prospective pupils?
During the admissions process, boys are identified whose academic and other abilities appear to match the ethos and standards of RGS Prep and whose personal qualities suggest they have the potential to positively contribute to the school community and benefit from the many opportunities that are offered at RGS Prep.
Do you offer scholarships and bursaries?
We are so proud of the education that RGS prep offers, and we want to make this an opportunity that is open to boys from all backgrounds, regardless of financial circumstances from Year 3+ (boys joining in Nursery – Year 2 are not eligible for bursaries). If you think you might be eligible for the Bursary scheme which offers assistance with fees, please indicate your interest on the online registration form. All bursary applications will need to have been completed prior to your son’s assessment at RGS Prep.
Currently RGS Prep do not offer scholarships.
Moving to Senior School
Where do Year 6 pupils move onto for secondary school?
Parents of children that attend RGS Prep have a wide selection of future schools to choose from when deciding where to move on to. The selection of the right school for each individual boy is discussed with Mr Freeman-Day, Head, during Year 5. At RGS Prep we ensure each individual is well prepared for their chosen secondary schools.
To view a list of destination schools of boys who have left RGS Prep. Click here.
Do pupils automatically have a place at RGS Guildford?
We strongly believe in recommending the right senior school for each individual. Throughout your son’s time here, we monitor their progress and discuss their interests and ambitions. With this information, recommendations are made for schools where we believe individuals will thrive. Historically, around 60% – 70% of pupils move on to the RGS Senior school after completing the entrance assessment, but with over 30 schools to choose from, parental choice is certainly not limited.
Prep Extra-Curricular
What extra-curricular activities are on offer?
Our co-curriculum provision is extensive, but we are always looking to serve the boys’ evolving interests. From over 50 clubs and activities to trips, and an enriching Inspire programme, there is the opportunity for every boy to take a brave step beyond the comfort of their form room.
How can my son become a Chorister?
RGS Prep is proud to be the choir school for Guildford Cathedral’s boy choristers. The majority of choristers start in Year 3. RGS Prep boys are invited to audition in the Michaelmas term of Year 2, with a view to starting as a probationer chorister when they enter Year 3. Auditions are offered to boys who have accepted an offer to start in Year 3.
Extras
What unform is required?
Please find more information about our uniform requirements here. Our Parents’ Association organise a number of secondhand uniform sales throughout the year. Please contact the School Office for details of the next sale date by emailing rgsp-office@rgsg.co.uk or calling 01483 880650.
What is not included in the fees?
The fees are payable termly in advance, or monthly by direct debit, and include the cost of most stationery and textbooks, games and school societies, but exclude a small number of items, e.g. individual music tuition is provided at an extra charge. The Governors reserve the right to review or alter fees at any time and at a term’s notice. Entry is competitive, but no parent who would like their son to come to RGS Prep should be deterred from applying for financial reasons, as it is the policy of the school to make the education offered as widely available as possible. Bursaries can be offered from Year 3. Choral educational bursaries are available for Guildford Cathedral Choristers after they have successfully completed their probationary period. Voice trials for this take place in Year 2.
I do not see my question here, how can I ask it?
Choosing the right school for your son is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. We understand that you are likely to have lots of questions and would welcome you to get in contact with our Admissions Manager or book a visit.
Senior Admissions
Is there any advantage to sitting the ISEB common pre-test at the RGS?
No. Wherever your son sits the test, the data will be processed independently by the ISEB and then shared (with all those independent senior schools using these tests to which your son is applying). It makes absolutely no difference where he sits the test and there will be absolutely no distinction made as we analyse the results. All candidates will, however, come to the RGS for the interview and English creative writing task.
Who can sit the test at the RGS? What if my Prep School refuses to allow my son to sit the test at his school?
For Primary School candidates, the online test is traditionally sat in one of the candidate’s intended senior schools who are running these tests. For Prep School candidates, the online tests are sat in their own Prep School. If for whatever reason this is not possible, then your son is welcome to sit these at the RGS.
Our son is at a Primary School so he is likely to do the test at RGS. What device will the test be conducted on so we can help him to prepare?
We will have both desktops and ultra-books with a mouse attached to each one, so the setup is comparable for all candidates.
The ISEB calls the assessment the common pre-tests. Are there follow-up tests after the common pre-tests with the ISEB?
No, the Common Pre-Tests are usually taken in Year 6 and then any offer made by the RGS is unconditional for 11+ entry.
If my son is unsuccessful at 11+, can he re-apply at a later date?
Students who have been either successful or unsuccessful in their 11+ application to the RGS may re-apply no earlier than entry into Year 10 (with assessment in Year 9) or subsequent years.
Would you recommend tutoring to support my son’s application?
Absolutely not. The assessments are designed to test potential and follow closely what your son has been learning in Year 5. It is often felt that tutoring simply adds to the pressure. Speak to your son’s current headteacher and if they recommend that the RGS is a good fit for your son then that is the best. Through our interview and second interview process we are giving every candidate every chance to show their true ability so have confidence in your son and have confidence in the system.
How many applicants usually sit the 11+ entrance examinations? How many successful candidates come from state Primary Schools?
We traditionally have over 400 applicants from over 130 different schools who sit the Entrance Examination to secure one of the 150 places available in the First Form. We have no quota as we treat each student individually on their merit. This year around 45% of our First Form joined us from State Primary with the remaining balance coming from both Prep and Independent Schools.
Does the RGS have a catchment area?
We do not have a designated catchment area for prospective students; they travel into the RGS from throughout Surrey and also from the borders of Berkshire, Hampshire and Sussex. The vast majority of our students take public transport and we also encourage our students to throw themselves into the extra-curricular life of the RGS, some of which takes place after school. As such, we recommend that a travel time of approximately 30 minutes is sensible to allow them to have a good home-school balance.
Senior Co-curricular
What co-curricular opportunities are there?
A choice of more than 70 clubs and societies gives every student plenty of opportunity for discovery. From the Combined Cadet Force to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and from mastering chess to becoming an articulate debater or budding entrepreneur, there is truly something for everyone.
What are Field Days?
Field Days are a series of off-curriculum days which take place throughout the year. This varied and exciting programme is designed to provide opportunities for wider experience, for developing self- reliance, leadership and a more mature and responsible attitude to society. The Field Days support the weekly activities which range from outdoor and expedition training, CCF, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Explorer Scouts to community service, drama, music and mountaineering.
What compulsory and optional trips are there?
Senior Uniform
What uniform is required?
School Uniform
The official school outfitters are Stevensons who stock all approved items of school uniform. Students are allowed to come to school wearing items purchased from other suppliers if each item is identical in style, colour and quality with the item supplied officially.
Sixth Form Dress Code
All Sixth Formers should wear a black, charcoal grey or navy blue business suit; plain or with a subtle narrow pinstripe or check.
PE and Games kit
RGS PE and Games kit is available from Tacklebag. Clothing, as well as selected items of sports equipment, can be purchased online or at regular sales days held at the School or at Bradstone Brook.
Do you hold secondhand uniform sales?
Yes. Our Parents’ Association organise regular secondhand uniform sales (SHUGS). Dates of forthcoming sales can be found here.
Higher Education
What universities do leavers go on to and what subjects do they study?
Students from the RGS go on to study some of the best degree courses at the very best institutions in higher education, including Cambridge, Oxford, leading Russell Group and Ivy League universities and top medical schools. Some of the most popular degree courses include Sciences, Business / Finance, Economics, Engineering, Medicine / Dentistry and Classics, to name a few.
What higher education & careers support is available to Sixth Formers?
Students are advised and supported at every stage of their Sixth Form journey to ensure choices about their future reflect their talents and ambition, whether they go on to study at a chosen university, pursue direct entry to employment or the degree apprenticeship pathway.
Students are given plenty of opportunities to investigate and explore potential career paths. The annual Careers Convention, at which over 80 professions and companies are represented including many alumni, and the programme of career-specific seminars which run throughout the year provide further opportunities. The fortnightly Careers and Higher Education Bulletin provides advice on university applications and the opportunities available in and beyond school to develop their own particular interests.
