Reigate St. Mary's School

Reigate St Mary’s Preparatory and Choir School (RSM) was founded in 1950 to provide an education for choir boys who sang at St Mary’s Church in Reigate. Choirmaster, Godfrey Searle, bequeathed his house, Sunnyside, for the establishment of the school along with a trust fund to ensure the continuation of the choral legacy.

Today, RSM is a modern, forward thinking coeducational junior school and Godfrey Searle’s Sunnyside house forms part of a wonderful 15 acre school site with modern buildings, playing fields, playgrounds, nature areas, dens and a Forest School. It is located in the heart of Reigate, a historic market town in the east of Surrey at the foothills of the North Downs, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

RSM is part of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) and, in 2003, became a junior school of Reigate Grammar School (RGS), a multi award winning coeducational senior school, named Tatler School of the Year 2020. RGS is located just a few minutes’ walk away and this close proximity allows RSM to make use of their many facilities and resources. Approximately 80 percent of children transfer to RGS at 11 years old, and the remaining leavers join other top senior schools in the locality.

RSM has approximately 360 boys and girls ranging from 2 ½ to 11 years old. The school provides an inspirational and exciting education preparing children for happy and fulfilled lives. Academic outcomes are excellent and this is achieved within a warm and caring environment by developing close relationships with children and their families. RSM children know they are truly valued and this gives them the confidence to take challenges, learn from mistakes and ultimately reach their full potential. RSM was shortlisted for Independent Preparatory School of the Year 2020 in recognition of this.

The school takes a growth mind-set approach to education and the curriculum reflects the importance of a breadth of study in preparing children for exciting future careers. Education for Social Responsibility (ESR) is at the heart of this and Headmaster, Marcus Culverwell, leads ESR for IAPS schools nationwide. The aim is to produce confident, resilient and creative young people who care deeply about a sustainable and equitable future for everyone. Sustainability issues are prioritised and RSM is an Eco School with Green Flag status.

There is significant and ongoing investment in technology throughout the school and IT is embedded in all teaching. Classrooms are exciting and inspiring places where children use technology to explore. There is an impressive IT lab and Mac suite and the school’s Lego robotics team has been worldwide finalists in Lego robotics competitions many times.

Children play a variety of sports and the school site has four football pitches, a hockey pitch, two multipurpose courts, an artificial cricket strip and a 200 metre running track. The school also has use of RGS’s impressive sports grounds at Hartswood. A strong extracurricular programme, with over 50 clubs on offer each week, provides extra sporting opportunities as well as a broad range of other popular clubs such as dance, chess, martial arts and craft. An emphasis on outdoor learning means the children spend as much of the timetable as possible learning outside in the grounds and Lower School children enjoy regular Forest School sessions in addition to this. Every child is a member of one of four well established Houses and this gives them a sense of belonging and peer support as well as providing plenty of opportunities for friendly inter-house competitions.

Music is an important part of life at RSM with a strong peripatetic music programme and a range of choirs and ensembles. There are many productions and performances throughout the year and children regularly perform within the community and at local festivals. The school was rated ‘Excellent in all areas’ at the last ISI inspection in February 2023.