Head of House

Alderman Henry Smith founded Reigate Grammar School in 1675. For over 345 years, young people have been educated on the same site, in the heart of Reigate, a historic market town in the east of Surrey at the foothills of the North Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

RGS is a leading HMC independent co-educational day school. It is a highly successful, happy and exciting school, which aims to provide a broad and balanced education to boys and girls that will prepare them for the modern world. The school song, To Be a Pilgrim, reminds our students that they are on a journey of noble purpose, to have an impact and to make the world a better place. We aim to educate the whole child and offer a broad range of experiences for all. We are an inclusive school and, built upon the vision of our founder, are committed to social mobility and the provision of bursaries through wider access and a supportive Reigatian community.

Reigate Grammar School caters for over 1050 students aged 11 to 18. Another 600 students are educated at Reigate St Mary’s Preparatory and Choir School and Chinthurst School, RGS’s junior and nursery schools – both recently shortlisted for UK Independent Prep School of the Year. RGS offers the very best academic education with equal prominence placed on the arts, sport and a rich extra-curricular programme. RGS has a distinctive educational philosophy and a strong ethos of pastoral care underpinning a well-rounded education. The House system has some clearly defined aims: for everyone to feel part of a team; to allow leadership to be nurtured; talent to shine; confidence to surge; teamwork to flourish; and competitive spirit to develop. In the school’s academic culture of intellectual freedom, the structure of the curriculum means that students receive a strong grounding in core subjects but can elect to pursue any area of interest. In the elective curriculum, one student may learn to trade stocks while another deepens their understanding of French literature. It is a challenging and balanced education, equipping students for the opportunities and demands of their future lives and allowing them to explore their personal passions.

The first line of the school’s most recent ISI report asserts that ‘the quality of the students’ achievements and learning is exceptional’: the first co-ed day school to achieve this rare accolade. RGS’ approach to teaching and learning melds expert teaching knowledge with a modern, innovative approach to pedagogy with a judicious use of technology. Inspirational and personalised teaching and learning is at the centre of the vision and requires expert teachers. The school is one of a small number of world-class schools to have been a global pioneer in High Performance Learning, focusing on the development of global citizens, advanced performers and enterprising learners.

Outcomes at RGS are world-class, with 90% of GCSE entries graded at 9-7 in 2024. A Level results are equally impressive, with over 97% of entries graded A* to B. 95% of our A Level students went on to Oxbridge, Russell Group, and other top universities and medical schools. RGS has been included in the Tatler School Guide 2025 as one of the top schools in the UK and ranked in the Sunday Times Parent Power league tables as the best co-ed day school in the Southeast. In 2024, we won a Private Education Award for Most Nurturing School and are a finalist for Independent School of the Year for Contribution to Social Mobility, as well as a finalist in Muddy’s Best School Awards for Best Learning Support and shortlisted for a Talk Education award for Innovation in Education.

Shaun Fenton, Headmaster, acknowledged as one of the outstanding educational leaders in this country, was elected Chairman of HMC in 2018-2019 and most recently awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen for Services to Education.