ACADEMICREVIEW2014-2015

Top co-EducaTIonal IndEpEndEnT day school In suRREy 2014 & 2015 Daily Telegraph & Sunday Times Parent Power

100% pass RaTE aT a lEVEl foR 16th yEaR RunnInG

RGs Tops ThE uK foR MEdIcal and VETERInaRy school placEs

BEsT EVER GcsE REsulTs

RussEll GRoup & oxBRIdGE doMInaTE dEsTInaTIons foR lEaVERs

R e i g a t e g R a M M a R S C H O O L

a lEVEl REsulTs 2015

a remarkable year for students at RGs has been topped by 2015’s a level results.

Top A Level marks with 93 per cent of grades at A* to B have once again placed RGS in the premier league of UK schools. 2015’s A Level grades were the best results ever achieved by RGS students with more grades an A* or A than every other grade put together.

The school has maintained last year’s massive leap in A* to B grades which saw it rated as the top co-educational school in Surrey (Sunday Times Parent Power).

100% Medical School SucceSS Rate For the third year running every RGS student who applied to medical school was offered a place and all 15 students with an offer from Oxford or Cambridge University will now take up their place. 18 year old Rhys Thomson gained five A* grades. Madeleine Fisher, Laura Upstone and Emma Findlater all secured four A* grades. England Hockey star Harriet Mitchell returned from competing for her country to discover she had gained three A grades at A Level and will now take up her unconditional place at Birmingham University whilst still pursuing her international Hockey career.

Laura Upstone, Isobel Richards and Lucy Donovan were amongst students who didn’t drop a single mark in an A Level exam. Laura and Isobel achieved 100 per cent in Art and Lucy 100 per cent in both History and Art.

top GRadeS acRoSS depaRtMentSReigate Grammar School’s traditional strengths in Maths and Sciences were maintained but languages also saw stunning success with all candidates who sat the subjects securing top grades in French, Spanish, German, Greek and Latin A Levels. Once again, Art, Music and Drama also achieved 100 per cent success in 2015’s RGS A Level results.

RECORD RESULTS SECURE THE SCHOOL’S BEST EvER UnIvERSITy pLACES

93% a* to B grades at a level

at a level more than half of pupils received aaa or better

More than 70% of grades were a or a* at a level

Top 5% nationally for ‘Value added’

98% of RGs leavers gained place at university of their choice

“The International Biology Olympiad brings together over 240 of the best young biologists from around the world. We are delighted for our students who proved once again that the UK educates some of the brightest biologists in the world!”

Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, director of education and training at the Royal Society of Biology

uK BioloGY Medal WinneRSixth Form biologist Rhys Thomson won a bronze medal as part of the four-strong UK Biology Olympiad team competing in Belgium this summer. Following a gruelling week of practical and theoretical examinations, Rhys received his medal during the closing ceremony. His selection as part of the UK team confirms his status as one of the best four young biologists in the country.

A C A D E M I C R E V I E W

no. of a level subject entries a* a B c % a*–a % a*–B

Art 10 7 0 3 0 70 100Biology 35 12 9 5 5 60 74Business Studies 11 1 1 8 1 18 91Chemistry 39 11 18 6 4 74 90Classical Civilisation 1 0 0 1 0 0 100Drama 4 2 1 1 0 75 100DT 3 0 3 0 0 100 100Economics 22 4 13 5 0 77 100English Literature 13 6 4 3 0 77 100Further Mathematics 18 3 10 5 0 72 100French 11 4 6 1 0 91 100Geography 29 4 15 8 2 66 93German 1 1 0 0 0 100 100Government & politics 19 3 10 6 0 68 100Greek 1 1 0 0 0 100 100History 27 9 10 6 2 70 93Latin 4 2 2 0 0 100 100Mathematics 68 33 20 11 2 78 94Music 6 2 3 1 0 83 100Music Tech 1 0 0 0 1 0 100physics 37 6 20 7 3 70 89Religious Studies 7 0 4 3 0 57 100Spanish 6 4 2 0 0 100 100Sports Studies 5 1 3 1 0 80 100

ToTal 377 116 154 81 20 72 93

RGS topS the uK FoR Medical & VeteRinaRY School placeS

RGS has achieved the highest rate nationally for students gaining and securing offers from medical and veterinary schools. For the third year running all students applying from RGS received an offer to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary science and secured their place with their A Level results.

R e i g a t e g R a M M a R S C H O O L

GcsE REsulTs 2015

aVeRaGe ScoRe oVeR 10 a GRadeS peR Student Reigatians were consistently successful this year with the average score higher than 10 A grades per student. The majority of students secured more than 5 A* grades each, a truly remarkable achievement.

George Colvin, Charles Lee, Jenny Strange and William Tuckwell are amongst RGS students who scored an A* grade for every single subject. Twins Theo and Francesca petitt both gained an A* in GCSE Maths despite sitting the exam a year early.

In 2015 RGs students secured a 100 per cent pass rate at GcsE with over 93 per cent of grades at a* to B, matching the percentage of similar top grades achieved at a level.

GeRShon ScholaRShip FoR Sixth FoRM16-year old Rupert Heap is the school’s first Gershon Scholar. Rupert received the bursary award following success in his GCSEs notably in the core STEM subjects. The Gershon Bursaries are a new bursary for 16 to 18 year old students committed to pursuing a career in science technology, engineering or mathematics at university and beyond. Assistance with school fees, mentoring and networking support is provided for successful candidates. The Gershon Bursaries are supported by former RGS student Sir peter Gershon and the RGS Foundation’s 1675 Bursary Fund.

GCSE RESULTS AT RGS ARE OnCE AGAIn ExCEpTIOnAL, REpEATInG THE SCHOOL’S RECORD BREAKInG SUCCESSES AT A LEvEL. 93% a* to B grades at GcsE

at GcsE average attainment of 10 a*/a grades

A C A D E M I C R E V I E W

KEy sTaGE 4: ThREE-yEaR GcsE pRoGRaMME

electiVeS pRoGRaMMe The extra time provided by a three-year GCSE programme enables RGS students to benefit from an innovative Electives programme which contains a wide range of studies and life skills that are valuable but do not require yet another GCSE examination in order to be part of a great education. Examples of Electives include a new language started ab initio, sculpture or ceramics, a programme of art appreciation, French literature, digital design, computer programming or forensic science.

Reigate Grammar School students benefit from a three-year GCSE programme, a system which has proven results for enhanced academic attainment and increased depth of learning. RGS students are already working at a level ahead of national expectations and for those students who join us in the First Form (year 7), RGS helps students to work quickly through the important foundation stage in the first two years. This allows RGS to support students to work at the higher level of GCSE study a year earlier than at most other schools.

Students’ higher level of ability and the support framework provided by the school sees RGS students start working at GCSE level from the start of the Third Form (year 9) rather than waiting until the Fourth Form (year 10), as in most other schools. Having three years to work at GCSE level means students get three years to do what other schools rush through in just two years. The extra time supports higher attainment and higher GCSE grades that will open up additional opportunities as students apply to top universities.

The extended three-year GcsE course also enables RGs students to enjoy significantly greater breadth and depth in their learning.

the acadeMYThe academy is now in its second year and attracting speakers and debaters in strong numbers. The student-led academic forum is open to members of the Fifth and Sixth Forms and gives a platform to express and engage further in areas of particular interest.

Inspired by plato’s Academy model, each session sees a student give a short presentation on an academic issue that is of particular interest to them. The presentation is then followed by an open discussion on the day’s topic encouraging debating, knowledge sharing and a chance to dig deeper into a range of cross-curricular subjects.

In addition to the immediate academic gains and enjoyment, The Academy also provides students with the opportunity to practice giving presentations in a relatively informal setting. The forum provides valuable experience for university applications, employment and as a stepping stone to qualifications such as the Extended Project Qualification.

tSi FRidaY!RGS’ popular series of talks Thank Science It’s Friday covers topics as varied as: the chemistry of chili peppers; aerodynamics in the automotive industry; the latest computing developments and the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami at the Fukushima nuclear power station.

Talks are given by students and staff and offer a rich and interesting diet to supplement science lessons and capture interests of students. TSI Friday talks are open to all year groups.

What aRe iGcSes?International GcsEs (IGcsEs) are similar in many ways to standard GcsEs, but are generally regarded as more rigorous. Originally designed for schools overseas, they are not required to conform to the regulations laid down by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in the UK. They usually involve less coursework, and retain elements of the syllabus which have been removed from GCSEs.

In recent years, many leading independent schools in the UK have adopted IGCSEs, at least for some subjects. However, as they are not recognised by QCA they do not appear in government performance tables. At RGS, we currently enter students for IGCSEs in Mathematics, Science and English Language. This explains why some government league tables suggest that none of our students has five GCSEs!

R e i g a t e g R a M M a R S C H O O L

dEsTInaTIon of lEaVERs

Almost all of this year’s leavers have chosen to go on to university, either immediately or after a gap year. 98 per cent of RGS leavers secured places at their first or second choice at university from a cohort of 125 students. All applicants to medical or veterinary school received offers and secured their places for the third year running, 15 students received Oxbridge offers and all secured their places.

The range of institutions is dominated by the top 20 UK universities and those within the Russell Group. The geographical spread ranges from the London School of Economics to Durham with concentrations heading towards the highly regarded universities of the Midlands and Exeter in the West of England. This year’s most popular courses were Medicine, Economics and History but leavers span a wide range of disciplines.

98% OF RGS LEAvERS SECURED pLACES AT THEIR FIRST OR SECOnD CHOICE AT UnIvERSITy FROM A COHORT OF 125 STUDEnTS.

couRsEs (WITH nUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL AppLICAnTS)Accounting & Finance 2 Landscape & Architecture 1Accounting & Financial Management 1 Law 1Animal Management 1 Management 1Applied Chemical & pharmaceutical Studies 1 Maths 5Biochemistry 4 Maths & Management 1Biological Sciences 2 Maths & physics 1Biomedical Sciences 2 Maths & Sport Science 1Business & Management with Industrial Experience 2 Medicine 4Business Course at Quest 1 Modern History and politics 1Business Management 3 Modern Languages with Business 1Business Studies 1 Modern Languages 1Chemical Engineering 4 MORSE 1Chemistry 8 Music 4Classics 1 natural Sciences 5Combined Honours, Arts 1 physics 4Economics 7 politics 2Engineering 1 politics & International Relations 1English 4 politics with Economics 2Fashion 1 politics with International Relations 1French & Italian 1 product Design Engineering 1Geography 5 psychology 4History 3 Sport & Exercise Science 1History & International Relations 1 Sport Management 1History & politics 3 Urban planning, Design & Management 1Human Biology 1 veterinary Science 1Interior Design 1 Zoology 1International Management 1

MoSt populaR uniVeRSitY deStinationS(WITH nUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL AppLICAnTS)

11 Bath* 11 Durham* 10 Warwick*10 Exeter* 10 Southampton* 9 Oxford* 8 nottingham 6 Loughborough* 5 Cambridge* 3 Birmingham* 3 Bristol 3 york 2 Liverpool 2 newcastle 2 Sheffield 1 Bournemouth 1 Cardiff 1 City 1 Harper Adams 1 Hertfordshire 1 Imperial* 1 John Moores 1 KCL 1 Kent* 1 Leeds 1 Leicester 1 LSE* 1 northumbria 1 Royal Holloway 1 Swansea 1 UCL* 1 UEA* 1 Salfords

* placed in the top 20 in the Guardian University Guide 2015

A C A D E M I C R E V I E W

ThE RGs pRofEssIonals nETWoRK caREERs

caReeRS pRoGRaMMe

RGS’ Careers Department runs a programme of lunchtime talks throughout the year with experts and guest speakers providing insight and advice on a host of different possible paths ahead. The lunchtime programme is augmented by the RGS Careers Convention and Higher Education Convention which run annually on rotation and between them welcome representatives from over 50 professions and universities to RGS.

The academic year 2014-2015 programme included:

accountancyDeloitte Gap year Scheme.

architectureOR nick Elias gave a talk on routes into Architecture and Architecture as a degree.

EngineeringDedicated engineering careers evening with seven outside speakers from across the many different fields of engineering.

finance: douse associates’ Gap scheme ORs Will Kernick and Ollie Howe.

lawDedicated careers in Law evening with current Law students and career lawyers.

Medicine Dedicated careers in Medicine evening with talks from medical students, young doctors and career medics. Dr Sandeep Cliff-patel, Brighton & Sussex Medical School assisted with interviews for medicine and Jane Dawson gave a talk on speech therapy.

psychology as a degree OR Hannah Wing delivered a careers talk.

us universitiesKristin Dreazen on US universities and the admissions process.

oxbridgeRGS runs a dedicated programme for those students applying to Oxbridge with sessions open to all students. please contact Dr Carter or Mr Buzzacott for further information.

The RGs professionals network group is run by Reigate Grammar school’s Foundation Office, in partnership with the Careers Department, to help RGs students with their career choices while they are at school and beyond, and to encourage networking between Reigatians.

uniVeRSitY linKSOver 300 Reigatians currently studying at university are available to provide details about their course and university to RGS Sixth Form students. Reigatians at university provide an invaluable source of extra information to current Sixth Form students giving an inside track on university life, different courses and a depth of knowledge that reaches far beyond universities’ official brochures and websites.

Each summer, Reigatians at university return to RGS for a UCAS Day, organised by the Careers Department, which gives current Lower Sixth Form students the chance to question them as a panel and individually about their experience of university, their course and their recommendations for a successful UCAS application and transition to university.

BuSineSS linKSMembers of our Reigatian community (parents, former pupils and RGS friends), who are established in their own careers are a vital source of advice, encouragement and mentorship. The RGS professionals network has well over 1,500 members and they are keen to provide support with careers advice, work experience and potential job opportunities.

As part of the RGS professionals network, parents and former students also provide invaluable support through participation in the School’s annual Careers Convention and the popular lunchtime careers speaker’s programme which runs throughout the year.

london pRofEssIonals

RGs london professionals brings together members of the Reigatian community working in the london area including parents, alumni and friends of RGs.

The primary purpose of RGS London professionals is to foster meaningful friendship and network support. The group supports the school by providing a pool of experienced professionals willing to provide guidance and potential job contact opportunities to students at the school. The group also offers an enjoyable forum for Reigatians to stay in touch with

friends and colleagues involved with the school and to meet and network with new friends working in complementary businesses.

As part of a rich and diverse programme, recent events have included: the Barclays Canary Wharf Reception; the Ernst & young City Breakfast; an evening with Crossrail at the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Commerzbank Reception on Eurozone Economics. In the year ahead there is a planned vCCp Advertising and Marketing event and also a City Drinks Social Gathering.

Reigate Grammar School Professionals

Reigate Grammar School, Reigate Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0QS01737 222231 info@reigategrammar.org

reigategrammar.org

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