RGS Review Autumn 2013

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INSIDETop Grades For Results DayCCF Summer CampsChoir Tour To AmericaChariots Of Fire Fancy DressDofE Expeditions

Summer Music HighlightsNew RGS House SystemAnimal FarmSouth Of England Quidditch ChampionsRGS Regatta

Review a_w Sept 2013:Layout 1 20/9/13 19:28 Page 2

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Contact the school departments using our individual Twitter addresses

Headmaster @rgsheadmaster

Reigate Grammar @ReigateGrammar

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RGS Biology @BioRGS

RGS Business @RGSBusiness

RGS Chemistry @RGSChem

RGS Economics @RGSEconomics1

Chemists Visit Oxford UniversityThird Form students made the journey to Oxford University for a ‘Chemistry, Medicine

and Materials Day’. The day started in the university undergraduate chemistry labs

where pupils extracted limonene from oranges and then purified and analysed their

compound. The students then had a guided tour of the university’s botanical gardens

where they learnt how plants are used in the production of modern medicines like Taxol.

The day concluded with a visit to the Science History Museum for a look at how

penicillin was discovered.

RGS English @RGSEnglish

RGS Drama @RGSDrama

RGS History @RGSHist

RGS Politics Dept @RGS_Pols

RGS Library @RGSlib

RGS Maths @RGSMaths

RGS Music @rgs_music

RGS Physics @RGSPhysicsDept


The start of the new school year is

one of the most exciting times of the

year for me. The busy summer of

trips, activities and training makes

way for an even busier term and one

which is already in full flow

here at RGS.

As we set off on another

year of adventure and

achievement, I am delighted

to take this opportunity to

share the successes and

highlights enjoyed by our

students in this latest edition

of the RGS Review.

I’m sure that you will agree as you

read through this magazine, that

what characterises RGS students is

their enthusiasm to get stuck in and

do their very best no matter what

the challenge. Reigate Grammar

School will always be about so much

more than examination results. The

experiences gained through extra-

curricular, sporting and artistic

endeavours help shape our young

people and give them the confidence

to move into adulthood knowing

who they are and that they can make

a difference.

I hope you enjoy reading about our

latest exploits as much as I have!

Yours

Shaun Fenton, Headmaster

/ReigateGrammarSchool

Arguably one of RGS’ most notable Alumni, David Williams’

return to Reigate Grammar School was broadcast in an

hour-long programme entitled Snapshot in Time. The ITV show

saw David recreate his and his friends’ starring roles on the

RGS stage in All the King’s Men.

A Snapshot In Time

Headmaster’s Welcome

David remembers the play as a watershed moment in his school life, one that he

believes set him on course to become one of Britain’s best known and appreciated

comedians and authors.

It was wonderful to welcome David and his fellow Old Reigatians back to RGS for the

filming and we are all extremely grateful for the length of time he spent with the

students, even giving up his own breaks to sit and chat with them in the dining hall.

What was inspiring for all of us was to see how much the experiences and

encouragement David had at school motivated him.

“I actually think it does take

other people to unlock it in

you when you’re a child, and

encourage you. I don’t think

you can take it for granted.

There must be loads of

brilliantly funny people out

there who didn’t quite get a

chance, and then the moment

passes. Whereas for me, I

had this lightning-bolt

moment, aged 11, and that

really set me on this path.”

David Walliams.


Top Grades for Results Day

This year’s A Level grades saw

students achieve more A and A*

grades than all of the other grades

put together. There were record

numbers of A* grades and, at AS

Level, the results were the best ever

secured by students at the school

with 81 per cent of students

achieving the top A to B grades.

12 academic subjects achieved a

100% A Level pass rate at top grades

A* to C, including Further Maths,

History, Economics and Politics.

From a cohort of 122 students, 41

achieved three or more A*/A grades

including Joseph Sheridan who gained

five A*s and Alexander Upstone who

attained four A* grades. Elanor Bond

and Wakana Yasuda both gained

three A*s and one A grade, closely

matched by Ellis Clarke, Isobel Tilley

and Matthew Gill who each achieved

three top A* grades.

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Summer 2014 saw RGS celebrate a 14-year unbroken run of a100% pass

rate at A Level alongside record breaking numbers of students securing

offers at Oxford or Cambridge Universities and record numbers off to

Medical School and Veterinary College.

FULL MATHS MARKS FOR JACK

Congratulations to Jack Kelly who gained 100 per cent in both iGCSE Mathematics

papers taken a year early. Jack was one of 42 Fourth Form students who sat the

iGCSE early before moving on the AO Level Maths at the start of the Fifth Form.


GCSE results recorded a jump in the number

of A* grades awarded, up to 43 per cent.

Three quarters of all grades awarded were

the top A* or A with 59 students achieving

ten or more A* or A grades. Biology,

Chemistry and Physics were among the 17

academic departments celebrating a 100 per

cent pass rate at the top A* to C grades.

A Star Jump forGCSE Results


Sixth Form student Ailsa McDougall won

third place in the 2013 Woolf Essay Prize

competition run by Newnham College,

Cambridge with an essay exploring the

significance of names in an array of

ancient and modern literature. Ailsa won

£100 and was invited to attend the prize

giving ceremony at Newnham College.

Ailsa enjoyed further success with the

publication of her poem Hostess. Ailsa’s

work was published in the third issue of

The Belleville Park Pages, a literary

publication produced in Paris which

prints the work of contemporary

writers.

Cambridge Award for RGS Poet

Twin sisters Emma and Lucy Findlater broke school records

by each achieving 11A*s at GCSE along with an A grade in

Advanced Level Maths, trumping twins James and Edward

Buchanan who each gained 11A*s in 2008.

Emma and Lucy were among a total of 17 students who

achieved a minimum of 10 A* grades including Sacha Lee,

William Saward and Evangaline Scott who also gained

at least 11 A*s.

First prize and the Bevis Hillier Creative Writing Shield was

awarded to Cara Moore with Oliver Cann and Harry Fleming

following closely behind in second and third place respectively.

Bevis awarded the prize and spoke to the students about his

writing career, his biographical writing projects, including his

biography of Betjeman, and gave useful advice to the students

about gaining publication of their work.

Art Historian and Old Reigatian Bevis Hillier

returned to Reigate to announce the winner of this

year’s Fifth Form Creative Writing Competition.

Creative Writing Award

Rhetorical speech, probing questions and impressive

verbal flair were all on display. Well done to all the

finalists and congratulations to the winners in each year

group: Lewis James (Second Form), George Elliston

(Third Form) and Fenella Lloyd (Fourth Form) who won

the Debating trophy for the academic year 2012/13.

The summer term saw the finals of the

school’s class debating competitions with

speakers exploring topics such as Is the

future really brighter? and Are children

growing up too quickly?

Debating Finals


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Choir Tour To New YorkAnd Washington

A long day’s travelling (including waiting at the gate while

Heathrow Airport was closed down due to a plane fire!) saw 20

weary students and three weary staff check in at the Hotel

Bedford on 40th and Lexington, New York City, late in the

evening on Friday 12 July. However, the following morning saw us

galvanised by an authentic New York Deli breakfast (bacon and

maple syrup – it works!) and ready to hit the tourist trails.

We sailed on the Staten Island Ferry,

walked around the World Trade Centre

where the Freedom Tower now rises

where the Twin Towers once stood, and

hit 5th Avenue and Trump Towers

– if only to window-shop. That evening

we took in Chicago on Broadway and

marvelled in the assault on the senses

that is Times Square by night.

On the Sunday we sang in the service

at St Peter’s Lutheran, where we were

given a warm welcome. We also

managed to visit the Metropolitan

Museum of Art and climb the Empire

State Building.

Monday was a travel day, via Philadelphia

and Baltimore to Washington DC,

where the 38 degree heat did not

stop us from walking to the White

House for the inevitable photo call.

Next day we were singing at the

awe-inspiring National Shrine, the

biggest cathedral in all America,

followed by an afternoon spent in the

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Our last concert, on the Wednesday,

was a wonderful Mass participation at

the Cathedral of St Matthew to a large

and appreciative congregation, and we

also gave a recital after the service. We

finished the tour with a memorable boat

trip from Georgetown down the

Potomac to Alexandria, where we

celebrated Katie and Connie’s birthdays

with pizza and cupcakes.

Students and parents enjoyed a highly

informative Higher Education Evening

with guest speaker Mary Curnock Cook

(OBE), CEO of UCAS, speaking

enthusiastically about the high quality of

university education and advising

students to look carefully at the vast

array of available courses rather than

simply picking an A Level subject that

they enjoy.

RGS WELCOMES UCAS CEO MARY CURNOCK COOK


The Acabelles, RGS’ female a cappella group, performed at the Voice

Festival UK Youth Event at Wellington College. The girls narrowly

missed re-claiming their crown from 2012, but managed to come away

with a well-deserved choreography award.

ACABELLES WIN AWARD

Summer Music HighlightsDuring the summer term a number of musical highlights took place.

Polyphony sang a lunchtime concert to hundreds of visitors at St Paul’s Cathedral, to great

acclaim. The Acabelles and Junior Girls’ Voices wowed the audiences at the Reigate and Redhill

Music Festival, with the former walking away with an ‘outstanding’ award and an invitation to

sing in the Gala concert at the Harlequin Theatre. The Leavers of 2013 gave a memorable final

concert, and the Cantata Choir performed Faure’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria to a packed St

Mary’s Church, with a number of student soloists and instrumentalists.

Musical highlights of the Summer Festival included An Evening with the Swing Band, the Junior

Concert and a wonderful evening of songs from the shows entitled Music of the Night, organised

in its entirety by Elanor Bond and Wakana Yasuda – a real treat that will remain in the memory.



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RGS House SystemMuch debate, a whole school vote and a fair degree of

speculation made for a tense build up to the announcement of

the new School Houses. The House system was reintroduced

to RGS after several decades to augment the school’s pastoral

system and encourage friendship and healthy competition within

the school community. The four Houses take the names of four

early Headmasters of Reigate Grammar School.

Head of Bird: Mr Abraham Head of Hodgson: Dr Goldsmith

Head of Cranston: Mr Russell Head of Williamson: Mrs Cline

RGS hosted the school’s third Junior

ReiMUN Conference which was

attended by a number of schools from

across the South East. The day saw

RGS Second Form students Aaron

Gilchrist and Isaac Osterreicher

confidently represent Azerbaijan with

Aaron winning a Highly Commended

Delegate award, a fantastic

achievement at his first ever conference. RGS students were

mature, enthusiastic and willing to share ideas with delegates

from other schools and the teacher

advisors were particularly impressed

by the quality of support that all

students received from the RGS

student chairs and instructors, Eli

Bond, Tom Morris and Will

Humphreys. A visiting teacher kindly

commented; “There were a few

students sceptical of MUN … when they

set out this morning, but they have all returned brimming with

enthusiasm - exactly what a beginner’s conference should do!”

Junior Reigate Model United Nations Conference


Chariots Of Fun

The half term break saw a group of Second Form students enjoy a

four day adventure in a French château where they engaged in

activities which allowed them to speak French and have fun at the same time.

The group made mayonnaise and visited a snail farm and chocolate factory.

Second Form Château Adventure

nference

The annual fancy dress dash

for cash did not disappoint as

Fourth Formers tore around

the Hartswood course for as

long as their home-made

chariots could carry them.

This year’s Pram Race raised

funds for The Children’s

Cancer Trust and saw a

spectacular array of themed

carts and characters.


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With AS examinations complete, Lower Sixth Form students enjoyed A2

transition week. The students took part in exciting and inspiring sessions

covering a wide range of subject related topics chosen to expand

thinking beyond the confines of the curriculum and prepare them for

their A2 courses. The sessions included making ice cream with liquid

TASTE OF THE FUTURE FOR SIXTH FORM

nitrogen; DNA finger printing; The Great Gatsby, Flappers and

the roaring ‘20s; the Dam Busters and the bouncing bomb;

writing a soundtrack for an advert; an exploration of the

concept of German melancholy and multicultural influences in

modern German rock and pop music and much more.

Onatti Productions: Nichts zum Anziehen (Nothing to Wear)

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There were a number of opportunities

to try traditional Spanish food which we

purchased ourselves from the food

markets. The Spanish lessons organised

in the mornings and activities which

involved interacting with Spanish

residents gave us a chance to practise

our Spanish, which proved to be very

beneficial. Luckily, it was sunny for the

entire time of our stay. Everybody on

the trip thoroughly enjoyed it and we all

found it upsetting that such an amazing

trip had come to an end.

Hafsa Majid and Nicola Rohr

Cantabria TripOn the last day of the summer term, Miss Thomas,

Mr Appleton and 11 girls in the Fourth Form travelled to

Santander in the north of Spain. The following five days

consisted of trips to authentic Spanish markets, cultural

museums and visits to breath-taking mountain regions.

Following the success of the Spanish production of En el

Campamento and the French Les Filles, Onatti Productions

returned to RGS to perform a play in German. Nichts zum

Anziehen was an hilarious observation of two love-struck

German teenagers, Nicole and Leon, getting ready for that

most important first date! The stage was divided into two

– on one side a girl’s bedroom; on the other a boy’s

bedroom. In both rooms there was hysteria, panic, fear

and apprehension which was avidly followed by the

audience of RGS students.


Fourth Form students spent the year working together as an

ensemble to create the production which went on to tour

local junior schools as part of the RGS Summer Festival.

Their students’ aim was to create a tight ensemble of

performers skilled in both Children’s Theatre and Puppetry.

Following three previous performances based on established

children’s stories, this year the puppet theatre performed an

original piece entitled Little Joe’s Cautionary Tales penned by

the genius of Mr David Jackson and which centred around

little boy Joe Egg with a cautionary tale about the dangers of

being over-protective.

The students described performing as exhausting! Children’s

Theatre needs stacks of energy to keep the audience focussed

and engaged at all times. The students were shattered, but

rewarded by a fabulously enthusiastic Brighton Fringe audience.

Puppet Theatre Companydebuts at The BrightonFringe Festival A packed Jubilee Theatre in Brighton was the venue

for RGS Puppet Theatre’s debut performance of

Little Joe’s Cautionary Tales.

Bird House Captain, Daniel Beasley spent three weeks as Deputy

Stage Manager at the Pendley Shakespeare Festival in

Hertfordshire. Daniel was responsible for the smooth running of

the Festival, working on Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, alongside

professional actors and stage crew to realise the artistic vision of

PENDLEY SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Director, Peter Broad. The Pendley Festival allows the top

students in the country to complete a summer internship

with professional theatre creatives. Reigate Grammar School

students continue to forge partnerships with theatre

professionals in all areas of the creative arts.


The whole school community embraced RGS’ first Hogwart’s

Day, a brilliant idea put forward by Upper Sixth Form students

who were keen to share their last day in school with staff and

younger students. The day saw teachers and students don robes

and wands and the Sixth Form students dish out butterbeer

and chocolate frogs for younger students. The lunchtime

Staff v Students Quidditch match attracted a substantial crowd

and saw RGS crowned ‘South of England Champions’.

South of EnglandQuidditch Champions


design@rgsA celebration of design at RGS was enjoyed as

parents, students and visitors gathered in the

Peter Masefield Hall. RGS ‘models’ hit the

catwalk, accompanied by a live band, to

showcase collections made during Textiles Club

and in the Festival CAD/CAM jewellery and

textiles workshop days. The evening also saw

an impressive display of 3D, prdouct and

architectural projects from this year’s talented

GCSE and A Level students.12

RGS students benefitted from visiting speakers from a range of

careers as part of RGS’ ongoing Careers Talks programmes which

provide insight and a ‘from the horse’s mouth’ view of different

working fields and environments. During the summer term,

CAREERS TALKS

Dr Rawson spoke to students about the life of a GP, Dr

Patrick Williams about qualifying as a doctor and Mireia

Welsh from Trinity Bridge Careers gave a thought provoking

talk on alternatives to university.

Summer Festival - Annual Art Exhibition

The exhibition featured work from all

year groups. In the Wright Gallery we

experienced some of the wonderfully

talented Upper Sixth Form students

work; an eclectic mix of both abstract

and more representational pieces which

provided a stunning taster of the

exhibition as a whole, which filled the

Sports Hall to the brim. The work on

show in the Sports Hall showed how

fantastically diverse the ideas are from

our AS and GCSE pupils.

The work produced by all the students

was rich, unique and incredibly

innovative. All who came to the private

view felt in awe of the scale, ambition

and quality shown by the pupils. This

was also reflected at Lower School level

with some beautiful work being

produced by the pupils.

The private view was a wonderful

evening, with Eleanor Medcalf ’s harp

playing providing the perfect backdrop

to a stunning exhibition that students

were rightly proud of.

Mrs Burns, Head of Art

The Art Department was a hive of activity this

summer with pupils visiting a variety of exhibitions and

creating imaginative and exciting work in lesson,

lunchtime, after school and holidays and culminating in

the magnificent annual Art exhibition as part of the

Summer Festival.


The Dance Studio was transformed

into a ‘Soul Space’ for the first

Contemplation Week to provide a

wonderful opportunity for peace and

reflection during a busy time of the

school year. All members of the

school community were encouraged to

participate in activities which

considered the challenges of faith

(non-denominational,) forgiveness,

self-image and world issues.

ContemplationWeek

The RGS Higher Education Convention for

Lower Sixth Form students saw 22 recent

leavers returned to school to share their

experience of university. To kick off the

session, six former students took questions

from the whole year group. These were

Hannah Wing (OR 2012: Psychology, Bristol);

James Adderley (OR 2012: Business

Administration, Bath); Tom Addison (OR

2010: History and Politics, Warwick); Anny

Souresh (OR 2012: Law, Durham); Daniel

Hanson (OR 2011: Mechanical Engineering,

Manchester); and Ryan Smith (OR 2012:

Politics, Durham). Questions ranged from ‘How

different have you found studying at university to

studying at school?’ and ‘What are the advantages

of a campus university over a non-campus one?’ to

‘What is the weirdest society at your university?’

Following this, students had the opportunity to

put questions on a one to one basis to the 22

former students to reveal the realities beyond

the glossy prospectus brochures.

RGS Higher EducationConvention

Modern Languages Day


A team of 13 RGS students gave an able performance at the

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge netting two gold, five silver and six

copper medals. Organised by St Catherine’s College, Cambridge,

the challenge posed extremely tough questions including one on the

CAMBRIDGE CHEMISTRY CHALLENGE

chemistry of the recent horse meat scandal. Kasia

Warburton and James Scott brought home gold for RGS

with the whole team deserving a big pat on the back.

The First Form participated

in fun activities such as

playing boules, tasting

foods from around the

world, trying their hands at

Japanese and origami plus an

entertaining Euro trivia quiz.

One of the highlights was

the Japanese Taiko

drumming sessions which

culminated in a performance

to the whole group at the

end of the day.

RGS RegattaThe sun shone as RGS

students took to the

water for the annual

Festival Regatta. Sailors,

windsurfers and canoists

competed in races and

skills events in the high summer heat watched by parents.


14

Animal Farm

DofE Conservation Day26 RGS Bronze DofE students spent the day working

on Nutfield Marsh nature reserve improving habitats.

The moors area of the wetlands has no public right of way and the

group was given special access to conduct important conservation work

with RACV (Reigate Area

Conservation Volunteers).

The students removed invasive

typha (bullrushes) from the water

courses to gives native species a

better chance of success and

improve the habitat for migratory

birds, amphibians, grass snakes

and insects. The group worked

extremely effectively all day and

did a fantastic job, really working

in a spirited manner despite the

inclement weather.


More than 80 Fifth Form students completed their Silver

qualifying expeditions along the South Downs in early July in

very hot conditions. Starting from Lewes, the group trekked

over 30 miles to the finish point at Amberley Station.

Silver Qualifying Expedition

The Bronze expedition fell before summer had dawned in the

South East. 14 groups completed their Bronze training hikes in

cold, grey and showery conditions with overnight temperatures

falling to near freezing. Navigation was generally sound and

most errors corrected quickly, apart from some notable

exceptions on day two! Camp craft, leaving no trace and

keeping facilities clean was accomplished to a good standard by

most groups. Overall, a good hike with a spirited performance

from everyone in unusually cold May weather!

Bronze Training Expedition


Gold Expedition To Wales

RGS welcomed Mr Christian Scott, Director, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) South

East to the school’s annual DoE Awards Evening. Mr Scott was highly complementary of

the school’s programme and confirmed that RGS is one of the most successful DofE

schools in the country. Besides Mr Scott’s generous speech, the highlight of the evening

was four excellent Gold Award student speakers- Luke Prior, Hannah Taylor, Harriet

Riches and Jessica Pritchard who gave inspiring talks on their DoE experiences.

ANNUAL DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD EVENING

Described as ‘probably the best Gold qualifying expedition ever’ by Mr Collins, the

summer holidays saw nine groups of some 60 RGS students complete their Gold

award qualifying expedition to Mid Wales. Enthused Mr Collins: “From the outset

they were organised and efficient, they navigated well, left no trace at camp and,

above all, were just a fabulous bunch to supervise, back up, assess and assist. Staff,

external leaders, assessors, local farmers, land owners and shop keepers at the end

(thanks Cwm Trannon Community Shop in Trefeglwys) all agreed that this was a

superb group of students who did the school proud.”

After an initial soaking on day and night one, the expeditioners enjoyed dry and bright

weather in the hills. The ground was unusually dry after the heat wave in July and

midges were almost non-existent despite some high humidity and low winds, quite

extraordinary and much appreciated!


16

Five cadets recently accompanied Major Ellen,

Flying Officer Robinson and Second Lieutenant

Suchy to Capel Curig Training Camp in

Snowdonia, for a weekend of walking and

navigation training. The cadets experienced two

days of excellent weather in the high mountain

ranges of North Wales whilst training for their

Bronze National Navigation Award. All five

cadets, Sarah McManus, Emma Foster, Zeb Bond,

Jasper Haward and Hassan Ali passed the Award.

SNOWDONIA TRAINING CAMP

The Sun Shines on the CCFRAF Section Summer Camp

RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey was

the venue for this year’s RAF Sections

summer camp.

The weather was spectacular as was the coastal

scenery. The Combined Cadet Force units from

four schools combined to make this a

memorable camp with activities ranging from

orienteering to a night exercise plus many visits

to various sections around the station. One

lucky cadet was rewarded with a flight in the

back seat of a Hawk fighter jet. RGS’ Lance

Corporal Rushby enjoyed a poignant visit to the

control tower where his grandfather was once

stationed and Cadet Maley took to the controls

of a Hawk flight simulator

Gliding ScholarshipSuccessesThree Combined Cadet Force high flyers; Fiona

Harrington (Lower Sixth Form), Natalie Liu (Lower

Sixth Form) and Oliver Corney (Fifth Form)

celebrated success. Fiona was been awarded a gliding

scholarship and a place on the leadership course at

RAF Cranwell during the summer holiday. Natalie Liu

joined Fiona having also been offered a place on the

leadership course at RAF Cranwell. Oliver Corney

managed to find some time during his GCSE revision

schedule to complete his gliding scholarship over the

half term holiday at RAF Kenley.



The CCF held their Biennial Inspection at

Longmoor Camp at the start of May. The

event was attended by service personnel,

the Headmaster, school staff, Old Reigatians

and parents. The

Inspecting Officer, Colonel

Anthony Lamb, was very

happy with what he saw

and congratulated the

entire contingent on a

wonderful day.

The day began with a formal parade where the Inspecting

Officer had a chance to meet all the staff and cadets formally.

The afternoon was a chance for cadets to show off the range

of activities that they undertake on a regular basis and the

Biennial Inspection

The CCF enjoyed a very warm and sunny week down at

St Martins Plain Camp, Folkestone during the first week

of the summer holidays.

A mixture of ages attended from brand new Third Form

cadets to the experienced Sixth Form cadets. They had a

varied training package which consisted of shooting,

fieldcraft, survival skills, watersports, obstacle course,

competitions, an overnight expedition and a rare chance

to experience the Urban Village range at Hythe. Both the

cadets and staff finished the week very bronzed and very

tired but achieved a great deal. A special mention should

go to cadet recruits Jasper Howard and James Bennett

for picking up Best Cadet awards at the end of the week.

CCF Summer Camp

Inspecting Officer and guests were met with a varied mix from First Aid

scenarios to Section Attacks and Shooting to Navigation. The Gun Run

finale provided an excellent culmination to the day. Congratulations to the

RAF Section who won the toughly fought Inter Section Competition.

The Corps of Drums, although still relatively new, has been a

very visible part of ceremonial occasions for both the CCF and

the school. The Corps has taken part in Remembrance

Services at Shaw’s Corner, Redhill and at Reigate Grammar

School and also played a very key role in the CCF Biennial

Inspection in May. During the summer term the drummers

worked hard to gain the coveted Drummer Qualification

Badge, congratulations to Katherine Lyon, Coral Johnson and

George Hopkins for passing the course. Along with

performances this term the Corps of Drums will be on a

recruiting drive to gain more members and are looking for

trained percussionist and flute players but also can train

students up who are interested in learning the Snare drum,

Flute or Bugle from scratch.

Corps Of Drums


Sports RoundupHouse Sports Day The first House Sports Day was a fitting launch for the newhouse system. A more colourful and energetic scene at RGSHartswood would be hard to imagine with students, staff andparents bedecked in house colours and full of passion for theirside. The entire event was driven by the enthusiasm of theSixth Form students. The quality of performance on the fieldmatched the fine weather with a number of records beingbroken throughout the day.

Form Winners: Overall Winners:First Form: Hodgson 1st CranstonSecond Form: Bird 2nd HodgsonThird Form Cranston 3rd BirdFourth Form: Hodgson 4th Williamson

ATHLETICS A superb term for Athletics saw a significant number of boysselected for the South Surrey Athletics Team. Current FourthFrom students Charlie Bennett, George Blackburn, Max Coyle,Rupert Heap, Wilfred Hoad, Henry McCann, Lucas Overtoomand Sean Watters; and Fifth Form students Tom Frost, DomMaillot, Harry Morris, David Webster and Cris Zaccarini. Edward Hundleby and Oscar Subuh-Symons in the Fourth and

Third Forms respectively competed in the National BiathlonFinals at Crystal Palace at the end of the spring term. Theyboth swam competitively and ran in a temperature of -1oC!Edward was placed 22nd nationally and Oscar moved up fromhis original ranking of 54th to 35th place.

The girls’ and boys’ intermediate athletics teams came awayfrom the District Athletics meet placed third and fourth in theirrespective competitions. As a result a school record of 26 RGSathletes were selected to represent the South Surrey District atthe County Championships. The girls’ and boys’ team alsoqualified for the Regional Finals (South East) of the ESAA Trackand Field Cup which was held in June, a fantastic achievement.

RGS enjoyed runaway success at the Surrey District AthleticsChampionships in early June with three students crownedCounty Champions and 14 students finishing in the top six in

Surrey. Eight RGS students have been selected to represent thecounty at inter county championships in Basingstoke this comingweekend.

The three county champions covered both track and field withClara Grinyer succeeding in the junior girls 800 metres, RupertHeap triumphing in the junior boys high jump with a personalbest of 1 metre 67 centimetres and Sophie Ellis winning throughin the girls 75 metre hurdles.

Congratulations to all of the students who took part and aspecial mention to both Miss Davies, RGS Head of Athletics,and Gregory Knott of Reigate’s Priory Athletes for their trainingtalents that have so clearly had a positive impact on the squad.

Three RGS athletes, Sophie Ellis, Clara Grinyer & Tilly Hooperwent on to represent the school at the English SchoolsChampionships.

A total of 26 RGS athletes represented the school at theCounty Championships held at Kingsmeadow Stadium,Kingston. Eight have been selected to represent Surrey at theinter county championships this coming weekend. They are:

Clara Grinyer ( junior girls 800 metres)Sophie Ellis ( junior girls’ 75 metre hurdles)Rupert Heap ( junior boys’ high jump)Max Coyle (100 metres)Izzy Keith (shot put)Clare Hunt (long jump)Henry McCann (1500 metres)Tilly Hooper (pole vault)

SQUASHThird Form students Lilly Pinggera and Holly Dowling playedfor the Surrey Girls U15 Squash team and were placed fourthnationally.

CRICKETThe first XI had a terrific season with huge wins overCaterham, RGS Guildford, KCS Wimbledon and Sevenoaks.The young team showed great desire and trained extremelyhard through a busy exam period. Notable performances camefrom Luke Haughton, David Drage, Tom Massey, MatthewNorman and Michael Ellis. David Drage was awarded player ofthe season after scoring 360 runs at an average of 40 and taking20 wickets.

Tom Massey lead from the front as captain and set an excellentexample to all players. The squad will remain the same over the2014 season and we have high hopes for RGS Cricket.

A special mention must be made to congratulate Will Saward(11 A*s) and David Gent (9 A*, 1 A) for their excellent GCSEresults; both players managed to balance their work load andcricketing commitments throughout the summer term.

The 1st XI also travelled to St Albans for a 20/20 festivalduring cricket week.

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1st XI v MCCThe annual MCC match was a fantastic opportunity for the1st XI to f inish their season on a high. In line with traditionthe MCC were asked to bat f irst and started slowly due tosome excellent bowling from Matthew Norman and JackElliss. The intensity was high and the team bowled andfielded brilliantly, causing the visitors to make regularmistakes. After a fantastic lunch the MCC resumed on 130-5and managed to scrape their way to 220. The RGS chasestarted well with Luke Haughton look extremely f luent,however after some skilful bowling from Steven Hurst RGSwere reduced to 70-3. The middle order continued to workhard for runs and edged us closer to victory, however regularwickets meant it was going to be a tight f inish. The f inalwicket pair of Matthew Norman and Jack Elliss put on ahandy 30 but with 25 left for victory the f inal wicket fell.Although we did not get the victory we wanted it wasanother fantastic day at Hartswood.

The players thoroughly enjoyed the occasion and were acredit to the school.

Congratulations to James Dodsworth in the Second Formwho was selected to play for Surrey County Cricket U12 teamover the summer.

GOLFOliver Kail in the First Form was selected to play golf forSurrey beating Middlesex 3-1. Surrey went on to win theoverall match.

RUGBYCongratulations to Sixth Form student David Reeves whowas recently selected as the most improved player in theSurrey U17 Rugby Squad this season.

We welcomed Matt Keyte (OR, England U18, Bath andLondon Welsh) back to RGS to provide a Scrum Half MasterClass for all scrum halves in the school.

TENNISRGS entered all Surrey age group competitions from U12 toU15. Despite no conclusive wins, our sports men andwomen put in some solid performances and good matches.Archie Trevor in the U13 squad showed excellent promise.Highlights for the senior squad included a 6-3 victory overCaterham School. We competed in the ISTA event at Etonwith the senior boys securing a 2-0 victory over Whitgift andthe deciding singles won thanks to Kieran Jackson’s excellentperformance.

Harriet Mitchell represents EnglandHarriet Mitchell was selected and played for the U16 EnglandSquad as they took on Belgium in early July. The match waspreceded by a three-day training camp in Kent before thesquad took on their cross-channel rivals Belgium.

Harriet has risen through the U16 national ranks andreceived the good news that she’d been selected for thesquad early in January. To gain England selection, Harrietcompeted against a group of 80 girls in the regional play offs.Harriet made the f inal cut from an elite group of 35 girlschosen to attend a f inal trial for the England U16 NationalAge Group Squad.

Top Five South of England RankingEarly summer saw the U12 Girls’ Hockey Team compete inthe South of England with their performance earn them fifthplace overall in the South of England. This is a terrif icachievement and the f irst time the U12s at RGS have reachedthis level. Well done to all the girls, coaches and parentswho enabled this to happen

Region TrialsSeven RGS hockey players were selected for the Regional(South of England) Hockey Trials early in the Summer Term. Aspart of their selection Chloe Stimpson (U15), AmberleyHodgson (U16), James Hawrych (U16), Catriona Lynn (U16),Harriet Mitchell (U17), Greg Hodgson (U18) and EdwardHawrych (U18) benefitted from a six week training coursewith the regional squad.

Jersey Cricket TourAt the start of May, 28 boys headed off to the ChannelIslands for a cricket tour over the long May Day BankHoliday weekend. The U13Bs played 6 matches during thefour days, including four Twenty20 matches and two longergames. The boys were playing mainly A teams so thefixtures were hard and the cricket was of a high standard.Mr Lewis had the opportunity to work on a few things toimprove the boys’ cricket, and they went on to enjoy awinning streak when returning to the mainland.

The U13As played 4 longer games of cricket, the highlight ofwhich was an amazing 1 run victory in the first match; battingfirst against De La Salle, captain Matthew Crighton and hisopening partner Hamish Massey put on 183 for the firstwicket. Hamish made 61, and Matt went on to make hishighest score of 97. Reigate made 241-2 in the 40 overs andwe were confident of victory, but De La Salle had three bighitters who scored quickly. Fortunately, Reigate got them out,but with two overs left it was looking bleak with DLS onlyneeding three runs with two wickets left. Fergus McGooganbowled the penultimate over, and a single was scored off thefirst ball, which brought their new batsman on strike. Fergusbowled him, to bring their last batsman to the crease; his jobwas to survive the 4 remaining balls of the over and leave theother player to score the winning runs in the final over. Hesurvived the first, and the second, and the third…one moreto go – probably Reigate’s last chance, Fergus’s f inal ball.Fergus bowled him, and Reigate had won. Thrilling!

The boys also enjoyed visiting the beach, cinema, bowling,the tour quiz and eating some excellent food.



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o.ukReigate Grammar School is an HMC, co-educational, independent day school for children aged 11 to 18. For more

information, log on to our website at www.reigategrammar.org or e-mail us at [email protected]

If you would like to obtain a prospectus and an application form, you may also contact us at the following address:Reigate Grammar School, Reigate Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0QS

Tel: 01737 222231 Fax: 01737 224201

Dates for the DiaryWinter TermCulture Club 6.00pm Tuesday 1 October Drama Studio

Lunchtime Concert 1.00pm Thursday 3 October St Matthew’s Church, Redhill

Grandparents Afternoon 2.00 pm Friday 4 October Main School, RGS

RGS Cantata Choir Come and Sing Day 11.00am Saturday 5 October Concert Hall &

St Mary’s Church, Chart Lane

CCF Mess Dinner 7.00pm Saturday 5October Peter Masefield Hall

Informal Concert 4.15pm Thursday 10 October Recital Room

PFA Quiz Night 7.00pm Friday 11 October Peter Masefield Hall

GCSE Exam Showcase 1.30pm Monday14 & 1.30pm Tuesday 15 October Drama Studio

RGS Unplugged 7.30pm Thursday 17 October Recital Room

Choral Concert 7.00pm Thursday 7 November St Mary’s Church, Chart Lane

Informal Concert 4.15pm Thurday 14 November Recital Room

PFA Ball 7.00pm Saturday 16 November Concert/Sports Hall

Ensembles Concert 7.30pm Thursday 21 November Recital Room

Informal Concert 4.15pm Thursday 5 December Recital Room

Drama: Carousel 7.30pm Wednesday 11 December Concert Hall

Drama: Carousel 7.30pm Thursday 12 December Concert Hall

Drama: Carousel 7.30pm Friday 13 December Concert Hall

Drama: Carousel 2.30pm & 7.30pm Saturday 12 December Concert Hall

RGS Christmas Fayre 1.45pm Tuesday 17 December Concert Hall

Carols by Candlelight 8.00pm Tuesday 17 December St Mary’s Church, Chart Lane

RGS Cantata Choir Carol Concert 7.30pm Wednesday 18 December St Mark’s Church, Reigate


Documents

RGS Review Autumn 2013