RGS Announced Overall Winner of National Independent School of the Year 2023 Awards 

We are delighted to be named Independent School of the Year for the whole of the UK at the Independent School Parent awards, held last night in London.  

Presented as winner of the Outstanding Educational Partnerships category in recognition of its impactful programmes across the North East, RGS was overwhelmed to also win the coveted overall award to celebrate its excellence in education, standing out amongst 700 nominations from many of the most high profile private schools in the UK. 

Our whole school community is thrilled to be celebrating the milestone achievement of working with over 100 local state schools, more than 700 of their teachers and 10,000 students, raising aspiration and educational attainment across the region.  In over 50 different projects run in partnership schools from Berwick to Middlesborough and anywhere in between, the school is increasingly sharing academic and co-curricular opportunities across physics, chemistry and biology, computer science and technology, engineering and robotics, art, languages, classics, debating, UCAS mentoring and sport.   

Delivering real social impact to children and young people through life-changing means-tested bursary places continues to be a priority in our school development plan, and now 1 in 16 children at the RGS receive a free education. Bursaries are targeted at families living in the most deprived areas of the region, and in the past 20 years, RGS has supported 447 bursary families. 

We believe in the infinite potential of children in our region – regardless of the school they attend, and are driven to work together with our State Sector colleagues to raise the attainment and aspiration of young people across the North East

Geoffrey Stanford, Headmaster said: 

“This is wonderful news for the RGS, which is demonstrating that Independent Schools can do well and do good.  The foundations of our quest for excellence and sense of social responsibility are rooted in our 500 year-old history.  Half a millennium later, the school continues to deliver outstanding academic results and our social values remain front and centre to everything we do.

“The challenges facing education and young people at the moment can only be solved through partnership and collaboration. We have capacity and influence to make a wider impact beyond the RGS school walls.  We are driven by the difference we can make, not only to the trajectory of the lives of students who attend our school but also to our broader community and wider society.   

We are thrilled that this Award recognises RGS’s leadership in this space and the role that all Independent Schools can play in raising standards for all.  We are also proud that this award highlights the collaborative work of North East schools, together we really can achieve more.” 

RGS receives support from a number of companies and foundations to enhance its social impact work and to ensure programmes are sustainable in the longer term, including The Reece Foundation, British Engines, TSG, The HMCK Charity, Classics for All and Virgin Money Foundation. 

For more information on RGS’ social impact or to get involved, click here.