FAQs

This page contains some of the most commonly asked questions regarding our admissions process. Please do contact Head of Admissions, Mrs Ali Perry, at any time if you have any questions.

General

Can any one apply to the RGS?

We are an academically selective school, so in order for a child to be offered a place they must first complete an assessment. We also ask for a report from their current school. We hold assessments for our main entry points to the school (Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Sixth Form) however if there are places available in other year groups we are happy to assess children for these.

How do I apply to the RGS?

Can I visit the school?

How many boys and girls are there in the school?

What are the facilities like?

Do you have school transport?

The school does not have any arranged transport, however many of our students travel to school from all over the region and the RGS is well located, close to the centre of Newcastle and a two minute walk from Jesmond Metro Station. There are a few coach services in particular which a number of our parents make use of:

Kennedy’s Coaches (01670 822 249) operate a service from Alnwick to Jesmond, via Felton and Stannington.

Bell’s Coaches (01661 886 207) operate a service from Stamfordham to Jesmond, via Ponteland.

More information about these services can be obtained by contacting the companies directly. For more information about travelling to the school please visit the contact us section of our website.

Do you offer before and after school care/supervision?

The school does not offer a formal out of hours service where students are registered before or after school (unless they are taking part in an organised activity or school trip).

In the Junior School, the reception is staffed from 7.45am until 6.00pm (Brandling House reception until 6.00pm, Lambton House reception until 3.45pm). There are teaching assistants on site from 7.45am and children have access to their classrooms from 8am where they are supervised. After school, there is a supervised “Late Room” in the Junior School until 3.45pm. After this time, the After School Supervisors accompany any remaining children to the after school provision which is held in the dining rooms, this ends at 5.45pm.

The Senior School, is open from 7.45am until 6pm. Students are allowed to congregate in the Agora or the library from 8.00am if they would like to work. A member of staff is designated to supervise these areas each morning. From 8.15am students are allowed to access other areas of the school, including their lockers and there are designated members of staff on duty patrolling the main buildings, and a high staff presence in all parts of the school as teachers prepare for their classes. Morning registration in the Senior School is at 8.45am. Classrooms are out of bounds from 4.10pm onwards, any students remaining in school after 4.30pm and who are not in a supervised activity, should ensure they are in Late Room in the dining room, which runs until 5.45pm.

For more detailed information about out of hours supervision please see our Supervision Policy.

Assessment

What are the arrangements for assessment?

Is it scary?

Not at all. Understandably, some children (and some parents) find the idea of an assessment quite daunting and become rather nervous at the idea of taking a test or having an interview. Staff and teachers at the school will make every attempt to ensure that both parents and children are relaxed and put at ease from the moment an application is made. We have a dedicated Head of Admissions, Ali Perry, who is there to offer all the advice, information and guidance you may need along the way.

Do you offer any sample test papers?

We have slightly changed the Year 7 exam process, the children will now sit an online aptitude test which covers maths, reasoning (verbal and non-verbal) and also English, and is taken on a desktop PC; we are therefore not able to offer any sample papers, nor do we do offer sample papers for any other entry points. Information on the assessment process and content can be found by visiting the relevant section of this website.

Finance

Is there a registration/application fee?

Do you offer any bursaries or scholarships?

What are the fees for your school?

International Applicants

Do you accept international students?

Do you accept international students?

We can only accept applications from students who are UK or EU nationals, or who can demonstrate that they are dependants of people legally entitled to live in the UK for the duration of study at RGS. It is also a requirement of the RGS that students should reside with their parents(s) or legal guardian. If, for any reason, a student would not do so, an application must be made in writing to seek agreement to other arrangements. Please note that we are not a boarding school, and are not necessarily able to support students who require a Tier 4 visa (“student visa”).

Special Circumstances

My child is dyslexic (or has other special educational needs); can they apply to your school?

Treating children as individuals is important to the school, and we welcome applications from those with dyslexia, or other special educational needs, provided that we can reasonably give them the support they need in order to thrive here. Before applying, parents are urged to talk to the Head of Admissions about any special educational needs a child may have in order to determine whether we would be able to offer the extent of support which is needed.

Do you offer any support for children with dyslexia/other special educational needs?

My child has been moved up a year, can they continue in this year group when they join RGS?

Each application is considered on an individual basis, therefore parents can speak to the Head of Admissions about any special circumstances surrounding their child’s application, including if they have been moved up/held back a year. We appreciate that there are always children who perform better than others in their age group and schools often try and stretch and challenge those children, usually through extension work, sometimes by moving them up a year. However, as well as the academic demands at RGS there is also a physical demand of being able to cope with a busy timetable, lots of sport/extra-curricular activity and movement around the school. For this reason we don’t usually tend to admit students into their incorrect age group. Parents are encouraged to speak to the Head of Admissions and continue with their application as it often becomes apparent during the assessment process whether or not this would be the right solution for an individual child.

We live very far away, can my child sit the assessment without travelling to RGS?

In the Senior School, we offer children the chance to sit the assessment under exam conditions at their current school, if they are unable to travel to RGS. We can also arrange for Sixth Form applicants to be interviewed via Skype, if necessary. In the Junior School, as the children are younger there is a need to be much more intuitive and observe how they react to the school to ensure they would be completely happy in their environment. For this reason, we don’t assess remotely for Junior School places.

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