Royal Grammar School to Become Co-Ed ‘To Be Reflective of Today’s Society’

Published on: 2 Dec, 2025
Updated on: 2 Dec, 2025

Guildford’s Royal Grammar School

By Martin Giles

After 500 years, the Royal Grammar School (RGS) is to begin accepting girl pupils.

They will be welcomed into both RGS Prep and RGS Senior, with phased entry from September 2027.

The RGS Preparatory School, Lanesborough, will admit girls into nursery, reception and year 3 in September 2027. At the same time, the RGS senior school will welcome girls into the Lower Sixth Form (Year 12).

The following year, in September 2028, girls will also be admitted into the First Form (Year 7), completing the transition to full co-education across the main admission entry points.

Explaining the decision, headmaster Dr Jon Cox said: “We want an RGS education to be reflective of today’s society – one where equity and equal opportunity for the sexes are promoted and in which both girls and boys are able to have equally ambitious aspirations, to work collaboratively and to set themselves up for fulfilling, enriching, happy futures.

“We believe that the life skills of teamwork, leadership, emotional intelligence, mutual understanding and the ability to relate to others are better fostered today in a co-educational environment: boys and girls learning and developing together as partners and equals.”

According to the school’s website, fees per term, for the senior school are £8,790 including VAT or £26,370 annually.

Perhaps to counter any thoughts that the decision is linked to a lowering of demand for school places, following the government’s decision to charge VAT on school fees, the RGS press release states: “The RGS is flourishing. The school is consistently in high demand at all entry points and has an established reputation for academic excellence, including being regarded as one of the leading schools in the country at both GCSE and A Level and for university entry.”

Sarah Creedy

Chair of Governors Sarah Creedy commented: “This decision is firmly rooted in our founding principles and long-term strategic desire to enable all students who would flourish to study at the RGS.

“As a co-educational community we will enrich the educational experience of all our students and the preparation we provide them for university and beyond. This is an exciting new chapter and one that as a governing body we unanimously embrace.”

History (sources: Guildford As It Was by Matthew Alexander and Wikipedia). The Royal Grammar School is often associated with Henry VIII’s son Edward VI, who re-endowed it in 1553 and granted a royal charter, but the school was founded by Robert Beckingham, a London merchant, some 40 years earlier. The school has not been consistently successful throughout its history and in 1889 had only six pupils.

Initially intended for the study of classics, the school was where Guildford native George Abbot was educated before he went on to Balliol College, Oxford, and became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Other notable alumni include Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons, England cricket captain Bob Willis, Monty Python comedian Terry Jones, Former Secretary of State Chris Grayling and actor Simon Bird.