RGS High Wycombe - views

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curious74
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2017 3:34 pm

RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by curious74 »

Would really appreciate views on RGS from anyone with boys there currently. We have looked around it and a few others and frankly it would be a privilege to go to any of the local grammar schools. It is our catchment grammar and my son found the look and feel of it a bit intimidating, but it was gut feel rather than based on anything in particular.

Would be particularly interested in pastoral care and happiness... bit worried it might be too full on for my son who is very bright but can be anxious in a very 'strict' environment.
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by MrsChubbs »

My DS was there for 7 years under Mr Page's reign and was very happy for the whole time. Yes he was challenged and stretched, but he is competitive by nature and thrived on the competition. The pastoral care was good, in my experience, and the communication between school and us regarding any issues that came up was always positive and came across as having my DS' interest at heart. Having said that, it really is "horses for courses" and RGS is not everyone's cup of tea. My DS best friend is laid back and his family chose John Hampden as they felt it had a more relaxed less public school feel to it. RGS has recently got a new Head and some of the older teachers have retired at the same time as Mr Page leaving. I get the impression (and other posters with boys still at the school may shed some light on whether this is the case) that he is changing the school feel a bit and making it less public school. I can't really comment on the anxious part, but I would say the school works hard at integrating the boys quickly and making them feel part of it.
BlueBerry22
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:16 pm

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by BlueBerry22 »

We live next to RGS but choose JHGS as the fit just felt better for our DS but I know children thriving at RGS and I also know children struggling. So I am afraid not much help - go and see as many schools as you can and work out what feels the best for your DS.

Good luck.

BB22
BlueBerry
Posts: 1014
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:05 pm

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by BlueBerry »

Snap! I've got exactly the same dilemma as you. We have visited both RGS and JHGS. We walked away from JHGS with warm fuzzy feeling. And with RGS it was very much the case of wow, can I really go to that school?! I think that RGS blew my son away as it was very impressive. He liked the fact that he can learn Latin, but was upset that the school's focus is on rugby and not football. So all in all, we are still very much undecided.

We are going to visit the schools again and this time my husband will be joining us too. I'd be happy to discuss this topic time and time again......
joop
Posts: 115
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:40 pm

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by joop »

My son is currently in lower sixth at RGS and has been there since year 7. It has been a fantastic school for him and I couldn't praise the school highly enough. He wasn't interested in rugby but played hockey and cricket up until the sixth form, had a go at fencing and now just chooses to play football or tennis in games lessons in year 12. My son continued to play with local football teams so wasn't fussed about not playing football in the earlier years at school. He also doing his gold DofE and has been involved in lots of extra academic opportunities.

Another friend's son who is completely different has been involved in choirs, drama and other activities. There are lots of different activities depending on the child.

Academically my son has really thrived and is full of confidence. All the teachers I have met over the last 6 years have been very committed to the extent they mark practice papers and reply to emails during the easter holidays. I think they have good pastoral support (but haven't needed it) but the school is easy to communicate with.

I also hear great things about JHGS - I am sure your sons will be happy with either school. Very, very lucky to have fantastic schools available. Perhaps just let them decide.
BiscuitEater
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 3:29 pm

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by BiscuitEater »

My DS will be starting at RGS in September. While I definitely recognise the impressions of RGS and JHGS as listed above (and I thought the same after the open days), I changed my view for a very specific reason and I thought it worth posting for others in the same position.

My DS was assessed as having mild dyslexia just after he sat the eleven plus, so while we were pleased he'd qualified we were concerned about choosing the best school to support his learning needs, grammar or otherwise. When I spoke to the SENCOs at the different schools, the RGS one was notably interested and engaged with my concerns, and she had very comprehensive examples of how current RGS boys with dyslexia were being supported. I was really impressed and immediately felt more confident about taking up DS's grammar place. Obviously we've got it all to come so we'll see how the support goes in practice, but so far so good.

By contrast, when I called JHGS the SENCO told me straight off that children with dyslexia "didn't tend to pass the eleven plus" so she didn't really have any strategies in place to support them. Well, I suppose that's one way to ensure you don't have any dyslexic children in your school!
Bustermartin
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:49 am

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by Bustermartin »

We had a similar dilemma to biscuiteater and are involved with the SEN department at RGS. Our son has moderate hearing loss but is not statemented. Our communications (four years ago now) with SENCOs at JHGS and RGS were scarily similar to yours! He is now going into year 10 and we haven't, for one minute, regretted our decision to send him to RGS rather than JHGS. He is also into his football but is happily playing tennis and hockey for the school teams and hasn't suffered from not playing Rugby.

My younger son is about to take the 11plus - and while he will have a choice which school to go to (always assuming he qualifies!) we shall be very much hoping he goes chooses RGS. As has been said before, we are very lucky to have two such good schools as RGS and JHGS, but we have been totally happy with RGS for our eldest and have enormous faith in the SENCO team there.
curious74
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2017 3:34 pm

Re: RGS High Wycombe - views

Post by curious74 »

Thank you everyone for your responses - much appreciated and very reassuring.
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