Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
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The Royal Grammar School is a grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. It is situated on Amersham Hill to the north of the town, and has a capacity of about 1300 boys aged between 11 and 18.
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History
Originally established by Royal charter in 1562 it was based in the buildings of the former Hospital of St John the Baptist in the town centre until 1883. Following the demolition of the old hospital it was moved to new buildings nearby for a short period of time, before being moved once again to its current location in 1915.
Entry
Although there are several Royal Grammar School sites in the UK, only RGS High Wycombe has maintained it's grammar school status. The other sites are now privately-funded, independant schools. In order to gain entry to the school, pupils from primary schools in the local area are invited to do an entrance exam, the 11+. Entry to a grammar school usually requires a score of 121/141, though pupils who gain scores of 117 and above are invited to appeal their case. RGS High Wycombe admits 182 day students each year and 10 boarding students.
Boarding
Frasier Youens Boarding House pictured here (http://www.rgshw.com/school/germantour/internat.jpg) opened in September 1999. It incorporates en-suite bedrooms, cutting-edge communication technology, two resident Housemasters and five House Tutors. This facility enables students to attend RGS, who would otherwise be unable to - students from as far as Malaysia and Singapore reside in Frasier Youens.
General Information
The school is a designated DfES Language College, allowing students to study not only the usual Modern Languages such as French, Spanish and German, but also Russian, Swedish, Chinese-Mandarin and Italian - to name but a few. RGS High Wycombe is also recognised as a top sporting school, with internationals being produced in at least four sports in virtually every year group. Old Boys include rugby-player Matt Dawson and comedian Jimmy Carr. Amongst the many extra-curricular activities, Boys can participate in the on-site Combined Cadet Force, the Public Speaking soceity, Music and Orchestras, Drama, Social Service, and a massive variety of sports. The website incorporates the full list.
In The News
RGS is never far from a headline, and recent news includes the change of the Catchment Area which has caused some controversy. The oppourtunity for some students to attend the school has been removed, because they no longer reside in the correct area. Last year, Dr David Wolfe, a physics teacher at the school, was told he coudn't continue teaching because he didn't have the correct qualification. This despite having worked for NASA and having a PhD in Physics. See the video hereor (http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/bb_rm_fs.stm?nbram=1&news=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&nol_storyid=3737544) story here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3736942.stm)
External links
- School Website (http://www.rgshw.com/)