The first few days at any new school will feel daunting but our hope for you is that very quickly you will feel safe, happy and a part of the school community.  Our aim is that no one feels lost in a crowd at RGS and our Student Development system is central to this; some schools call this a pastoral system. On your first day, very soon after you come into school, you will meet your Form Tutor for Year 12 & 13.  Each day your Form Tutor will take the register, and as well as guide you through all the new procedures, they will also be there to support your welfare, answer your questions, or help you when you have forgotten something, or need advice.  Your parents will have your Form Tutor’s email address so they can also contact them if there is anything they need to ask about.  You will also meet the Director of 6^Th form, Mr Noyes, Who will also be your Head of Year who is very experienced in helping new boys settle in quickly to the RGS.

Student Development Team

The Student Development Team includes other key members of staff.  We are fortunate enough to have a school Matron who is a qualified nurse and will help you if you feel unwell.  If you have a medical condition Matron will log this so she is aware of your individual medical circumstances and appropriate staff will also be informed. Your Form Tutor will show you where Matron’s office is located on the corridor of the Main Block.

Near Matron’s office on the Main Block corridor is the Student Development Hub. This is where you will go during the day if you have a question about anything and are unable to see your Form Tutor as they are teaching: “I don’t know where to find my Geography classroom?”, “I’m going to the dentist and need to sign out of school?”  The staff in the Hub are there to support students and have a wealth of knowledge and experience; if they can’t answer your question, they will help you by finding someone who can help.

At RGS we have some students who have a special educational need or a disability and, if this is you, please be reassured that Mrs Taylor, the SEN/D Manager, and her team are here to support you in the most appropriate ways for you. The SEN/D team are based in the Student Development Centre, also located on the Main Corridor.  They have quiet rooms where students with a SEN/D can have private support sessions, do private study or have a space for some quiet time.  There are several lunch time groups which are popular and help students with all sorts of matters such as handwriting and social interaction.

Welcome to School Counselling

At RGS we also have a counselling support service.  Counselling gives students the opportunity to talk in private about any worries and difficulties. As well as listening, counsellors also help young people to clarify their problems or difficulties, learn different coping strategies and support them in making positive changes if they wish.  Counsellors do not give advice or tell RGS students what to do – instead they help young people to discover their choices and make their own decisions.  We would encourage any student to speak to his parent/s, Form Tutor or Head of Year if they think that this support may be helpful to them.

Safeguarding

The RGS also takes its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of students very seriously and believes that the safety and wellbeing of students is of paramount importance. To support safeguarding there are a team of Designated Safeguarding Leads who you will meet when you join the school:  Mr Durning Assistant Head, Mr Scourfield Assistant Head and Head of Boarding, Mrs Herath Student Development Assistant, Mrs Barry School Matron, Mr Fossey Head of Year 9.                                   

Finally, we hope you will be very happy at RGS and it is our aim to help you become a member of the school community as a known individual as soon as possible.  The Student Development team wish you a good summer holiday, when we get there, and look forward to meeting you in your RGS uniform, as a member of this school in September.