When choosing the school that's right for your child, you may primarily be concerned with academic success. As the North East's top performing school, the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle (RGS) certainly ticks that box.
However, at RGS, they follow a ‘There’s More to Life’ approach in all aspects of the school’s holistic education, within which its Sports programme plays a pivotal role. From rugby to netball, cricket and dance, Sport at the co-educational school is viewed as a fundamental vehicle for developing lifelong skills, character, and resilience. The school’s approach is backed by recent research by the University of Manchester, which found Sport patriotism is a significant predictor of self-belief and mental resilience – critical skills for young people as they prepare for exams and life beyond school.
Unlocking students’ athletic capabilities – and above all a love for daily movement – is something in which RGS thrives. The school is committed to refining and developing its programme, taking into consideration it’s students’ voices and expertise of renowned sports coaches and alumni athletes. No stone is left unturned in giving each student from Year 3 to Year 13, the opportunity to strive to achieve their sporting dreams and fulfil their potential.
Angela Ponton, RGS Director of Sport, has over 24 years of teaching experience, and throughout her time at RGS has transformed the school’s sports offering to help students foster a healthy attitude to physical activity and nurture young sporting talent. “At RGS, sport is open to everyone. We encourage students to give everything a go so they can find a sport they love, a team that empowers them, and the drive to aspire to be the best version of themselves,” she explains. “I am proud that from quarter-to-eight in the morning until half-past-five at night, RGS students fill the sports facilities enjoying all that is on offer. We aim for everyone, whether they want to compete at a national level or be a part of a team, to have fun, enjoy sport and develop a lifelong love of physical activity.”
Striking a balance is critical for RGS’s Sports Department, from supporting students who are stretching their capabilities on the sports field to ensuring equal opportunities across the coeducational school. The sports programme is designed to ensure students develop essential life skills to set them up for success in adulthood.
“Students often work on the bus while travelling to fixtures, says Angela. “I find that students involved in sports and our co-curricular activities are selforganised and resilient and more-often-than-not achieve the best academic results. These qualities stand them in good stead while competing in sport, working in the classroom, and in later life.”
Over 170 students from RGS have competed nationally and internationally in a wide range of sports, from hockey to rugby and gymnastics – both while at school and as professional athletes. The school is also proud to have three RGS Olympians: Boda Gallon (Old Novo 81-89) who competed in Judo in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Roger F. Brown (Old Novo 80-87), who rowed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics for Team GB and RGS’s first female Olympian, Kate Waugh (Old Novo 10-17) who competed in the Women’s Triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Alongside the school’s inspirational alumni, its experienced and dedicated sports staff – who range from highly qualified and dedicated teachers, ex-professionals and sport specific coaches – are committed to imparting their knowledge. There is a diverse range of activities through the sports department and RGS’s cocurricular programme, from strength and conditioning, to hockey, cricket and basketball. Weekends are spent travelling the length and breadth of the country to fixtures, competing across a variety of sports at various levels. School holidays are also packed with training opportunities and tours with leading sporting institutions across the globe.
RGS is proud to offer students the opportunity to play and train in its state-of-the-art facilities, including an on-site artificial turf pitch, a rugby pitch, and several play areas. In addition, its modern sports building houses a 25-metre swimming pool, two sports halls (one with a climbing wall), fitness suites, and a dance studio. Off-site, students can also access a range of rugby and football pitches as well as the school’s cricket ground (formerly the County Cricket ground).
Reflecting on RGS’s sport’s offering, Angela adds: “From our breadth of sporting facilities to our dedicated Sports Department and inspiring athletic alumni, when it comes to choosing a school that balances academic and sporting success, the question isn’t ‘why RGS?’ but ‘why not?'”
The school, which is preparing to celebrate its Quincentenary in 2025, welcomes prospective families to attend its Open Morning on Saturday 16th November 2024, from 9.30am to 12.30pm to discover why ‘There’s More to Life’ at RGS.
www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/prospective-families/admissions