WHAT? WHERE?

Pupils at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

The Royal School is a co-ed day and boarding school for pupils aged 10 to 18 in Haslemere in Surrey. It has a long and interesting history that dates back to the 1840s – and while it’s seen plenty of change over the decades, at its heart much is still the same.

The founding philosophy was based around giving girls independence through education. And those core values are still there today – it’s all about turning out children who are independent and prepared for the future.

Even in the 1800s the school was ahead of its time. It was founded in Twickenham as one of the first academic girls’ schools in England. Back then it had the not-so-snappy name of The Royal Female School for the Daughters of Naval and Marine Officers, but it later became The Royal Naval School (or the RNS), and moved to Haslemere after bombing during the Second World War.

In 1995, it merged with The Grove School in Hindhead (also a pioneer in girls’ education), and dropped the Naval moniker to become simply The Royal School to becomean all-through school. Boys were introduced in 2011.

The late Queen Elizabeth II became patron in 1952 – and the school is proud of its Royal connections. Princess Anne is the school’s President, and a regular visitor, she was guest of honour at the 2023 Prize Day.

The Royal School is gently academically selective. The admissions process involves assessments in maths and English, an informal interview with a member of the senior leadership team, and taster days.

Numbers-wise, it’s fairly small – about 200 pupils with an even mix of boys and girls and a two-form entry throughout. There’s a cosy feel here and a warm, friendly vibe.

FACILITIES

Aerial view of The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

The Royal School is located on a wooded 26-acre site overlooking Haslemere. It’s a gorgeous spot with a cluster of historic buildings and fabulous views out over the South Downs.

Stoatley Hall is the centrepiece, and this is where you’ll find the main reception along with some offices, classrooms and a new arts block, which includes art rooms, photography studio and a textiles studio. It’s a handsome historic building, built in 1902 in the style of a Scottish castle.

Next door is Highgate, a lovely Arts and Crafts building (and actually older than Stoatley Hall) which is the Sixth Form Centre. There’s also a music performance studio and practice rooms.

Also clustered around the site is Kilmorey, the main teaching block containing classrooms, science labs, a hall, a fancy drama theatre, a library, chapel and state-of-the-art media suite. A new arts block, which will include art rooms, photography studio and a textiles studio, is in development and will open in January 2024.

There are two boarding houses, Queen Elizabeth II, opened by the late Queen in 1989 and the Prince of Wales. Both houses have a home-from-home feel including cosy common rooms for the boarders to relax and unwind.

The site is undulating and wooded, and tucked among the trees you’ll find tennis and netball courts, sports pitches, a sports hall and a fitness gym. The rolling woodland lends itself to exciting outdoor learning spaces.

THE ARTS

children on stage during a show at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

The television and podcast studios and an impressive theatre space, tell something of the arts story here. The arts are big!

The creative arts ROAR programme, designed to ‘Raise Outstanding Artists at The Royal’ celebrates all things creative in drama, music, art, TV and film. Pupils access exciting and varied opportunities from writing verbatim theatre or working in a TV newsroom to large scale productions and theatre trips.

Each year, there are three school productions involving pupils from Year 6 to 13 as well as an evening of Shakespeare. Recent productions include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Alice, The Wizard of Oz, Missing Dan Nolan and Grease.

Musically, as you’d expect from a school that values the arts, there’s also a lot on offer. The music teacher, also an assistant head, is Stewart Conley-Harper, a former chorister at Windsor Castle Chapel – which brings some real kudos to proceedings. About one third of all pupils learn individual instruments, from piano to cello, saxophone to singing, and have performed at the Windsor Castle Chapel and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Art and design are also strong, with photography a popular subject at GCSE and A level. Pupils art is seen around the school.

SPORT

Pupils playing hockey at the Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

Like all independent schools, sports are valued. Weekly fixtures are played in hockey, netball, football and cricket. Pupils also participate in sports like athletics, tennis, rounders, basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, badminton and orienteering. Pupils learn to swim off-site at the Haslemere Leisure Centre, and play golf at Old Thorns.

ACADEMICS

Pupils at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

A big deal at The Royal School – and something it’s justly very proud of – is the school’s ‘Future Ready’ educational philosophy. And while tech is an important part of that, there’s a more rounded approach that aims to turn out pupils who are emotionally, practically and intellectually ready for the changing world.

The ‘Future Ready’ programme starts in Year 6 and continues all the way through to the Sixth Form – with modules on robotics, engineering, tech, finance and wellness among others in the Lower School to seminars that focus on health, wellbeing, personal awareness and communication. The aim is to teach children how to think, not what to think.

The school is proudly mixed-ability, and focuses on the value-added progress of pupils as much as the raw results.

In 2023, 75% of A level pupils achieved A*-C, 45.8% gained A*-B and 20.8% achieved A*-A. Eighty per cent of pupils secured their first choice of university with the majority going on to Russell Group universities like Birmingham, Exeter, Southampton and York, as well as the University of Sussex, Nottingham Trent, Oxford Brookes, Essex and Gloucestershire.

At GCSE, 30% achieved 9-7 and 18% achieved 9-8.

SIXTH FORM

Pupils in the Sixth Form at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

Both A level and BTEC courses are offered at The Royal in Sixth Form in a range of subjects, from traditional academic to sport and the creative arts. The EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) is also offered and very popular, helping to prepare pupils for university by developing their research skills, critical thinking and independent study. In 2023, 77% pupils were awarded A*-A in their EPQ.

The Future Ready Programme also continues into Years 12 and 13 with an emphasis on developing human skills.

BOARDING

Four teenagers baking in the boarding house at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

About 35 pupils board here – either full-time, weekly or flexi-boarding – mostly from Year 8 upwards. The school itself is a close, tight-knit community – and this is very evident within the boarding houses. A schedule of activities and trips helps pupils gain all sorts of experiences that, as well as being enriching, also make for a memorable boarding experience. And of course, just take a look at the location – it’s idyllic.

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral care, like at all schools, is of huge importance and there’s a strong system in place to make sure nobody slips through the net.

There are small classes and tutor groups through the school where strong relationships are formed between teachers and pupils. The class tutor is the first point of contact for pupils, but there are also Heads of Lower School, Upper School and Sixth Form who also offer pastoral support.

Every child is known – properly known – by all staff.

But it’s the close family-oriented feel and a genuine feeling that everyone cares about the children that filters out when I visit. There’s a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.

THE HEAD

Paul Norman, headmaster at The Royal School.

Paul Norman has stepped into the role of headmaster taking over from Matthew Close who is returning to Surbiton High School (also in the United Learning group).

Paul is well acquainted with the school having been here for almost eight years – all of those in senior leadership roles.

Before coming to The Royal School, Paul was Assistant Head and Director of Sixth Form at Lincoln Minster School in Lincoln and before that taught physics at City of London Freemen’s School. He read physics at Birmingham University where he also did his Masters in Applied Physics. More recently he completed a Masters in Educational Leadership at Nottingham University.

Friendly, chatty and very likeable, Paul is proud to be leading a school noted for its excellence across all areas by the ISI. He’s keen to build on that excellence and already has plans to increase opportunities for leadership among the students, and overhaul the student rewards systems. The school aims to develop essential skills in students such as tenacity, reflection, collaboration and kindness in pupils – and the new system rewards students who demonstrate these attributes.

Paul is passionate about education – for students and teachers – emphasising the importance of building on the skills of teachers with regular feedback coaching and development. He also points to the importance of creativity in science, technology, engineering, maths and sports. It’s not just limited to artistic subjects, he says.

Impressively he continues to teach GCSE and A Level physics – will teach particle physics to the Lower Sixth pupils. (It’s the bit I love, he says.) A 3rd dan in karate, he also has an interest in sports and teaches extra-curricular martial arts clubs.

Outside of school, he lives near Cranleigh with his wife and twin 11-year-old son and daughter.

Pupils at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

QUIRKS

The school is progressive in its thinking. Not a scrap of fustiness exists, and it embraces technology and all that it brings. Although the school still retains a traditional and homely feel. The Head of Boarding, Sylvie Bartlett-Rawlings, bakes chocolate brownies for the boarders. Quirky? Yeah, it is a little.

WRAP AROUND CARE

There’s a strong extra-curricular programme offering a good choice of activities from choir to adventure club, sports and charity fundraising.

ISI REPORT

The most recent ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) inspection was in April 2023 and school achieved ‘Excellent’ across all areas. You can read the full report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Pupils at The Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey

Phones are allowed – but in the Lower School pupils must hand them into the school reception during the school day. In the Upper School pupils may have their phones with them, but they’re not to use them. Sixth Form pupils can have their phone and use it.

TRANSPORT

Most pupils travel to and from school on the school busses. There are several routes which are updated termly according to pupil needs. The routes include Guildford, Farnham, Churt, Petworth, Bordon, Chiddingfold, Milford, Godalming, Shalford and Haslemere. Cost ranges from £50 to £480 per term depending on distance. A shuttle also runs to and from Haslemere Station to the school each morning and afternoon.

FEES

The 2024-25-day term fees are £4,990 for Year 6 and £7,345 for Years 7 to 13. Full boarding for Years 7 to 13 is £12,288 and weekly boarding is £10,805.

Fees include lunch for day pupils and all meals for boarders, most extra-curricular activities, a daily supervised homework club, and Microsoft Surface Go device for every pupil in Year 6 to Year 11 as part of the school’s Future Ready Strategy.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Families like the fact the school is small and friendly – and they’ve praised its good results despite being non-academically selective. Parents have said they like that The Royal School is a happy environment and not hot-housey. The small class sizes are also an attraction because each child receives a lot of attention. The school’s learning support has also been praised by parents. Teachers were said to be bright, intelligent and enthusiastic with a great rapport with the pupils. From what I saw of the teaching, I’d wholeheartedly agree.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: The Royal School is good for all-rounders, but those who like the arts will thrive here. The school is small and friendly, so it’s a good place for those looking for a home-from-home type environment.

Not for: While sport here is valued, this is probably not the place for children who have elite sport aspirations.

Dare to disagree? Book a tour and take a look for yourself. Book a place here.

The Royal School, Farnham Lane, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 1HQ. Tel: 01428 605805

royal-school.org

The Royal School, Haslemere

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