- Play Hard
- 29th Oct 2026
- 0
- 0 minute
RGS Newcastle open morning: life at our region’s ‘Best Value Independent School’
- Advertisement Feature
The RGS Newcastle open morning on Saturday 14th November is your chance to see what life’s really like at one of the North East’s oldest schools, and it’s one for the diary.
Every parent wants their child to do well, and of course results matter. But you’ll know as well as anyone that what really sets young people up for life is confidence, character, and the drive to go after what they want.
That’s exactly what the Royal Grammar School (RGS) Newcastle has been getting right for more than 500 years. From day one, pupils are encouraged to aim high, try new things, and back themselves. Pair that with strong academics and a packed calendar of opportunities beyond the classroom, and you’ve got a school where young people feel genuinely seen, supported and able to achieve their full potential.
It’s a pretty special combination; experience it for yourself during open morning.
THE TELEGRAPH NOD THAT’S GOT PARENTS TALKING
If you’re wondering whether all of this adds up, The Telegraph certainly thinks so. This autumn, it named RGS Newcastle Best Value Independent School for the Borders and Tyne region in The Best Value Private Schools in Every Region, announced in September 2026.
It’s not a one-off either. The paper had already rated RGS ‘Very Good’ value in its Best Value Private Schools Guide in both 2025 and 2026, so this latest recognition feels like a natural next step for a school that’s been quietly delivering for five centuries.
For North East families weighing up an independent school in Newcastle, that’s a reassuring stamp of approval. At RGS, value isn’t a price tag. It’s about preparing young people to enter the world as confident, capable and kind individuals.
IT ALL STARTS WITH FOUR SUPERPOWERS
The RGS journey begins in the Junior School, where childhood is celebrated rather than rushed. Children are encouraged to ask questions, get curious, and build real self-belief in a setting that feels nurturing from the off.
Everything is guided by the four RGS Superpowers: Able, Strong, Calm, and Kind. They’re simple, they’re memorable, and they give younger pupils a solid foundation to grow from. Honestly, we could all do with a bit more of that.
And it’s not just the older ones who get stuck in. Right from Junior School, children represent RGS on the sports pitch, take to the stage and play their part in the wider community, and those opportunities only grow as they move up.
By the time they reach the Senior School, the doors swing wide open, with academic societies to debate in, teams to captain, productions to star in and causes to champion. It’s all about trying things out and finding where their talents really lie.
Some find theirs straight away. Others surprise themselves.
THERE’S MORE TO SCHOOL THAN LESSONS
When pupils move up to the Senior School, school life opens up in every direction, and strong pastoral support sits right at the heart of it.
Beyond lessons, there’s a packed co-curricular programme and no shortage of ways to lead. Students can join the Combined Cadet Force, write and edit the student-led NOVO Magazine, and plan and run their own events, building real confidence along the way.
Add in trips across the UK and further afield, and there’s every chance to discover a new passion, make lifelong friends and step outside their comfort zone, all with the backing of staff who genuinely want them to flourish.
WHERE BIG AMBITIONS GET REAL BACKING
By Sixth Form, students join one of the largest and liveliest co-educational independent school Sixth Forms in the country. There are 30 A-Level options to choose from, including recently introduced Business Studies, Photography, and BTEC Sport & Exercise Science.
Add in dedicated university and careers guidance, plus more than 170 co-curricular opportunities, and students have everything they need to carve out their own path. For plenty of them, that support takes them somewhere they never expected.
Take Phoebe O from the Class of 2026, who achieved A* A* A and secured a place to study Law at the University of Cambridge.
“I’m most proud of getting a Cambridge offer; I really didn’t think I’d be capable of that.”
With encouragement from the Sixth Form team and dedicated UCAS support, she found the confidence to go for it.
Then there’s Joe O, also Class of 2026, who achieved A* A* A* A and is now studying Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey. He’s quick to credit the people around him.
“They always took the time to offer help and encouragement whenever I needed it, and their positivity made a real difference to my experience at Sixth Form.”
That’s the kind of backing that sticks with you.
THE RGS ALUMNI YOU MIGHT’VE HEARD OF
The RGS alumni community, known as the Old Novocastrians, is almost 10,000 strong, and it’s an impressive bunch. Former pupils have made their mark across business, sport, public service, the creative industries, science, and technology, and they continue to inspire the students coming up behind them.
There’s Kate Waugh, Team GB triathlete and RGS’s first female Olympian, and Jim Ryan, former President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Varun Chandra went on to become Senior Business Adviser at Number 10, while Leo Pearlman is the award-winning TV and film producer behind some of the world’s most successful productions.
The takeaway? There’s no single route to success. Whether your child dreams of becoming a doctor, engineer, entrepreneur, performer, lawyer, scientist, or athlete, RGS gives them the foundations, opportunities, and support to make it happen.
The path’s theirs to choose.
WHY LEARNING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER MATTERS
From Year 3 right through to Year 13, boys and girls learn side by side at RGS. It’s a deliberate choice, and one that helps young people build mutual respect, emotional intelligence, and the ability to work well with people from all sorts of backgrounds.
“Learning shoulder to shoulder with peers that our students will go on to work alongside as adults, RGS students hone the collaborative skills and self-belief that turn classroom experience into future leadership.”.
Headmaster Mr Stanford, Sixth Form Head Miss Enevoldson and Junior School Head Mr Miller
You can see it all over school life. In lessons, students challenge each other’s thinking and pick up a broader view of the world. In sports teams, drama productions, music ensembles, and leadership roles, they build the communication and teamwork skills that’ll serve them well at university and in the workplace.
Parents notice the difference too, often pointing to the confidence, maturity, and empathy their children develop. One RGS parent shared: “Watching both my son and daughter thrive at RGS has been incredibly rewarding. My daughter has grown more confident speaking up in mixed settings and express her ideas. My son, on the other hand, has developed stronger emotional intelligence and communication skills. This balanced environment has helped each of them grow in way that go far beyond academics.”
Families across the North East rightly expect choice, and RGS is proud to be Newcastle’s leading fully co-educational independent day school. For them, co-education isn’t just part of what they do. It’s at the heart of who they are.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF AT THE RGS NEWCASTLE OPEN MORNING
Saturday 14th November 2026 – 9:30am to 12:30pm
Nothing beats seeing a school in action, and the RGS Newcastle open morning is the ideal chance to do just that. You’ll be able to explore the school’s sites, chat to staff and students, and get a proper feel for how RGS supports young people from their earliest school years right through to university and beyond.
Pop it in the diary now.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
Subscribe
Subscribe now to receive our twice-weekly emails and exclusive offers for High Life North readers.