Welcome from the Headmaster

Welcome to The Royal School

Everything we do, every single day, prepares our pupils for the future.

Headmaster

A very warm welcome to The Royal School and thank you for taking the time to visit our website. Choosing a school for your child is one of the most fundamentally important decisions we, as parents, can make. As you discover more about our school through our website, I hope that you will gain an insight into our ethos and what makes it unique.

It is my privilege to share with you our vision for education and what we think truly matters. As headmaster, I believe firmly that everything we do, every single day, prepares our pupils for the future. Our pupils leave us grounded, knowing what it means to be a good human being, not fearing the unknown, and, ultimately, prepared to live a life that is fulfilled. Our school is a happy school. You will find it a place of laughter and learning where strong and positive personal relationships abound, and life-long friendships are made. Our size ensures that every member of staff, be they teacher or support staff, knows and cares for every pupil, and this is a source of great pride to us.

Our school motto ‘Per Aspera Ad Astra’ is as valuable to our community today as it was in 1840, when our school was founded. Our modern interpretation of our motto – ‘Through challenge to the Stars’ - inspires our pupils to free their minds and to look forward to their future with a sense of purpose and hope. Our pupils are considerate of others, ambitious for themselves and their friends, confident and strong in character; they embrace challenge for what it is and set high value on hard work and being kind.

In all that we do in the classroom, on the sports field, in the drama studios and music halls through our large array of clubs and societies, we strive to ensure that our pupils are intellectually, emotionally and practically ready for their journey after school, whichever path they may take. We feel privileged to play our part in helping to shape their dreams and develop their characters, such that they are empowered to make a positive difference to our world.

Set in the Surrey Hills in an area of outstanding natural beauty, our secure campus provides a calm inspiring setting where our pupils benefit from all that nature has to offer. We are a small co-educational day and boarding school for children aged 9 – 18. Our pupils benefit from small classes and we tailor our education to meet their individual needs. Twenty-five percent of our pupils board and we encourage day pupils to take advantage of our family-friendly (flexi) boarding as we see the value in this for developing their independence, whilst also helping busy working parents. Our Sixth Form students are encouraged to spend some time during their time with us boarding and our Future Ready programme ensures they are equipped with the life skills needed for a successful transition to university.

We are honoured to have HRH The Princess Royal as our President and hold our close connection to the Royal Family and our history with great affection. We are proud to celebrate our pupils’ achievements be they outstanding examination results, excellence on the sports field, in our performing arts studios, or in the contribution they make to our community and society, or simply doing the things they love.

I am a firm believer that choosing a school is rather like buying a house: you have to see it, touch it, and hear it to imagine yourself living in it. I would encourage you to visit us, meet the staff and, more importantly, our pupils, so that you can imagine for yourself your own son or daughter being part of our unique community.

Mr Matthew Close BA, MSc

Headmaster​ of The Royal School