A Tradition of Community: 350 Years in the Making
One of the qualities that has always defined Reigate Grammar School is its sense of community. Not merely as a collection of students and staff sharing a building, but as a genuine family of Reigations, bound together by shared values, mutual respect and a common commitment to the very best that education can offer.
At RGS Istanbul, we will carry that tradition of community into one of the world’s most naturally cosmopolitan cities. Our school will bring together students and families from dozens of nationalities, cultures and languages, and will do so within the framework of values that have guided RGS since 1675: integrity, respect, curiosity, and kindness.
“Istanbul has been a meeting place of civilisations for millennia. RGS has been building communities for 350 years. At RGS Istanbul, those two great traditions will come together.”
A School That Reflects the World
Once we are open, you will be able to walk through the corridors of RGS Istanbul on any given day and hear conversations in English, Turkish, Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian and more. Our students will come from across Istanbul and from families with roots in every corner of the globe. This diversity is not incidental, it is one of the great educational assets of a genuinely international school.
RGS tradition has always understood that education is about more than the acquisition of knowledge. It is about the formation of character. And character is formed, in large part, through encounter, through meeting people whose perspectives and experiences differ from your own, and learning to engage with them with curiosity, empathy, and respect.
What the Reigate Grammar School Values Look Like in a Multicultural Setting
The values that have guided the Reigate Grammar School for 350 years, intellectual honesty, personal integrity, service to others and genuine care for the people around you, are, we believe, universal. They transcend nationality, culture and language. They are the values that make diverse communities genuinely inclusive rather than merely diverse in name.
At RGS Istanbul, these values will not be posted on a wall, or recited in assembly. They will be lived, in the way our teachers engage with students, in the way our students engage with one another, and in the way our school community engages with the extraordinary city of Istanbul that surrounds it.
Celebrating Diversity Through the RGS Lens
We will actively celebrate the cultural richness of our community throughout the school year, with events, festivals and traditions that honour the many cultures represented in our school family. At the same time, we will hold fast to the RGS identity, the common thread of values and educational philosophy that has connected every RGS generation since 1675, and that will give our students a shared sense of belonging regardless of where they come from.
Come and experience the RGS community in Istanbul. Contact us to arrange a visit.
