The Royal Grammar School (RGS) in Jesmond is promising to relaunch its bursary scheme in the new year after being named North East Independent Secondary School of the Year in The Sunday Times School Guide 2018.

As well as this regional accolade, the school retained its national ranking of 62^nd, after its students recorded an increase in A*/A grades at GCSE level from 81.9% in 2016 to 83.8% in 2017.

The Sunday Times poll was conducted in conjunction with Parent Power and looks at both academic and extracurricular achievements.

Headmaster John Fern, who joined the school this academic year, says the whole school community deserves recognition. “It is particularly pleasing to see the breadth of opportunities at the school acknowledged and not just our excellent exam results,” he said.

Fern told JesmondLocal that what makes the school special is the combination of committed staff and enthusiastic pupils. “The first thing that strikes you when you come here is just the warmth and welcoming nature of the school.”

Despite winning the accolade Jo Macleod, marketing and communications manager, told JesmondLocal that the school fees – currently £12,657 per annum in the senior school – would remain the same and rise only with inflation, in order to make the school “as inclusive as possible for everyone”.

Recognising that not everyone has the means to pay such fees, the school is planning to widen its bursary scheme next year. According to Macleod, there are around 80 students currently on bursaries.