The school moved to the present site in the upper High Street after the granting of a royal charter from Edward VI in 1552.

Funds were eventually raised, however, which allowed the school to remain open, although boarding was no longer offered.

[7] Fee paying continued until the school adopted voluntary controlled status under the Education Act 1944; thereafter tuition was free and the common entrance examination at 11 was introduced.

[8] During December 1962 the historic Old Building caught fire, damaging a large part of it, including the two oldest rooms in the school.

[13] The school partakes in a number of sporting activities, and has enjoyed some success, including finishing within the top two in the Daily Mail Cup twice.

In his will he requested that the parishioners of St Olave's Church, Southwark, should obtain a licence to endow a chantry priest to say masses for his soul.

If they failed to do this within two years of his death, his executors had discretion either to use the property to 'make a free scole at the Towne of Guldford' or to put the income to some other good charitable use.

With the rents, they were to provide a free grammar school in Guildford with a 'sufficient schoolmaster',[10] to teach thirty "of the poorest-men's sons" to read and write English and cast accounts perfectly, so that they would be fit to become apprentices.

[3] Over the coming years the school ran into financial difficulty and so "The Mayor and Approved Men" of Guildford petitioned Edward VI to grant them further endowments for maintenance.

In 1597, Derrick made a legal deposition that contains the earliest definite reference to cricket being played anywhere in the world.

[19] This land, said Derrick, he had known for fifty years past and:[20] Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford, hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies.John Derrick was then aged 59 and his testimony confirms that cricket was being played by children in Surrey c.1550 and it is perhaps significant that cricket is the only one of the "plaies" referred to by name.

[20] The death of John Parkhurst, the Bishop of Norwich, in 1575 resulted in the founding of the school's chained library.

These continued to such an extent that the mayor was forced to complain to the Lord High Treasurer, William Cecil, who summoned the executors to London.

Upon a hearing with the executors, the Lord Treasurer referred them to Sir Walter Mildmay who was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time.

This continued until the school obtained letters from Her Majesty's Privy Council requiring the books be delivered.

The Bishop of Winchester approved the statutes on 16 September 1608, and they constituted a major change in the way the school was run.

per quarter for the provision of "rods and brooms", with an additional shilling due on the feast of St. Michael, which was used to pay for "clean, wax candles".

[24][25] The scholar was to be a son of a freeman of the town of Guildford who "should have read some Greek author" and "be well instructed and knowing in the Latin tongue".

The grounds surrounding the house were purchased in 1914 by HA Powell and donated to the school as playing fields.

[7] Several years later under the Education Act 1944 the school adopted voluntary controlled status; tuition was therefore free and entrance was to be by common examination at the age of eleven.

[10] More recently in 2003 construction finished on a new Sports Centre with Fitness Suite and All Weather Training Area with Shooting Range.

A spokesperson from RGS said the school had to abide by the rules of the country in which it operates, but many pupils, staff and members of the public have voiced their concern online.

[40] October 2016 saw the opening of the John Brown building which was built replacing Trevone House for the Classics, Economics, History and Politics departments as well as for Design Technology.

[43] In 2023 school teachers chose to strike, not attending lessons, in response to proposed moves to force lower-yielding pension options, or be subject to 'fire and rehire' plans.

The Senior Housemaster (Karim Tayar) believed the concept of having a 'cock of the school' was contradictory to RGS's ethos of respect, teamwork, and fun.

The sports of badminton, cross country running, fencing, football, golf, judo, rowing, sailing, swimming, target shooting and tennis are available, the list varies by year and term.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme is 'Hors Combat' for choice, being available to all students, regardless of their other options, so no longer officially constitutes part of period 8.

All those wishing to be admitted now take the school's own internal 11+ entrance examination which tests English, mathematics and verbal reasoning and attend an interview with two members of staff.

[15] The post of headmaster (schoolmaster or just master as it was originally known) was created following the grant of the Royal Charter in 1552, with the first appointment made in 1554.

[67] Until the re-organisation of the school in 1888 the post was almost exclusively filled by men from a religious background, with the first headmaster being Sir Lawson, a friar from the monastery in Guildford that was dissolved in 1538.