| Established | 1758 |
|---|---|
| Type | voluntary aided boarding and day comprehensive school |
| Headteacher | Mr Paul Spencer Ellis |
| Founder | Rev. Dr. Edward Pickard |
| Specialism | Sports College, Maths and Computing, Lead School for Gifted and Talented |
| Location | Rocky Lane Reigate Surrey RH2 0TD England |
| Local authority | Surrey |
| DfE URN | 125279 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 820 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 7–18 |
| Website | www.raa-school.co.uk |
The Royal Alexandra and Albert School is a co-educational, comprehensive, state maintained boarding school located in Reigate, Surrey. The current, full-time headmaster is Mr. Paul Spencer Ellis. The Royal Alexandra and Albert School Act, of 1949, united The Royal Alexandra School, which was founded in 1758, and The Royal Albert orphan School, which was founded in 1864 as a national memorial to Prince Albert.
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The earliest link in the school's history goes back to the Orphan Working School which was founded in 1758 by fourteen men meeting in an Inn[1] led by the Rev. Dr. Edward Pickard.[2] The school expanded under the secretaryship of Joseph Soul in Hampstead. It continued to expand and it opened a linked convalescent home in Margate.[3]
The other part of the school was known as the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum, being named in memory of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. It was situated in Camberley, just outside Bagshot's boundary, and was opened in 1864. The second school was intended for children between the age of five and eight and was founded by the Orphan Working School with Joseph Soul as the first honorary secretary.[1] In 1867 Queen Victoria planted a Wellingtonia Gigantica tree during an "Inauguration Ceremony" for the school. A "stone" at the site was engraved VIR 1867 and is mistakenly thought by some to be the foundation stone of the building. The Wellingtonia survives to this day. After the school left, the site was for a while used as the WRAC College. As well as learning, the boys at the school were required to work: for example on the farm, in the gardens, in a tailor's shop and in a cobbler's workshop.
The school's grounds, Gatton Park were previously owned by Sir Jeremiah Colman of Colman's mustard and were extensively landscaped by celebrated 18th century landscape gardener Capability Brown.