Aysgarth School to join Rugby School Group
Aysgarth School and Rugby School are delighted to announce that Aysgarth School will join
Rugby School Group from 1 July 2025.
Aysgarth School is a co-educational day and boarding prep school in the North Yorkshire countryside, established in 1877, with 220 pupils aged between 3 and 13. Jonathon Anderson has been its Head since 2023.
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding secondary school in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, established in 1567, with 870 students. Gareth Parker-Jones has been Rugby’s Head Master since 2020.
The two schools have always enjoyed a strong relationship with many Aysgarth pupils joining Rugby for their secondary education. Like Rugby, Aysgarth is known for its excellent all-round education, its high-quality pastoral care, its superb provision of music and sport, and its commitment to full boarding (no weekly, or regular arrangements) for those who choose to board for Years 7 and 8.
Rugby’s rigorous recruitment process will be the same for Aysgarth pupils as it is for the pupils it welcomes from a diverse range of prep schools, including Bilton Grange; at the same time, Aysgarth will continue to prepare pupils and support parents who choose an alternative academic pathway into secondary school.
Aysgarth School will keep its name, identity and uniform, and its teaching and support staff, and leadership and management teams will remain in place.
Both schools are keen to work together to promote best practices in teaching and learning across the Rugby School Group and will be exploring opportunities for Aysgarth pupils to access Rugby’s resources, either through Aysgarth pupils visiting Rugby to enjoy its superb facilities or Rugby staff visiting Aysgarth.
Some such school mergers come about because of financial need and declining pupil numbers; this is not the case here. Both Rugby and Aysgarth are experiencing growing pupil rolls. The collaboration strengthens Rugby’s ability to provide the highest quality education across the Group while Aysgarth will maintain its unique identity and traditions.
Aysgarth will be the second prep school to become a member of Rugby School Group, joining Bilton Grange with which Rugby merged in 2020.
Other schools in the Rugby School Group are Rugby School Thailand which opened in 2017, Rugby School Japan which opened in 2023, and Rugby School Nigeria which opens for Year 12 students in September 2025 (and in September 2026 for Years 7 – 11).
March 2025