A selective girls grammar school in Rugby, Warwickshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 929 pupils on roll.
Rugby High School
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At a glance
Rugby High School is a selective girls' grammar school for ages 11 to 18 in Warwickshire, with a co-educational sixth form. The school is smaller than many grammar schools, with about 929 pupils, and it often returns to ambitious, creative and independent learning. The sixth form, RH6, uses the phrase "set heights in our heart", which captures the school's tone: academic expectation, but with a strong emphasis on students becoming confident enough to take on challenge.
The curriculum evidence available on the school site is strongest at subject level. History is presented as a way to understand the present through the past and build judgement; drama combines practical, design and theoretical work from Key Stage 3 through A level; music stresses practical performance, composition and access to lessons, choirs, ensembles and regular performance. The Ofsted report also notes a challenging curriculum, two languages including Latin at Key Stage 3, a wide academic range in Year 10 and an extensive sixth-form offer.
School life has a visible arts and enrichment thread. Drama offers theatre visits, clubs, practitioner workshops and an annual production; music includes co-curricular music and performance opportunities; and Duke of Edinburgh is presented as a route into interests, skills and independence. RH6 adds A-level taster sessions, greater independence and preparation for future study or work, with students normally needing a strong GCSE profile to enter.
Year 7 admission is through the Warwickshire 11+ route, with 150 places. The test uses two GL Assessment multiple-choice papers covering English comprehension, verbal reasoning, mathematics and non-verbal or spatial reasoning, with age-standardised scores. The oversubscription order includes looked-after children, reserved Pupil Premium and Service Premium places, children of staff, Eastern Area applicants and the Priority Circle before wider allocation. Official benchmarks record Ofsted Good, +0.66 Progress 8, 98.3% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 27% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Warwickshire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Warwickshire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Warwickshire and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 929 pupils; 925 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 41.9% | White | 389 |
| Indian | 24.4% | Asian | 227 |
| Any other White background | 6% | White | 56 |
| African | 5.7% | Black | 53 |
| Any other Asian background | 5.2% | Asian | 48 |
| Pakistani | 3.7% | Asian | 34 |
| Chinese | 3.6% | Asian | 33 |
| White and Asian | 3% | Mixed | 28 |
| Any other mixed background | 1.8% | Mixed | 17 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.1% | Other | 10 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1% | Mixed | 9 |
| Any other Black background | 0.8% | Black | 7 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.6% | Asian | 6 |
| Unclassified | 0.4% | Unclassified | 4 |
| White and Black African | 0.4% | Mixed | 4 |
| Irish | 0.3% | White | 3 |
| Caribbean | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
Selection is tied to Warwickshire priority geography, including the Eastern Area and a priority circle, with distance used to split otherwise equal criteria.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Highest priority goes to looked after and previously looked after children who meet the academic standard.
Reserved pupil premium and service premium places
The policy reserves up to 30 pupil premium places and up to 5 service premium places for eligible applicants in the Eastern Area or Priority Circle, including the lower score band described in the policy.
Children of staff
Children of staff who meet the academic qualifying score are considered in the published priority order.
Eastern Area applicants
Applicants living in the Eastern Area of Warwickshire who meet the academic qualifying score are prioritised before the wider qualified field.
Priority Circle applicants
Applicants living within the 10.004-mile Priority Circle who meet the academic qualifying score are considered after the Eastern Area criterion.
Unused reserved places
If reserved pupil premium or service premium places are not filled from the priority areas, the policy allows them to pass to eligible out-of-catchment applicants.
The Warwickshire 11+ route uses two GL Assessment multiple-choice papers covering English comprehension, verbal reasoning, mathematics and non-verbal or spatial reasoning. Scores are age-standardised before ranking.
Shared exam route
Rugby High School uses the shared West Midlands route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all West Midlands practice papersPaper 1
English, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Maths
Paper 1
One of two 11+ papers covering verbal ability, English comprehension, numerical ability and non-verbal ability.
Paper 2
English, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Maths
Paper 2
The second paper covers the same weighted skill areas used for the standardised score.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
One of two 11+ papers covering verbal ability, English comprehension, numerical ability and non-verbal ability.
Non-verbal reasoning
One of two 11+ papers covering verbal ability, English comprehension, numerical ability and non-verbal ability.
Science
Registration opens
7 May 2026
PastRegistration closes
30 June 2026, 4pm
Main 11+ test sessions
12 and 13 September 2026
Results
16 October 2026
Common application form deadline
31 October 2026
Address evidence deadline
31 December 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Read the admissions policy and 11+ guidance
Check the published Warwickshire rules, academic standard, and priority-area requirements before you register.
Open admissionsRegister for the Warwickshire 11+ test
Registration opens on 7 May 2026 and closes at 4pm on 30 June 2026.
Open 11+ guidanceAttend the test session
Main test sessions are on 12 and 13 September 2026, with a supplementary session on 19 September 2026 if allocated.
View test datesSubmit your CAF
List Rugby High School on your CAF by 31 October 2026 after results are issued in October.
Open admissionsSend any required residency evidence
If you are relying on a priority-area address, follow the policy's residency evidence deadlines, including the 31 December 2026 deadline for relevant applications.
Open policyLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 78.1 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 76.6 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 73.9 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 74.9 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (41.7 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B+ average (41.9 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (39.7 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B average (40.3 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 98% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 97% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 97% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 16 November 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Warwickshire area and similar girls' selective route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Grammar Schools in Warwickshire
Compare 5 Warwickshire grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, West Midlands route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Rugby High School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the admissions policy and 11+ guidance: Check the published Warwickshire rules, academic standard, and priority-area requirements before you register. 2. Register for the Warwickshire 11+ test: Registration opens on 7 May 2026 and closes at 4pm on 30 June 2026. 3. Attend the test session: Main test sessions are on 12 and 13 September 2026, with a supplementary session on 19 September 2026 if allocated. 4. Submit your CAF: List Rugby High School on your CAF by 31 October 2026 after results are issued in October. 5. Send any required residency evidence: If you are relying on a priority-area address, follow the policy's residency evidence deadlines, including the 31 December 2026 deadline for relevant applications.
Registration opens: 7 May 2026. Registration closes: 30 June 2026, 4pm. Main 11+ test sessions: 12 and 13 September 2026. Results: 16 October 2026. Common application form deadline: 31 October 2026. Address evidence deadline: 31 December 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Rugby High School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 16 November 2022.