Rugby School 13+ entry guide

Are you thinking about applying to Rugby School for 13+ entry? Find out everything you need to know about the admissions process and how to prepare for the entrance exam.

Key information for Rugby School

• School type: co-educational independent school (day and boarding)
• Location: Rugby, Warwickshire
• Admissions contact: admissions@rugbyschool.net
• 13+ exam: the school's own entrance assessments in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries, including the Foundation Award and Continuation Award
• Scholarships: academic, art, computing, design and technology, performing arts, music and sport

Important dates for 2027 entry

• Tuesday 13 October 2026: 13+ Day open event
• Saturday 7 November 2026: 13+ Boarding open event
• Thursday 26 November 2026: Year 6 Assessment Day (day pupils)
• 7 or 9 October 2026: assessment dates for Year 7 boarding candidates
• Advent and Lent Term, Year 8: Scholarship assessments
• Saturday 30 January 2027: 13+ Boarding open event
• Check the school's website for confirmed dates specific to your child's entry route

How to apply to Rugby School

Rugby School is selective. This means your child will need to complete an entrance assessment to be eligible for a place.

The admissions route depends on whether you're applying for a day, boarding, or scholarship place:

• 13+ boarding: families can begin the process whenever suits them — some register and complete assessments and interviews in Year 6, with House allocation confirmed via a further interview in Year 7; others wait until Year 7, when assessments, interviews and House allocation happen together.
• 13+ day: families are invited to the 13+ Assessment Day in November of Year 6.
• 13+ scholarships: assessments take place in the Advent and Lent terms of Year 8, alongside access to means-tested bursaries and the Scholars' Programmes.

What will my child be tested on?

Rugby's own entrance assessments cover English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, alongside interviews and (for day candidates) a group activity.

Academic assessment

Candidates sit tests in English and Maths, plus Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. For day candidates, these are set for the November Assessment Day; boarding candidates are assessed in either Year 6 or Year 7 depending on their route.

Interviews and group activity

Candidates are interviewed by a senior member of staff (Year 6 and Year 7 candidates) and by a Housemaster or Housemistress (Year 7 candidates). Day candidates also take part in a group activity as part of their Assessment Day.

Scholarship assessments

Candidates applying for a Scholarship sit additional subject-specific assessments in the Advent and Lent terms of Year 8, across academic, art, computing, design and technology, performing arts, music and sport.

How are places decided?

Places at Rugby are based on:

• your child's performance in the entrance assessments (English, Maths, VR and NVR)
• their interviews with a senior member of staff and, where relevant, a Housemaster or Housemistress
• a reference from their current school
• for day candidates, performance in the group activity

Financial information

Rugby School is a fee paying school. Take a look at the school's fees page (linked from the school's admissions pages) for a full breakdown of fees for day and boarding pupils.

Financial assistance

When exploring independent schools for your child, scholarships and bursaries are worth considering. They can ease the pressure of school fees and open doors to opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach.

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded for a child's talent or achievement. Rugby offers awards across academic, art, computing, design and technology, performing arts, music and sport, plus the Foundation Award, which widens access to a Rugby School education for local children.

There is no fee remission attached to a scholarship itself, but scholarship holders can access means-tested bursary support of up to 100% of boarding or day fees, along with additional support through the school's Scholars' Programmes.

Visit Rugby School's scholarships page to see the scholarships available and how to apply.

For more information, read: Your guide to independent school scholarships.

Bursaries

Bursaries are means-tested awards (based on a family's financial situation) designed to make independent education more accessible. At Rugby, bursary support can cover up to 100% of boarding or day fees for those awarded a scholarship.

Families provide financial information to qualify, and awards are reassessed each year. Bursary applications must be submitted by the scholarship application deadline in the relevant year.

Visit Rugby School's Access to Financial Support page to find out what's available and how to apply.

For more information, read: Bursaries: a parents' guide.

Financial support for independent school fees is more available than most families realise.

This free guide is an honest look at how scholarships and bursaries work in practice: what they cover, how the timeline unfolds from Year 4 to Year 6 and how to approach admissions with confidence.

How can I help my child prepare for the test?

One of the hardest parts of exam preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.

A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.

Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.

Build smart exam technique

As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.

Atom's mock tests are exact replicas of real entrance exams. They're also unlimited — your child can take the same test repeatedly and see new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.

Atom's mock tests are automatically marked. You'll see your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.

Encourage regular reading

Strong reading skills play a big role in preparation for entrance exams.

Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.

Over time, regular reading will:

• broaden their vocabulary
• improve comprehension and inference
• build confidence in tackling unseen texts

And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.

Celebrate progress, not just scores

When you're supporting your child through exam preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.