Co-educational School Of The Year : Rugby School


Rugby School’s mantra is Whole Person Whole Point.

A school’s claim to look after the ‘whole person’ is not a unique one but Rugby is uniquely placed to do so.

200 years ago, our most famous head master, Thomas Arnold, recognised the importance of looking after students’ bodies and minds, as well as challenging their academic brain. His was the quantum model we follow to this day, where all facets of life form part of an indivisible whole.

We are a true 24/7 boarding and day school with a team of dedicated teachers who live on campus, who take the time to get to really ‘know’ our children. They teach, they tutor, they coach and they share every meal time. They look for that ‘something’, that spark which makes each individual come alive.

An incredible co-curricular programme with more than 200 activities, ranging from choir to computing, enables our children to discover what they like, try something new – surprise themselves.

Our sporting ethos is ‘no-one on the bench’. That means the same excellent coaching from our professionals whether you’re in the A team or the F team. Everyone gets to play in fixtures, no matter that in reality, it means organising 19 netball teams, 16 for hockey and 17 for rugby – all on a weekly basis.

In drama, a first ever, we took not one but two shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. The experience was opened up for audition to all, whatever your drama background. Our Artistic Director, Tim Coker, said: “20 nervous kids walked on stage for the first time at the Fringe and they left that theatre two hours later walking like giants.”

In Music, we teach 523 instrumental lessons every week. From the pupil nervously starting out at Grade 1 to the girl who is the current BBC Radio 2 Young Chorister of the Year, our passionate music teachers believe anything is possible.

Importantly, our ethos is not just for the students. Staff, both teaching and non-teaching, are supported to achieve their own potential. The inspiring Graydin Coaching courses are extended to everyone, this year’s Crick Run saw a record number of staff running alongside students and our 450th Community Day celebrations last year included every member of staff.

This entry offers just a few examples of Whole Person Whole Point in action at Rugby.

But there is one final, important element. While the Whole Point is the Whole Person, resilience is essential to keep the experience together.

The invisible seal around the indivisible whole is teaching every student to weather the knocks and the set backs which are an inevitable part of life. Rugby children are not afraid to fail. They are taught how to recover, to move on and make the very best of the skills they have.

As our Head Master, Peter Green says, ‘towards the end of a wonderful dinner, and it’s time for pudding or cheese, no need to choose – always go for both.

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2024 Awards Timeline

Nominations
open

March

Nominations
close

4thJune

Commended
announced

3rdJuly

Finalists
announced

9thSeptember

Judges
meet

September

Awards
ceremony

October