Rugby High School is Rugby's girls' grammar school, with 150 places in Year 7 for 2027-28 entry. Like the other Warwickshire schools it uses the shared West Midlands entrance test and sets its qualifying score after the test rather than before.
The numbers
| What | Rugby High School |
|---|---|
| Places in Year 7 | 150, for 2027-28 entry |
| Intake | Girls |
| Town | Rugby, Warwickshire |
| Entrance test | The shared West Midlands partnership test |
| Qualifying score | Set after the test by the Committee of Reference |
| Priority area | The eastern area circle, drawn from the Rugby Water Tower |
From Rugby High School. The school states that admissions are based on a process of selection having regard to children's academic ability.
Nobody can tell you the pass mark, and that is by design
Warwickshire does not publish a qualifying score in advance. A Committee of Reference sets two figures for each school, for each year of entry, after the test has been sat:
- the Automatic Qualifying Score, which puts a child in line for a place, and
- a lower Required Minimum Academic Standard, which governs the waiting list.
The Committee considers the aptitude of that year's cohort, the oversubscription categories and the number of places available, and allocates in line with the published admission number where it judges those children comparable to cohorts previously admitted.
So there is no target to prepare against. And the second figure is genuinely good news: a child below the AQS is not finished, because the lower standard governs the waiting list.
The eastern priority circle
Warwickshire draws area circles rather than per-school radii, and the eastern one is measured from the Rugby Water Tower with a radius of 10.004 miles, covering Rugby and its surrounding villages. A smaller area sits inside it.
That precision is deliberate and it is why eyeballing a map is useless. Confirm a specific address with Warwickshire School Admissions before you plan around it.
Rugby's pair
Rugby has two grammar schools, and they work as a pair in the same way Birmingham's do: Rugby High for girls, Lawrence Sheriff for boys, both with 150 places, both inside the same eastern priority circle.
If you have a son and a daughter, that is a tidier arrangement than it looks, because one address and one test cover both. See our guide to Lawrence Sheriff School.
From Birmingham
Roughly 35 miles, and not a realistic daily journey for most Birmingham families. I would not add it to a shortlist on the strength of a score alone.
Where it earns its place is if you are near Rugby or Coventry already, or are relocating into the county with a choice of where to land. See our guide to relocating, whose order of operations applies just as well here.
See where your child stands today
Timed sections in the GL Assessment format, marked instantly, with a topic-by-topic breakdown. No sign-up to start.
Check the circle, do not estimate it
The thing that decides most Warwickshire applications is the priority circle, and it is drawn with a precision that makes guessing pointless. Ten point zero zero four miles from a water tower is not a boundary anyone can judge by eye.
Catchment is where most of the confusion sits generally, and families routinely overlook the guidelines and the mapping, or never learn how to read them. Here it is worse, because the circles are county-wide areas rather than something drawn around the school you are looking at.
So make the phone call to Warwickshire Admissions and get a yes or no on your actual address. It takes five minutes and it is the difference between a realistic preference and a wasted one.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
How many places does Rugby High School have?
150 places in Year 7 for 2027-28 entry. It is a girls' grammar school in Rugby, Warwickshire, and the admission number is published in its determined admissions policy and reviewed annually.
What is Rugby High School's catchment area?
Warwickshire uses area priority circles rather than per-school radii. The eastern area circle is drawn from the Rugby Water Tower with a radius of 10.004 miles, covering Rugby and its surrounding villages, with a smaller area contained inside it.
What score does Rugby High School require?
It is not published in advance. A Committee of Reference sets the Automatic Qualifying Score and a lower Required Minimum Academic Standard for the waiting list after the test, taking account of that year's cohort, the oversubscription categories and the number of places.
Do Rugby High School and Lawrence Sheriff work as a pair?
Effectively, yes. Rugby High admits girls and Lawrence Sheriff admits boys, both with 150 Year 7 places and both inside the same eastern priority circle, so one address and one entrance test cover both for a family with a son and a daughter.
Can a Birmingham family apply to Rugby High School?
They can, since the same entrance test covers it, but Rugby is roughly 35 miles from Birmingham and is not a realistic daily journey for most families. It suits those already near Rugby or Coventry, or relocating into the county.