Rugby School Registration: Key Dates and Deadlines

Rugby School takes most of its pupils at 13+, into Year 9, but the registration timing depends on where your child is at school now. Pupils coming from a prep or primary school are assessed in Year 6, two and a half years before they start, while those at a secondary, grammar or independent school following the National Curriculum are assessed later, in Year 8. Knowing which route applies to your child, and registering in good time for it, is the single most important thing to get right. This guide explains when and how to register, and where it sits in Rugby's timeline.

When to register for Rugby School

Rugby's main entry point is 13+, when your child joins Year 9, but the assessment happens earlier than the entry year, and how much earlier depends on your child's current school. The key thing to understand is that registration needs to be in place well before the assessment, not before entry. For a child at a prep or primary school, that means registering during the early years of prep, because the assessment day falls in the Advent term of Year 6. For a child at a secondary, grammar or independent school following the National Curriculum, the assessment falls in the Lent term of Year 8, so there is a little more time, though registering early is still wise. Rugby is a popular school with a finite number of places, and registration cycles close: at the time of writing, registration for 2026 entry has closed, with families directed to contact the admissions office about the next available cycle. The lesson is simple. If Rugby is on your list, register as early as you reasonably can rather than waiting.

The two assessment routes

Rugby assesses children differently depending on the school they come from, and it is worth being clear which route applies to your child. Children applying from a prep or primary school are invited to the 13+ Day in the Advent term of Year 6, where the assessment is built around interviews, a collaborative group activity and short reasoning tests rather than formal subject papers. Children applying from a local secondary, grammar or independent school following the National Curriculum are invited to assessment sessions in the Lent term of Year 8, and they additionally sit tests in English, Maths, Science and a verbal reasoning test. Both routes lead to the same 13+ entry into Year 9, but they happen at different points and look different in their detail, so preparing for the wrong one is a real risk if you have not checked. Our guide to the Rugby assessment explains both in full.

How to register

Registration is handled by Rugby's admissions office, and it begins with completing and returning a registration form along with the registration fee of £250 plus VAT. This places your child on the list for assessment in the relevant year and route. If your child is offered and you accept a place, an acceptance fee of £2,500 is payable, of which £1,250 is credited back after your child completes the first term. As part of the process, Rugby also asks the candidate to complete a handwritten questionnaire about their interests and achievements, which the school uses as the basis for interview questions on the assessment day. It is worth letting your child's current school know early that Rugby is the goal, since a considered reference and a teacher who is expecting the request both help. The full cost picture is set out in our Rugby School fees guide.

Overseas applicants

Rugby welcomes applications from families based overseas, and the process has one additional step. Overseas applicants are asked to provide a UKiset report as early as possible in the application, and certainly before the closing date for applications, so the school can assess academic ability in a standardised way. Families whose normal residence is outside the United Kingdom are also asked for an additional deposit of one term's fees in advance. Beyond that, overseas candidates follow the same broad route to a 13+ place, and the boarding model suits an international application well, since your child boards full time regardless of where the family is based. Confirm the exact requirements and any visa-related arrangements directly with the admissions office, as these can change.

The full Rugby admissions timeline

For children applying from a secondary, grammar or independent school, the assessment falls in the Lent term of Year 8 instead, with the same broad sequence around it. Our full guide to getting into Rugby School walks through every stage in detail.

Common registration mistakes

The most common mistake is misjudging the timing because Rugby assesses earlier than the entry year, and for prep school children much earlier. A family treating 13+ as a Year 7 or Year 8 decision can find the prep school window in Year 6 has already gone. The second mistake is not checking which route applies, since a prep school child and a secondary school child face different assessments at different points. The third is leaving the current school unbriefed, when Rugby relies on a reference and a handwritten questionnaire that are far stronger when prepared with notice rather than at the last minute.