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Beaudesert Park School to join Rugby School Group

Beaudesert Park School, one of the country’s finest and most highly regarded prep schools, is set to join forces with the historic Rugby School Group from 1st July 2026.

Beaudesert Park is a co-educational day, flexi and weekly boarding prep school in the Gloucestershire countryside with 350 pupils aged between 3 and 13, established in 1908. Chris Searson has been its Headmaster since 2018.

Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding secondary school in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, established in 1567, with 890 students. Gareth Parker-Jones has been Rugby’s Head Master since 2020.

The values and cultures of the two schools align closely, including their focus on developing the whole child. Like Rugby School, Beaudesert is known for its excellent all-round, aspirational education and high-quality pastoral care, its emphasis on the building of character and values, and its enthusiasm for sport and the value of outdoor spaces for its pupils. This merger brings the strength and shared expertise of working together, while allowing Beaudesert to maintain its distinctive identity and preserve its autonomy.

The merger will see Rugby School Group making a seven-figure investment in Beaudesert’s site, facilities and infrastructure. Children will benefit from a range of new opportunities both in their academic studies and co-curricular pursuits.

Chris Searson, Headmaster of Beaudesert Park School, said: 'I am excited by all that this partnership with Rugby will bring to children, staff and families at Beaudesert, offering further strength and confidence as we look forward to a very bright future, and allowing Beaudesert to preserve everything that makes us such a special school for our whole community. I am delighted that Rugby shares our values and supports our ethos and purposes.'

Gareth Parker-Jones, Head Master of Rugby School, said: 'Our vision for the Rugby School Group is to support a small number of exceptional prep schools that share our goals, not to centralise. This merger with Beaudesert is a clear endorsement of our confidence in its academic, pastoral and cultural strengths. We look forward to welcoming it to the Group.'

Both schools are keen to work together to promote best practices in teaching and learning. Beaudesert pupils, who go on to many of the country’s very best senior schools, will have opportunities to enjoy Rugby’s superb facilities; Rugby staff will visit Beaudesert to share expertise in a range of subjects, including academic projects, sports coaching from former professional and international players, and in the creative and performing arts. All the schools in Rugby School Group benefit from intellectual and cultural enrichment by working with each other at all levels.

Beaudesert Park School will be the fourth prep school to become a member of the Rugby School Group, joining Bilton Grange, Aysgarth School, and Old Buckenham Hall.

Overseas schools in the Rugby School Group are Rugby School Thailand which opened in 2017; Rugby School Japan which opened in 2023; and Rugby School Nigeria which opened for Year 12 students in September 2025. Rugby School Dubai and Rugby School Hanoi will open in September 2026.

March 2026