Bilton Grange is a preparatory school located in

Dunchurch Dunchurch is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Rugby, approximately south-west of central Rugby, Warwickshire, Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The civil parish, which also includes the nearby hamlet of Toft, Warwickshire, Toft, had ...

, near

Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, its population was 78,117, making it the List of Warwickshire towns by population, secon ...

. The present

headmaster A headmaster/headmistress, head teacher, head, school administrator, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. Role While s ...

is Gareth Jones. The mansion which forms the main school was built in 1846 attached to an existing farmhouse and was a private family home. It was designed by the eminent designer and architect Augustus Welby

Pugin Pugin most commonly refers to Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852), an English architect and designer. Members of his family include: * Augustus Charles Pugin Augustus Charles Pugin (born Auguste-Charles Pugin; 1762 – 19 Decem ...

for Captain Washington Hibbert, and is a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. The first pupils were brought to the house by The Reverend Walter Earle in 1887. The brewhouse was converted into the school

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

in 1889 and classrooms were added in 1892. The school formally amalgamated with the neighbouring Homefield Girls' School, with which it had long had a connection, in 1992 with Bilton Grange becoming co-educational and the Homefield School building becoming the Pre-Prep department for children aged 4 to 8. Bilton Grange has always been a boarding school but in more recent times has accommodated an increasing number of day children, many of whom take advantage of the opportunity to flexi board and become weekly or full boarders during their time at Bilton Grange. The school enjoys an estate of over 90 acres including several areas of woodland and a 9-hole

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

laid out in 1998. The designed the library and a staircase leading to the boarding house. The four Sections (Bilton's name for houses) are Cheadle, Westminster, Alton and Oxburgh. Bilton Grange is commonly recognised as the feeder to

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

although over half of each leaving yeargroup of 13-year-olds go on to other public schools such as

Uppingham School Uppingham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils 13–18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. ...

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school, boarding and day school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire ...

. In September 2019 the school announced that it was merging with Rugby School as one charity, but remaining a separate, autonomous school, with children still able to progress to a range of public schools.

Notable former pupils

Arthur Bliss Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qui ...

, composer *

Taio Cruz Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere (born 23 April 1980), known professionally as Jacob Taio Cruz ( ), is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Cruz was discovered in the mid-2000s by American record producer Tricky Stewart, joinin ...

, singer/songwriter * E J Dent, Cambridge professor of music * Thomas Dunlop, cricketer *

Rupert Evans Rupert Evans (born 9 March 1977) is a British actor. Early life Rupert Evans was born on March 9, 1977, in Staffordshire, England and was brought up on a farm in the same area. Evans was educated at Bilton Grange School, followed by Milton A ...

, actor *Sir

Ernest Gowers Sir Ernest Arthur Gowers (; 2 June 1880 – 16 April 1966) was a British civil servant and author who is best remembered for his book ''Plain Words,'' first published in 1948, and his revision of Henry Watson Fowler, Fowler's classic ''Modern En ...

, civil servant and author of

Plain Words ''The Complete Plain Words'', titled simply ''Plain Words'' in its 2014 revision, is a style guide written by Sir Ernest Gowers, published in 1954. It has never been out of print. It comprises expanded and revised versions of two pamphlets that ...

Miles Kington Miles Beresford Kington (13 May 1941 – 30 January 2008) was a British journalist, musician (a double bass player for Instant Sunshine and other groups) and broadcaster. He is also credited with the invention of Franglais, a fictional language ...

, jazz musician and writer * Sir Dermot Milman, 8th Baronet, rugby union international and first-class cricketer *

John Senior ''Major (Ret) John Wilson Senior, MBE, TD, DL'', mobilised on 27 December 2001, Senior was the first member of the British Territorial Army to be deployed on operational service to Afghanistan (post 11 September 2001). He is also the fo ...

MBE TD Dr(Hc), founder of Heroes Welcome UK *Sir

Nicholas Winterton Sir Nicholas Raymond Winterton (born 31 March 1938) is a retired United Kingdom, British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Macclesfield (UK Pa ...

, MP

References

{{Schools in Warwickshire Private schools in Warwickshire Educational institutions established in 1887 Grade II* listed buildings in Warwickshire * Boarding schools in Warwickshire 1887 establishments in England