Nursery Education . Primary Education . Secondary Education . Independent Schools

Choosing a School

Changing schools is a difficult time for parents as well as children.  Research has shown that concern about disruption to children’s education is a source of great stress to relocating families. However, being aware of the options and procedures in your new area will help you to make informed choices about your child’s education.

There are four different types of school in the area: Community schools, where the Local Education Authority (LEA) is responsible for admissions; Voluntary Controlled schools, where the LEA is responsible for admissions but responsibility for management is shared between the LEA and the church; Voluntary Aided schools, where the church, through the schools governors, is responsible for admissions; and Foundation Schools, which are maintained by the LEA but the school governors are responsible for admissions. Voluntary Aided and Foundation schools tend to use different admissions criteria from those used by the LEA.

Local Authority Schools

Warwickshire County Education Department provides a full range of educational provision for children aged from three to 18 years with ample scope for parental choice.  Parents should approach the Head teacher of the primary school of their choice and, in the case of secondary schools, complete the preference forms supplied during the child’s final primary year.  Head teachers  can provide a prospectus with details of the curriculum, course choice and examination results. Performance tables can be accessed via the LEA, or for national statistics see the DfES website. For administrative reasons, Warwickshire County Council Education Department divides the county into four areas; Central (including Leamington, Kenilworth, Warwick, Stoneleigh areas), Southern (including Alcester and Henley-in-Arden), Eastern (including Rugby) and Nuneaton, Bedworth & Northern Area.

Nursery Education

As a result of government policy, councils have developed an Early Years Plan which should ensure that all four year olds will be eligible for five free sessions of nursery education each week during term time. This may be in local authority nursery schools and classes, private nursery schools or the voluntary sector. The government has also committed to the provision of increasing numbers of  extra nursery places for three year olds.

Nursery education is provided for three to four/five year olds by the education authorities through nursery schools and associated nursery classes in a number of primary schools. Provision is mostly part-time and varies from area to area. Head teachers have considerable autonomy. To obtain current policy on free nursery education you should contact the relevant education offices.

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Primary Education

In Warwickshire children start primary school in the September of the school year in which they reach the age of five. In all areas children go to primary schools from 4 - 11, or to infant (4 - 7) and junior (7-11) schools. In Warwickshire, children whose parents wish them to go to a selective secondary school take the selection tests in their final primary year (at 10+) and need to register their intention to take the tests by 30 September of the childs year 6.

Secondary Education

Secondary schools in Warwickshire are predominantly co-educational comprehensives but there are also single sex and selective grammar schools.  Entry to selective schools is based on selection tests taken in the child’s final primary year at 10+. In Rugby there are two selective schools, Lawrence Sheriff school for boys and Rugby High School for girls, and a bilateral school, Ashlawn School, with a selective form. In Southern Warwickshire there are three selective schools, King Edward IV school for boys, Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar school for girls, both in Stratford, and the co-educational Alcester Grammar School. You may apply for your child to be considered for a selective place even if you live outside these areas.
 
All secondary schools prepare pupils for GCSE examinations at about the age of 16 and many have their own sixth forms.  In the Central area which covers Warwick and Leamington Spa, all secondary schools have their own sixth forms.  There are Sixth Form Colleges in Rugby and Nuneaton and further education colleges at Leamington Spa, Stratford, Rugby and Nuneaton for those who prefer that option.

Independent Schools

There are several independent fee-paying schools in Warwickshire.  These include Kings High School for Girls  and Warwick School (for boys) which are in Warwick itself.  Warwick School has an associated prep school.  The Kingsley School is an independent girls’ school in Leamington Spa.  In the wider area, both day pupils and boarders are catered for, some schools have church affiliations and others accept pupils of all denominations/religions. Famous schools such as Rugby, Shrewsbury and Malvern Girls’ College are within easy reach.

The Independent Schools Council information service (ISCis) will provide further details and they also publish a Schools Handbook which lists the schools in the area and gives information on status, fees and entrance arrangements.

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