OBH TO JOIN RUGBY SCHOOL GROUP
22 September 2025
OLD BUCKENHAM HALL SCHOOL TO JOIN RUGBY SCHOOL GROUP
Old Buckenham Hall School, Suffolk’s leading boarding prep school, is set to join forces with the historic Rugby School Group from 5 January 2026.
Old Buckenham Hall (OBH) is a co-educational day and boarding prep school in the Suffolk countryside, established in 1862, with 220 pupils aged between 3 and 13. James Large has been its Headmaster since 2023.
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding senior 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 two schools have always enjoyed a strong relationship, with many OBH pupils joining Rugby for their senior school. Like Rugby, OBH is known for its excellent all-round 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.
The merger will see Rugby School Group making a seven-figure investment in OBH’s site, facilities and infrastructure. Pupils will benefit from a range of new opportunities both in their academic studies and co-curricular pursuits.
James Large, Headmaster of Old Buckenham Hall School, said: ‘First and foremost, this partnership will enable OBH to enhance the education we offer to our pupils. Rugby shares our values and ambitions, and respects our identity and the strong relationship we have with our community. We are delighted by the opportunities the merger represents for our children.’
Both schools are keen to work together to promote best practices in teaching and learning. OBH pupils, who go on to many of the country’s most prestigious senior schools, will visit Rugby to enjoy its superb facilities; Rugby staff will visit OBH to share expertise in a range of subjects, including academic projects, sports coaching from former professional players (including former England rugby captain, Dylan Hartley), and a range of collaborations 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.
Gareth Parker-Jones, Head Master of Rugby School, said: ‘In growing the Rugby School Group, our goal is not to centralise, but to support a small number of outstanding prep schools in the UK that share our goals. The merger with OBH – the pre-eminent prep school in East Anglia - is a vote of confidence in everything that the school represents - academically, pastorally and culturally - and we look forward to welcoming it into the Group.’
Old Buckenham Hall School will be the third prep school to become a member of Rugby School Group, joining Bilton Grange, with which Rugby merged in 2020, and Aysgarth School, with which Rugby merged in 2025.
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 (and which will welcome students in Years 7 – 11 in September 2026).