Bilton Grange is a preparatory school located in Dunchurch, near

Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby w ...

. The present

headmaster A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, 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. In som ...

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 Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

for Captain Washington Hibbert, and is a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

. 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 is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

in 1889 and classrooms were added in 1892. The school formally amalgamated with the neighboroughing 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 tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

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 (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...

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 independent day and boarding school for pupils 13-18) in Uppingham, Rutland, England, founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, the Archdeacon of Leicester, who also established Oakham School. The headma ...

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

and

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been governed by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City ...

. 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 qu ...

, composer *

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

Rupert Evans Rupert Evans (born 9 March 1977) is a British actor. He is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in the Amazon series '' The Man in the High Castle'' and also in the CW's '' Charmed'' series. In 2021 Evans appeared in '' Bridge ...

, actor *Sir

Ernest Gowers Sir Ernest Arthur Gowers (2 June 1880 – 16 April 1966) is best remembered for his book ''Plain Words,'' first published in 1948, and his revision of Fowler's classic '' Modern English Usage''. Before making his name as an author, he had a long ...

, 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 t ...

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 Sir Dermot Lionel Kennedy Milman, 8th Baronet (24 October 1912 – 13 January 1990) was an English first-class cricketer and rugby union international, and the eighth of the Milman baronets of Levaton-in-Woodland in the County of Devon. Ear ...

, rugby union international and first-class cricketer *

John Senior Major (Ret) John Wilson Senior, MBE, TD, VR, 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 founder ...

MBE TD Dr(Hc), founder of

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*Sir Nicholas Winterton, MP

References

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