Nursery Education
Primary Education
Secondary Education
Independent Schools

There are four different types of school in the area.  In Community schools, the Local Education Authority (LEA) is responsible for admissions.  In Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools, the LEA is responsible for admissions but responsibility for management is shared between the LEA and the church.  If both these types of school are oversubscribed, then allocation of places will be made according to the Education Committees' admissions criteria.  Parents may appeal against the decision.  In Voluntary Aided (VA) schools, the church, through the schools governors, is responsible for admission.  Lastly there are 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.

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. It is anticipated that children will attend the school serving their area but parents can approach instead the Head teacher of an alternative primary school and, in the case of secondary schools, complete the preference forms supplied during the child's final primary year. Head teachers will provide prospectuses with details of the curriculum, course choice and examination results. The education system in Warwickshire operates a two tier system of primary and secondary schools.  

For administrative reasons the county is grouped into five areas; North (Atherstone, Coleshill, Polesworth, Kingsbury areas), Nuneaton & Bedworth, Eastern (Rugby and local villages), Central (Leamington, Kenilworth, Warwick, Southam areas) and Southern (Alcester, Kineton, Bidford-on-Avon, Shipston-on-Stour, Stratford-upon-Avon, Henley-in-Arden areas).

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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 is also committed to the provision of 225,000 new nursery places for three year olds by 2004.

Nursery education (mostly part-time) is provided for three to four/five year olds by the education authorities themselves through nursery schools and associated nursery classes in a number of primary schools. Provision is mostly part-time and varies from area to area. There is no automatic right of admission to a particular school/class which tends to be on a first come first served basis in consideration of need. Most providers are oversubscribed and provision is supplemented by private facilities. 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.  Children go to primary schools from 4-11, or to infant (4-7) and junior (7-11) schools, which may be combined Infant and Junior schools for children aged 4-11 or separate junior and infant schools.  Children transfer to secondary schools in the September after they reach the age of eleven, and children whose parents wish them to go to a selective secondary school take the selective tests in their final year at Primary school.

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Secondary Education

Secondary schools in Warwickshire are predominantly co-educational comprehensives but there are also single sex and selective grammar schools. Grammar and High Schools operate in the Eastern (around Rugby, where there is also a bilateral school) and Southern (around Stratford-upon-Avon) areas of Warwickshire and entry to selective schools depends on the results of selection tests taken at 11+.  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 where pupils can study for GCE A Levels.  In the Central area, all secondary schools have their own sixth forms.  There is also a Sixth Form College at Nuneaton and there are further education colleges at Leamington Spa, Stratford, Rugby and Nuneaton for those who prefer that option.

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Independent Schools

There are several independent fee-paying schools in Warwickshire. These include King's High School for Girls, Wroxall Abbey (for girls) and Warwick School (for boys) which are in Warwick itself. Warwick School has an associated prep school. Emscote Lawn Prep School in Warwick takes boys and girls from 3 to 13.  The Kingsley School is an independent girls' (and boys' prep) school in Leamington Spa and Arnold Lodge Preparatory School is a mixed 3-13 school.  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.