Bilton Grange

Bilton Grange
Location
Rugby , Warwickshire , CV22 6QU England
Coordinates	52°20′24″N 1°16′48″W / 52.340°N 1.28°W / 52.340; -1.28
Information
Type	Private preparatory day and boarding
Motto	Iron Sharpenth Iron
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1873
Founder	Rev. Walter Earle
Chairman of Governors	Barry O'Brien
Head	G Jones
Executive Head Master	Peter Green
Staff	100
Gender	Co-educational
Age	4 to 13
Enrolment	310
Houses	8: 4 senior, 4 junior
Colour(s)	Navy blue and red
Former pupils	Old Biltonians
Website	www.biltongrange.co.uk

Bilton Grange is a preparatory school located in Dunchurch, near Rugby, Warwickshire. The present headmaster is Gareth Jones.

The mansion which forms the main school was built in 1846^[1] attached to an existing farmhouse and was a private family home. It was designed by the eminent designer and architect Augustus Welby Pugin for Captain Washington Hibbert, and is a Grade II* listed building.^[2] The first pupils were brought to the house by The Reverend Walter Earle in 1887. The brewhouse was converted into the school chapel 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 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 although over half of each leaving yeargroup of 13-year-olds go on to other public schools such as Uppingham School, Eton College and Oundle School. 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.

• Arthur Bliss, composer
• Taio Cruz, singer/songwriter
• E J Dent, Cambridge professor of music
• Thomas Dunlop, cricketer
• Rupert Evans, actor
• Sir Ernest Gowers, civil servant and author of Plain Words
• Miles Kington, jazz musician and writer
• Sir Dermot Milman, 8th Baronet, rugby union international and first-class cricketer
• John Senior MBE TD Dr(Hc),^[3] founder of Heroes Welcome UK^[4]
• Sir Nicholas Winterton, MP