Rikkyo School in England

Guildford Road, Rudgwick, West Sussex RH12 3BE, United Kingdom. The school is located in the rural parish of Rudgwick, west of Horsham. Access by rail: London Waterloo to Guildford is about 35 minutes; from Guildford, a taxi to the school is around 20 minutes. By road, it is roughly 1 hour 20 minutes from London via the A3 to Guildford and then the A281 toward Horsham.

Elementary (primary), Middle, and High School. The school is co-educational.

Co-educational, full-time boarding school with Elementary, Middle, and High School divisions.

Affiliated with Japan; recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Education as an overseas private educational facility equivalent to domestic schools.

Christian; daily worship and Sunday services; a chaplain leads Christian practices and activities.

The academic year runs from April to March in three terms. All students live in dormitories. Weekends are spent in the dormitory as part of the regular schedule, and there are three opportunities per year for one-week homestays with British families.

The curriculum is three interdependent elements: (1) Academic/core curriculum – Japanese MEXT required subjects; (2) Support curriculum – PSHEE, SMSC, RSE, British Values, Cultural Capital, and extra-curricular activities; (3) Outside-the-classroom learning – engagement with social, cultural, spiritual, academic, sporting and other organisations and events to enrich and motivate learning. Core subjects include Japanese, geography, history, social studies, mathematics, sciences, health and physical education, Visual Art, Music, English, ICT and home economics; in Primary (Grades 5–6) programming is integrated into other subjects. The curriculum aims to develop linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical, aesthetic and creative education, with a whole-school three-year English reading program to build fluent reading. The school uses a blended approach that emphasizes traditional values, discipline, higher-order thinking and metacognition, with assessment and reporting aligned to the Japanese National Curriculum (MEXT) and supported by formal assessments and termly progress reports across three domains: Knowledge & Skills, Critical Thinking & Communication, and Learning Attitude & Independence. University entrance preparation begins in Upper Secondary, and university guidance is provided along with experiences such as visits to universities including University College London (UCL).

University entrance preparation begins in Upper Secondary; university guidance is provided as part of the curriculum. The school includes university-focused activities and visits, such as University College London (UCL), as part of upper-secondary progression.

Student wellbeing and social-emotional development are central to the curriculum. Mental health is taken seriously at the school, with a focus on developing positive thinking, confidence and resilience. Personal Development and PSHEE emphasise resilience, interdependence and independence, and the curriculum incorporates social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Staff monitor student welfare across all aspects of school life to foster a supportive and inclusive community.

The school has a Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy. It commits to equal treatment for students with SEN and disabilities and uses Personalised Learning Plans (PLP) to tailor provision. Identification and support are guided by teacher referrals, assessments and parental input, with the option of external assessments where appropriate. The policy aligns with the Equality Act 2010 and SEND Code of Practice, and notes particular considerations for needs arising from language background (e.g., dyslexia considerations in a Japanese-language context).

English is taught through English Communication (EC), delivered by British teachers in small groups across year groups; the program emphasises practical English beyond a traditional classroom approach. There are also English-language lessons taught by Japanese teachers for certain subjects, including four hours of English-focused instruction in junior to senior levels. Private language lessons are available in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian. The school provides opportunities to sit IELTS and Cambridge English exams, and hosts EIKEN examinations; short-term and term-long exchange opportunities enable immersion in the UK.

Mental health is addressed as part of the curriculum and is taken seriously alongside character development, with an emphasis on promoting positive thinking, confidence and resilience. The curriculum areas include Health Literacy and Personal Development, reinforcing healthy relationships and wellbeing. Staff are equipped to recognise signs of mental health concerns and to respond, including referral to external services when needed.

The school operates a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy with staff training and clear reporting procedures to a Designated Safeguarding Lead. The policy references Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidelines and covers issues such as child-on-child abuse, missing education, domestic abuse, self-harm and online safety. The safeguarding framework includes multi-agency collaboration and procedures for involving external agencies as required to protect students.

1. Submit an application during the designated intake window. For the 2025 September intake, the application period ran from May 22, 2025 to June 5, 2025, and a small number of places were available. After submission, the school will contact applicants with the next steps. Details are provided in the admission guidelines.

2. Undergo an interview and a written examination. Written examination dates vary by intake: June 15, 2025 (September 2025 intake), October 12, 2025 (January 2025 intake), and January 25, 2026 (April 2026 intake). Examinations are held either in Japan at Lifesnider Hall or in the UK at Rikkyo English Academy, depending on where the applicant sits the exam.