More than 400 pupils, outstanding A Level results, Oxford and Cambridge destinations, new leadership and an expanding global Rugby School network mark an exciting start to Rugby School Japan’s fourth academic year.
TOKYO, JAPAN – September 2026 — Rugby School Japan (RSJ) begins the 2026–27 academic year with more than 400 pupils, marking another major milestone for the School just three years after opening its doors in September 2023.
The milestone follows an exceptional summer of academic achievement. In the 2026 A Level examinations, 28% of all grades were awarded at A*, 68% at A*–A and 86% at A*–B. Every graduating pupil progressed to their first-choice destination, with university destinations including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and University College London, alongside leading institutions in Japan and internationally.
RSJ’s IGCSE pupils also achieved an excellent set of results, providing a strong foundation for the School’s growing Sixth Form and reinforcing the academic ambition that has developed across the community.
The new academic year begins under the leadership of Dr Sarah Wade, who joined RSJ as Principal in August 2026 after leading major international school communities in the Middle East and Europe. She is supported by a strengthened leadership structure spanning academic excellence, pastoral care, pupil progression, teaching and learning, operations and enrichment.
A growing school, and a wider education
Growth at RSJ is about far more than pupil numbers. The School continues to broaden its enrichment and co-curricular provision, giving pupils an expanding range of opportunities across sport, the creative and performing arts, service, leadership, research and experiences beyond the classroom.
This breadth sits at the heart of Rugby School’s philosophy: Whole Person, Whole Point — an education in which academic achievement is combined with character, curiosity, confidence, relationships and a sense of responsibility to others. RSJ’s philosophy places co-curricular enrichment alongside academic rigour and pastoral wellbeing as central elements of a Rugby education.
Established through a partnership between the Rugby School Group and Clarence Education Asia, RSJ has grown rapidly into one of the region’s most distinctive British international day and boarding school communities, combining the heritage of Rugby School with the energy, innovation and international outlook of Japan.
“Reaching 400 pupils is a meaningful milestone and reflects the trust families place in our vision. Rugby School Japan is growing strongly and thriving as a learning community. We are delighted to welcome Dr Sarah Wade as our new Principal, and proud of the excellent academic outcomes our pupils are achieving. Looking ahead, RSJ will strategically develop its Enrichment programme as a defining expression of Rugby’s Whole Person, Whole Point Education.”
— Fei Fei Hu, President, Rugby School Japan
At RSJ, pupils meet new friends from all over the world and develop lifelong friendships enabling them to collectively shape the future and co-create the future of humanity.
— Hiroshi Suzuki, Board of Councillor, Rugby School Japan
Former State Minister, MEXT
Professor Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Tokyo
“The progress Rugby School Japan has made in just three years is remarkable. To begin this new academic year with more than 400 pupils, alongside such strong academic results and outstanding university destinations, speaks to the quality of the School, the commitment of its staff and the confidence families have placed in a Rugby education in Japan.
“We are also delighted to welcome Dr. Sarah Wade as Principal at such an exciting point in the School’s development. With a strengthened leadership team, an increasingly rich academic and co-curricular programme, and the wider Rugby School family continuing to grow internationally, there is a great deal to look forward to. Above all, our ambition remains to provide an exceptional Whole Person, Whole Point education that enables every pupil to flourish.”
— Dr Neil Hampton, CEO, Rugby School Global
“To join Rugby School Japan at such an important moment in its development is a huge honour. In just three years, the School has established strong foundations, with pupils achieving excellent academic outcomes and progressing to leading universities around the world, while being challenged to exceed their own expectations.
Our ambition now is to build on those foundations: to challenge our pupils academically, to know and support them as individuals, and to give them an extraordinary breadth of experiences through which they can discover their interests, develop their character and fulfil their potential. That is what The Whole Person, The Whole Point means in practice.”
— Dr Sarah Wade, Principal, Rugby School Japan
From Japan to a growing global community
RSJ’s continued development comes at an equally exciting moment for the wider Rugby School Global.
Both Rugby School Dubai and Rugby School Hanoi begin welcoming their first pupils in September. Together with Rugby School Thailand, Rugby School Japan and Rugby School Nigeria, they form a growing international family united by Rugby School’s educational ethos.
From Rugby’s historic home in England to Thailand, Japan, Nigeria, Dubai and Hanoi, the Group is bringing its distinctive Whole Person, Whole Point approach to more pupils, communities and corners of the world — while ensuring each school remains deeply connected to its own culture and context.
For Rugby School Japan, surpassing 400 pupils is therefore more than another numerical milestone. It represents the emergence of a confident, diverse and academically ambitious school community — and the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the story of Rugby education in Japan.
