Comparison · British senior routes
Rugby vs. Regents
A-Level or IB Diploma
Rugby lists A-Level and boarding from Year 6; Regents lists A-Level or IB Diploma and boarding from Year 3. Compare the year-group fees.
School comparison
Rugby vs Highgate
Rugby publishes boarding from Year 6; Highgate reports opening younger years on 19 August 2026, with boarding only planned. Confirm current provision.
The schools
Provision
| What to compare | Rugby Thailand | Highgate Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Bang Lamung — 80-acre purpose-built campus | Near Siam Country Club, Banglamung (~30 min from central Pattaya) |
| Ages and stages | 2–18 full through-school (Pre-Nursery → Year 13 A-Level) | School reports Pre-Prep/Junior open since 19 August 2026 (ages 2–11); Years 7–9 planned August 2027. Boarding date unresolved. |
| Secondary on campus | Yes — IGCSE → A-Level operating now | Years 7–9 planned August 2027; younger-years opening is school-reported |
| Primary curriculum | British National Curriculum (KS1 + KS2 through Year 6) | School-reported operating Pre-Prep and Junior: British National Curriculum, ages 2–11 |
| Language model | English-medium · Thai · Mandarin | English-medium British · verify additional languages on tour |
| Boarding | From Year 6 · ฿285,100 part, ฿417,700 weekly or ฿493,800 full per year (+ ฿20,000 expenses deposit) | Not operating at July 2026 check; Admissions planned 2028/29, while homepage dates conflict. Confirm current status. |
Highgate reports that Pre-Prep and Junior School opened 19 August 2026 for ages 2–11; Years 7–9 are planned for August 2027. Boarding dates still conflict. Official first-week account · Senior School plan · checked 23 September 2026. Operation is school-reported, not independently audited.
Tuition and other charges
A school-wide fee range is not a quote for one child. Check the academic year, exact year group, compulsory charges and what tuition includes before comparing totals.
Rugby vs Highgate · standard published tuition before full-year-payment discounts (all-in rows include named mandatory charges) · fee years: Rugby 2026/27; Highgate 2026/27 · checked 27 July 2026
| What to compare | Rugby Thailand | Highgate Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Annual tuition (published) | ฿345,000–999,000/yr exact (rugbyschool.ac.th 2026/27) | ฿375,000–795,000/yr · Highgate 2026/27 |
| Nursery / EY tuition | ฿345,000/yr (Pre-Nursery/Nursery half-day · exact published) | ฿375,000 half-day without lunch · ฿595,000 full day |
| Year 1 tuition | ฿736,000/yr (Years 1–2) | ฿755,000/yr standard |
| Year 7 tuition | ฿868,000/yr (Years 7–8) | Not yet published · Years 7–9 planned from 2027 subject to OPEC approval |
| Sixth Form tuition | ฿999,000/yr (Years 12–13 A-Level · exact published) | Not yet published · later phase |
| Transport | 2026/27 bus tariff not in checked material. The 2025/26 bus booklet is older context; request a current route quote. | Not published · bus excluded from tuition |
| Language and learning support charges | Combined school label — “EAL & SfL Fees: English as an Additional Language and Support for Learning”; ฿5,500–฿70,000/term. | No language- or learning-support tariff appears on the current 2026/27 fee page. |
Beyond tuition
Other practical details
| What to compare | Rugby Thailand | Highgate Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Founded / status | 2017 · operating · sister of Rugby School Warwickshire (est. 1567) | School-reported opening 19 August 2026 · first overseas campus of Highgate School London (est. 1565) |
| Early Years philosophy | British EYFS (Pre-Nursery half-day or full-day options) | British Pre-Prep (published pathway · verify on tour) |
| Accreditation | Rugby School Group sister · operating audit cycle | School reports opening 19 August 2026; no independent operating audit found in checked sources · sister of Highgate School London |
| Class size / scale | School-published 80-acre campus · verify cohort sizes on tour | Phased founding cohorts — enrolment not published at July 2026 check |
| One-time admission | ฿5,500 application · ฿200,000 acceptance (normally non-refundable; stated refund exception for weekly/full boarding) | ฿5,500 application · ฿200,000 enrolment · ฿100,000 refundable deposit |
Before you decide
Where the routes differ
1. Do you need boarding operating now — or can you wait for Highgate's later phase?
Boarding is a clear difference in the checked record. Rugby publishes boarding from Year 6 with prices for part, weekly and full arrangements. Highgate had no operating boarding at the July 2026 check: its Admissions page placed it in 2028/29, while its homepage gave conflicting 2027 and 2028 dates. Confirm current status before treating Highgate as a boarding option. For an immediate need, ask Rugby for an available place and a complete quote.
2. What does the published opening-year cost actually include?
Rugby publishes 2026/27 tuition of ฿345K for half-day Pre-Nursery/Nursery, ฿736K for Years 1–2, ฿868K for Years 7–8 and ฿999K for Years 12–13, plus a ฿200K acceptance fee that is normally non-refundable with a stated boarding refund exception. Highgate publishes ฿375K for half-day Nursery, ฿595K for full-day Nursery and ฿715K–฿795K from Reception through Year 6, plus ฿5,500 application, ฿200K enrolment and a ฿100K refundable deposit. Highgate’s published schedule does not price transport, uniform, trips or designated paid activities.
3. Sport-first 80-acre campus — or academic-literary London brand on a new build?
Rugby lists an 80-acre campus, four pools (including a 50m competition pool), FIBA-standard courts and 55,000m² of pitch space. Highgate published plans for a FIFA pitch, Olympic pool, Golf Academy and 450-seat auditorium near Siam Country Club; the illustrations were architectural renders. Ask each school to show the facilities the child can use now and how sport, arts and academic time are scheduled for the intended year group.
4. Which year groups now operate at Highgate, and does your child need secondary?
Highgate reports that Pre-Prep and Junior opened on 19 August 2026 for ages 2–11; its 10 September update plans Years 7–9 for August 2027. A Year 6 entrant would join the oldest school-reported operating cohort; confirm actual class availability. Rugby publishes provision through Year 13 and an A-Level route. For a child needing IGCSE or A-Level now, confirm the actual place and subjects at Rugby; ask Highgate when the relevant later phase will operate.
5. Nine years of operating history — or founding-cohort upside on faith in the brand?
Rugby has operated since 2017 and publishes exam and destination information; its school-published 80-acre campus can be requested for a tour. Highgate reports first-term younger-years operation but has no Thailand exam or graduate outcomes yet; its facilities have not been independently audited. Rugby runs an A-Level route, while Highgate plans one; neither advertises an IB Diploma route in these sources. Visit the proposed classes and request current evidence before comparing what each school can offer this child.
Other comparisons
For a different age span, curriculum, boarding option or location, browse Rugby vs Regents · Highgate vs Regents · ISE vs Rugby. Check the linked source’s date and fee conditions before shortlisting.
Established school. Or founding cohort.
Rugby publishes an operating all-through British offer with boarding. Highgate reports younger-years operation since 19 August 2026; confirm the available class and usable facilities, and ask for later grades in writing.
Verify availability before comparing
Ask Highgate to confirm in writing that the child’s year group operates on the intended start date, with the class size, staffing, usable facilities and next grades scheduled to follow. Separate current provision from later phases, and request the process if a promised element is delayed.
Ask Rugby for the actual class size, subject choices and boarding or day-place availability in the proposed year. For both schools, put the exact start date, class, calendar and acceptance conditions on the comparison sheet. The established-versus-new decision should be made using current offers, not reputation on one side and architectural promise on the other.
Inspect the present classroom proposition
At Rugby, observe an ordinary class and request work from the relevant year. At Highgate, meet the educators expected to teach the child, review the launch curriculum map and ask how baseline assessment, routines and parent communication will work while the cohort forms. Ask what changes if enrolment is smaller or larger than forecast.
For a senior child, request subject-level pathway evidence, examination arrangements and university guidance. Rugby’s established A-Level route can be checked against current delivery. Highgate’s later senior route should not be treated as available until its timing, cohort and subject provision are confirmed for the child.
Reconcile complete costs
Obtain dated, year-specific invoices from both schools and place them on the same standard-fee basis before recording any discount. Add application, enrolment or registration, deposit, meals, transport, books, uniform, devices, trips, examinations, clubs and language or learning support. Separate money due before attendance, the complete first year and a recurring year.
For Rugby boarding, add the relevant charge, boarding expenses deposit, weekend arrangements and travel costs; leave boarding out for a day pupil. For Highgate, confirm which services operate for the child’s start and whether any promotion has conditions, expiry dates or later standard pricing. Use only the terms in the written offer.
Plan for operational risk
Ask Highgate what happens if a grade, service or facility is delayed and which refund or withdrawal terms apply. Ask Rugby the equivalent notice and refund questions for a transfer. Keep both answers with the offers so the consequences of a changed plan are comparable.
For either school, request a child-specific support plan when language, learning or wellbeing provision matters. Record staff, frequency, group size, review date and cost. Planned staffing or a general support statement is not the same as provision attached to an accepted place.
Measure the real family week
Drive both routes at actual arrival and collection times and include work, siblings and activities. If Rugby boarding or either school’s transport changes the schedule, model the full week rather than one commute. Put term dates, closure days and care coverage beside the journey.
Finish with one decision record containing confirmed start availability, exact placement, classroom evidence, complete costs, support, travel and the next pathway checkpoint. Keep every Highgate phase assumption visibly separate from what is contractually available for the child’s start.
Common questions
Which boarding school is operating now — Rugby or Highgate?
Rugby School Thailand publishes boarding from Year 6. Highgate boarding was a later plan in the July 2026 record, with conflicting 2027 and 2028/29 dates across its official pages. Current status remains unverified here.
Are Highgate Thailand fees published?
Highgate’s 2026/27 schedule publishes standard Pre-Prep and Junior tuition of ฿375,000–฿795,000; Rugby’s standard tuition spans ฿345,000–฿999,000 across year groups. Both schedules describe a 3% full-year-payment discount, but Rugby’s stated 13 August 2026 deadline has passed. Confirm any applicable discount and deadline in the written offer.
Do both schools offer A-Level?
Rugby publishes a current British A-Level route. Highgate’s published plan leads toward IGCSE and A-Level, with Senior School planned for 2027/28; confirm its present phase.
Which has the larger campus?
Rugby publishes an 80-acre campus and has operated since 2017. Highgate published a campus plan near Siam Country Club; ask which facilities now operate for the proposed class.
Which fits children outside ages 2–11 in 2026?
Rugby publishes provision through Year 13. Highgate reports Pre-Prep and Junior School opened 19 August 2026; Years 7–9 are planned for August 2027. Confirm actual year-group availability.