Welcome from the Head

Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions a family will make.

At Warwick School, a community with over 1,100 years of history, we are committed to inspiring boys to aim higher, flourish academically, and grow into well-rounded young men equipped to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Warwick is a high-achieving academic school. Our public examination results are consistently outstanding and reflect the quality of teaching, intellectual ambition and pastoral support we provide for every boy. Our pupils progress to highly competitive universities in the UK and beyond. Strong outcomes matter they open doors. But at Warwick, results are never an end in themselves. They are the product of happy, motivated young people who are known, challenged and supported to give of their best.

Mental and physical wellbeing sit at the heart of school life. We are a community in which every pupil is known as an individual and feels a genuine sense of belonging. Boys thrive when they feel secure, valued and inspired, and our staff work tirelessly to create an environment where curiosity is encouraged, interests are ignited and ambition is nurtured.

Warwick is more than a school; it is a community grounded in proud traditions and a rich history. At the same time, we are acutely aware that our pupils will inherit a rapidly changing and unpredictable world. Preparing young people to flourish within it demands adaptability, creativity and a willingness to innovate. Our curriculum is academically rigorous and enriched with opportunities that develop the skills required to thrive in a complex, digital landscape.

We are also humble enough to recognise that no curriculum, however future-facing, can fully anticipate the world our pupils will enter. Knowledge and fixed skills alone no longer guarantee success or fulfilment. What matters just as much is character: the ability to think independently, to act with integrity, and to choose what is right even when the right path is not obvious. We want our boys to become good people, not just successful ones: confident but not arrogant, ambitious yet grounded, and ready to play a positive role in the world. We call this philosophy the Warwick Way.

A Warwick education is also shaped by an understanding of how boys learn and develop best. Teaching is tailored to boys’ learning styles and developmental needs, while our close partnership with our sister school, King’s High, allows us to offer the best of both worlds: the focus and confidence that come from a single-sex education, combined with rich and purposeful co-educational experiences beyond the classroom. Together, these experiences help pupils become socially confident, emotionally intelligent, and outward-looking.

This website will give you a flavour of life at Warwick School, but to truly understand the Warwick Way you need to experience it for yourself. I warmly encourage you to visit us, meet our pupils and staff, and see what makes Warwick such a remarkable place to learn and grow.

James Barker

Head of Warwick School

about the head

Mr Barker’s history with Warwick School goes back to September 1991 and his first day as a pupil.

Having studied History, Politics and Economics at A Level and captained the 1XV in his final year, he went on to read Philosophy at Cardiff University.

He began his teaching career at Banbury School and later held posts as Upper Master at Abingdon and Assistant Head Co-curricular at the Royal Grammar School Worcester. Mr Barker re-joined Warwick as Deputy Head, Co-curricular in 2015 and became Senior Deputy Head in 2018. He was appointed Head of Warwick School in June 2020.

Mr Barker is often seen out on the sports fields, refereeing a game of rugby or umpiring a cricket match. He is well known for his commitment to Warwick School’s vision of ensuring that every boy is celebrated, fulfilling their potential, and pursuing their ambitions.