Rugby School Japan: A Holistic Approach to Boarding for Tokyo Expat Families

Tony Darby, the Founding Principal of Rugby School Japan, has decades of experience in the British boarding school environment and has served as an Assistant Housemaster, Housemaster and Senior Housemaster at Rugby School UK and St. Edward’s School in Oxford. GoConnect sat down with him to discuss how the British boarding model, and specifically Rugby School Japan’s approach, is benefiting Tokyo’s expat families.

What do you see as the most powerful aspect of this educational model?

The power of the British boarding model lies in its truly holistic approach. We aim to develop the “whole person,” not just academically, but in character and spirit.

Our residential life is designed to immerse students fully in their education and community. This environment fosters friendships, encourages peer mentorship, and provides students with countless opportunities outside the classroom.

Key elements of this holistic approach include:

• Developing the whole person: academically, in character and in spirit.
• An immersive residential life that promotes community and peer mentorship.
• Extensive co-curricular activities, from more than 80 clubs (link to Clubs page opportunity) to sports and arts.

This comprehensive approach gives students the chance to find what they truly love and prepares them to be globally-minded individuals.

How do Rugby School Japan’s boarding options, particularly weekly boarding, benefit families in Tokyo?

Rugby School Japan is a day and boarding school. For our Tokyo-based families, the weekly boarding option is incredibly popular and offers the perfect balance. Students are at school five or six nights a week, eliminating the daily commute and allowing them to spend time on schoolwork, co-curricular activities, or socializing with friends. This is a particularly strong draw for families with working parents.

Weekly boarding offers key advantages:

• Eliminates the daily commute for five or six nights a week.
• Provides students with round-the-clock teacher support, nutritionally-balanced meals, and laundry taken care of.
• The freedom allows families to have quality, uninterrupted time together on weekends.

The boarding house becomes a home away from home where children are nurtured.

The house system is central to British boarding schools. How does it foster belonging and community for international and Japanese students?

The sense of belonging in our house system is paramount. Each of our six houses creates a close-knit community of 50-60 students. Students live together, share rooms in the early years and learn to understand and tolerate each other.

The house system also creates a friendly rivalry through weekly competitions and social events such as watching movies or going on Sunday excursions. This communal living environment—supported by a dedicated tutor system—helps students from different backgrounds integrate and build strong, lasting friendships.

FAQ

Q: What is the primary difference between day and weekly boarding at Rugby School Japan? Day students attend school during the day and return home each evening, while weekly boarders stay in their boarding house five or six nights a week. This allows weekly boarders to dedicate more time to their studies and activities and completely eliminates the daily commute.

Q: At what age can a student begin boarding at RSJ? Students are eligible to begin boarding from Year 7 onwards. We believe this age is the ideal time to fully embrace the community, independence and pastoral support offered by the house system.

Q: How does the school ensure international students quickly integrate into the community? Our close-knit house system is designed for rapid integration. New international students are immediately supported by their Housemaster, the dedicated tutor system and their older “house siblings,” who help them navigate school life, culture and form strong, lasting friendships.

In Summary & Next Steps

The British boarding model, as applied at Rugby School Japan, is about developing the whole person through an academically rigorous yet incredibly supportive house system and offering the perfect balance for Tokyo families through our weekly boarding option. We provide a home away from home where your child is nurtured and prepared to be a globally-minded individual.To stay informed about the latest developments, insights, and events regarding international education, subscribe to the Goconnect newsletter today.