Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury School is a co-educational boarding school with approximately 800 pupils aged 13-18, founded in 1552 and set in the heart of England.  We are fortunate to have one of the best locations of any school in the country, a beautiful campus-style site on the edge of one of the most historic county towns in England.  We are committed to strong academic standards and the highest level of pastoral care, and we believe in a vision of holistic education, as demonstrated through a diverse range of activities, sports and societies.

Our 2019 leavers achieved another excellent year for A Level results with three quarters of the exams awarded the top A*, A or B grades.  At GCSE level, 40% of results achieved the top A* grade (or Grade 9/8).  As Charles Darwin’s former school, we are proud that mathematics and the sciences form our largest sixth form subjects.  In the past three years, the school has opened a new 19-classroom humanities teaching block, a new design and computing centre, and a fully refurbished school library.  The coming year sees the refurbishment and extension of the school’s theatre.

Nearly all leavers go on to university, with large numbers going to the top universities in the UK.  There is a highly qualified, dedicated team to advise pupils on universities and careers, and the school stages a regular series of conferences showcasing UK, US, and European universities.

For each pupil, the boarding house is their “centre of gravity”.  We have 13 houses, of which 7 are for boarding boys, 2 for dayboys, and 4 for girls.  Each house is overseen by a resident Housemaster or Housemistress who is a full member of the teaching staff.  Every pupil has a tutor who oversees their progress, and the houses provide pupils with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities and competitions, from sports and debating to the house music competition and house plays.

We want all our pupils, whatever their ability, to enjoy their life beyond the classroom, and Shrewsbury has a well-earned reputation for musical and sporting excellence.  Every year, musicians perform across the UK, with concerts this year in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford and Cambridge.  Every two years for the past 20 years, the school has staged a musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is accustomed to gaining five-star reviews.

We compete internationally in cricket and rowing, and we are one of the strongest schools in the country for football, cross-country running and fives; facilities and coaching for these and a host of other sports including basketball, badminton, swimming, tennis, fencing, lacrosse, hockey, rugby, and netball are excellent.

We also offer our pupils an extraordinary array of clubs, societies and other extra-curricular activities, many of which take place on a dedicated weekly activity afternoon.  Shrewsbury is surrounded by glorious unspoilt countryside and the School makes the most of its easy access to the Shropshire Hills, the Welsh Marches and Snowdonia.

Above all, in the words of the motto of our youth club, based in inner-city Liverpool, ‘People matter more than things’.  You will find at Shrewsbury a community which is aiming for the stars in every respect.