Shrewsbury School

www.shrewsbury.org.uk

A brief history of Shrewsbury:

Shrewsbury School, Independent School of the Year 2020, has a world-class reputation for all-round excellence. Fully co-educational, with a seven-day boarding heartbeat and an integral day community, the school delivers a dynamic education that develops the abilities and enthusiasms of each and every pupil.

Founded by Royal Charter in 1552, Shrewsbury School is one of the ‘great’ nine schools in England identified by the Clarendon Commission of 1861. The School moved to its current location in 1882. Over the centuries it has grown in size and reputation. Girls first joined the Sixth Form in 2008 and it is now ranked amongst the leading co-educational boarding schools in the world, educating around 830 pupils aged 13-18 years.

Shrewsbury delivers a programme of academic learning that is exciting, challenging, responsive and versatile. On the School’s breath-taking 105-acre site on the banks of the River Severn, pupils also have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sporting, music, drama and co-curricular activities, as well as being encouraged to engage in adventure and charitable endeavour.

Our Ethos:

The celebration of individuals and individual talent is central to education at Shrewsbury – both in and beyond the classroom. In whatever sphere, a pupil will find a member of staff to support and encourage, enthuse and inspire him or her to exceed their expectations and meet the challenges that lie ahead with confidence and good judgement.

Life at Shrewsbury is founded on a close partnership between staff, parents and pupils to promote the strength of family life, foster responsibility, and balance the claims of developing individuality with the needs of a vibrant community. To make this ideal a living and working reality, the School cares for its pupils in 12 Houses for both boarders and day pupils.

Academics at Shrewsbury:

Our aim in the classroom is to inspire and enthuse pupils from across the top of the ability range. In recent years, on average, up to 10% of our leavers have gone on to Oxford and Cambridge and virtually all have won places at the university of their first choice; we expect about 80% of A Levels each year to be passed at A*, A or B grade. But there is as much joy for the less academic pupil who surpasses his or her expectations as there is for the pupil whose progress to top grades always seemed more certain.

Co-Curricular at Shrewsbury:

We want all our pupils, whatever their ability, to enjoy their life beyond the classroom, and Shrewsbury has a well-earned reputation for academic, musical and sporting excellence. We compete internationally in cricket and rowing, and we are one of the strongest schools in the country for football, cross-country running, cricket and fives; facilities and coaching for these and a host of other sports including badminton, basketball, tennis, fencing, hockey, netball and swimming are excellent.

Our school plays and musicals have drawn praise at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in London. As one would expect from one of the strongest music departments in the country, the breadth and quality of music-making are remarkable, and several students win places at some of the top music colleges each year.

We also offer our pupils an extraordinary array of clubs, societies and other co-curricular activities, many of which take place on a dedicated weekly activity afternoon. Members of the school staff lead the majority. 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.

Location:

Shrewsbury School lies on the outskirts of the town of Shrewsbury, approximately 50 miles west of Birmingham, and 75 miles south of Manchester.  Shrewsbury is served by Virgin trains from London Euston (by changing at Birmingham New Street or Wolverhampton).  There are also regular services from Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Cardiff and Bristol.  The international airports of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and East Midlands are all between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes away (by car or rail).

We are well positioned to enjoy the benefits of the local countryside and the mountains and coastline of North Wales.