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What it's like

Founded in 1552 by charter of Edward VI, it occupies a splendid site of 150 acres on a loop of the Severn on a high bluff overlooking the old town of Shrewsbury. Its buildings, ancient and modern, are very fine indeed and include a Jacobean library. This is one of the very few important scholarly libraries in a public school and possesses valuable medieval manuscripts and the entire collection of books owned by the school in Stuart times. Recent improvements include an indoor cricket school, swimming pool, IT building, all-weather playing surface and a music school. Religious worship is in the Anglican tradition but other faiths are fully respected. A large staff allows a staff:pupil ratio of about 1:9. Academic standards are high and results excellent. Girls have been accepted into the sixth form since 2008. There is a very strong tradition in music. The art school and workshops are very well equipped. Frequent dramatic productions are presented by the school and by individual houses; recent major productions have received awards at the Edinburgh Fringe and the orchestra performs in London at St John's Smith Square and in Birmingham at the CBSO. Facilities for sports and games are first rate and high standards are achieved. Open-air activities such as hill-walking and mountaineering are encouraged and the school owns a farmhouse in Snowdonia. There is a flourishing voluntary CCF contingent.

Pupils & entrance

Pupils: Age range 13-18; 700 pupils, 125 day (115 boys, 10 girls), 575 boarding (550 boys, 25 girls); first year of mixed sixth form. Entrance: Main entry ages 13 and 16. Common Entrance and own exam used; for sixth-form entry, 6 GCSEs at least grade B (including sixth-form subjects), entrance tests and interviews. Feeder schools include Abberley Hall, Aysgarth School, Birchfield School, Bramcote School, The Elms, Lichfield Cathedral School, Malsis School, Moor Park School, The Old Hall, Packwood Haugh, Prestfelde, The Ryleys, Shrewsbury High Prep School, Terra Nova, Yarlet School, and many more nationwide, increasingly from the Home Counties.

Scholarships & bursaries

42 pa scholarships, value £1000 pa-50% fees; 28 awarded at 13 and 14 at 16: 25 academic, 3 art, 8 music, 4 sport, 2 all-rounder.

Head & staff

Headmaster: Jeremy Goulding, appointed 2001. Educated at Becket School, Nottingham, and Oxford University (philosophy, theology). Previously Headmaster of Haberdashers' Aske's and of Prior Park, Housemaster at Shrewsbury and Head of Divinity at Abingdon. Teaching staff: 82 full time.

Exam results

GCSE: 135 in fifth, passing an average of 9.9 subjects. A-level: 150 in upper sixth. Average passes 3.1 subjects, with final point score of 326.

Pupils' destinations

98+% of sixth-form leavers go on to a degree course (60% after a gap year), 9% to Oxbridge. 6% take courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, 27% in science and engineering, 44% in humanities and social sciences, 2% in art and design, 20% in other vocational courses eg business, sport, education, music.

Curriculum

GCSE, AS and A-levels. 20 GCSE subjects, 23 AS/A-level. Sixth form: Most sixth formers take 4 subjects at AS-level, 3 at A-level; in addition, general studies taught to all. Languages: French, German and Spanish offered to GCSE and A-level. European awareness officer promotes cross-curricular projects and fosters links and exchanges. ICT: Taught both as a discrete subject and across the curriculum (in lessons and private study). 80 computers for pupil use (14 hours a day), all networked and with email and internet access. Also, many pupils have own laptops which can be connected to school network; over 1000 access points including in boarding houses.

The arts

Music: Some 40% of pupils learn a musical instrument. Musical groups include choirs, orchestras, jazz band, big band and various ensembles. Drama: A-level theatre studies. Most pupils involved in school/house productions. Regular musical productions taken to London and to Edinburgh Fringe. Several pupils have been accepted for drama college. Art and design: On average, 40 take GCSE, 15 A-level. Printmaking, photography, ceramics and history of art also offered. Regular entrants to art college.

Sports & activities

Sport: Principal sports: football, cricket, rowing, cross country, fives. Also available: rugby, tennis, swimming, basketball, badminton, squash, canoeing, fencing, judo. A-level PE may be taken. Indoor cricket academy. Activities: Pupils take bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Community service and CCF optional. Many societies including chess, bee-keeping, debating, diving, mountaineering, European. School physics team regularly represented the UK in the International Young Persons' Physics Tournament.

School life

Uniform: School uniform worn throughout. Houses and prefects: Competitive houses with vertical grouping; each house has tutorial team and counselling team. Prefects, head boy, head of house and house monitors - all appointed. Religion: Church of England. Attendance at religious worship compulsory but respects the wishes of faiths other than Anglican. Social: Drama, music, careers talks, sixth form management conference, socials at all ages with other schools (eg Moreton Hall, Shrewsbury High, Adcote, Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, Cheltenham Ladies'). Many organised trips abroad: art (New York), outward bound (sailing in Corfu), music and drama (Edinburgh Fringe), languages (Spain, Germany, France), debating (San Francisco), sports tours (eg rugby tour of Ireland, soccer tour of Italy, cricket tour of South Africa). Day boys may drive to school (with permission); boarders not allowed vehicles. Meals self-service. School shop. Alcohol for senior pupils at discretion of staff; sixth-form bar (3 evenings a week) for over-17s. Pupils occasionally allowed into town in the afternoons with permission, sixth formers occasionally in the evenings.

Discipline

Written code of behaviour specifies expectations, encouragement, sanctions and a complaints procedure, based on common sense, common courtesy and a reciprocal sense of trust between staff and pupils.

Boarding

All upper sixth have their own study bedroom, 30% of lower sixth share. 30% of lower school in dormitories of 2+. Houses, average 60 pupils, same as competitive houses, each with matron. Resident qualified nurse. Pupils allowed to provide and cook snacks. 2 exeats a term, plus half term. Visits to local town allowed, frequency depending on age; not on Saturdays except in sixth form.

Former pupils

Charles Darwin (scientist), Sir Philip Sidney (statesman), Michael Palin (travel writer and broadcaster), Christopher Booker (journalist), Anthony Chenevix-Trench (former Headmaster of Eton), Nevil Shute (novelist), Richard Ingrams (journalist and co-founder Private Eye), John Peel (DJ), Willie Rushton (satirist, co-founder of Private Eye), Paul Foot (journalist), Michael Heseltine (politician and publisher), Sir John Stuttard (former Lord Mayor of London).