John Balcombe

Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury School was founded by Edward VI by Royal Charter in 1552, and it was identified as one of the ‘Great' public schools by the Clarendon Commission 1868. 16 pupils were offered Oxbridge places for 2020, building on an impressive historic record; Shrewsbury School has the rare distinction of having had Oxbridge offers in double figures for all but one of the last 20 years. In typical Salopian style, our best-known alumni are famous for their independence of mind and spirit: Charles Darwin; Sir Philip Sidney; Sir Michael Palin; Lord Martin Rees (Astronomer Royal); Lord Heseltine; the founders of Private Eye magazine, Richard Ingrams, Willie Rushton and Paul Foot; broadcaster John Peel; mountaineer Sandy Irvine. The School sits on a stunning 110-acre campus perched above the banks of the River Severn, overlooking the historic market town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The School's grounds host pitches described as "the most beautiful playing fields in the world" by Sir Neville Cardus. Our school library contains the oldest copy of the rules of football, dating from 1856, when Salopians played a central role in codifying the game. The RSSH (Royal Shrewsbury School Hunt) has the distinction of being the oldest cross-country club in the world. Written records date from 1831, but the origins of organised cross-country running at the School can be traced back to 1819. 11 professional cricketers in 11 years have progressed from the school, including James Taylor, Joe Leach, Ed Barnard and Issy Wong. 4 Shrewsbury School crews (3 school crews and 1 alumni crew) competed at Henley Royal Regatta in 2019. The Royal Shrewsbury School Boat Club (RSSBC) was founded in 1866 and the School is nationally recognised as one of the leading rowing schools in the country and boasts an impressive 14 Henley Royal Regatta wins to its name. If you are interested in an education at Shrewsbury for your child, please contact the Admissions Office - admissions@shrewsbury.org.uk