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, a new 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 are accepted to the sixth form from 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: Age range 13-18; 687 boys (130 day, 557 boarding). 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, Kingsland Grange, Lichfield Cathedral School, Malsis School, Moor Park School, The Old Hall, Packwood Haugh, Prestfelde, The Ryleys, Terra Nova, Yarlet School, and many more nationwide, increasingly from the Home Counties.

32 pa scholarships, value 1000 pa-50% fees; 26 awarded at 13, 6 at 16: 25 academic, 1 art, 6 music.

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.

GCSE: 135 in fifth, with an average GCSE score of 65 (66 over 5 years). A-level: 150 in upper sixth. Average passes 3.1 subjects, with final point score of 326.

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.

GCSE, AS and A-levels. 20 GCSE subjects, 23 AS-level, 23 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.

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.

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 represented the UK in the International Young Persons' Physics Tournament in 2005 and 2006.

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 boys at discretion of staff; sixth-form bar (3 evenings a week) for over-17s (currently under review); no smoking permitted. Boys occasionally allowed into town in the afternoons with permission, sixth formers occasionally in the evenings.

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 boys.

Charles Darwin; Sir Philip Sidney, Michael Palin, Christopher Booker, Anthony Chenevix-Trench; Nevil Shute; Richard Ingrams; John Peel; William Rushton; Paul Foot; Michael Heseltine; Sir John Stuttard.