Shrewsbury for life - Discover Chloe's story
Chloe Thomas joined Shrewsbury in September 2021 as a Lower Sixth Form Cricket Scholar. She boarded in Mary Sidney Hall after joining from a state school in Cardiff. In 2022, Chloe was named Head of School.
Chloe sat her A Levels in Summer 2023 and achieved two A*s and an A.
Chloe joins Shrewsbury as a Lower Sixth Entrant
I chose to study at Shrewsbury because the academic offering was very appealing; I was very passionate about my studies and my old school didn’t have the subjects I really wanted to study. I wanted to study Latin, Philosophy and Theology and History which I couldn't do at my old school. Sport is also a big thing: I’m a cricket scholar and it’s something I really wanted to focus on.
I was lucky that my sister joined Shrewsbury two years earlier, so I had an insight into what life was like here. Shrewsbury makes you self-sufficient and living with your friends is a great opportunity to be with people experiencing the same things as you where you have constant support.
It was a massive change from my previous school but a great steppingstone for university, getting that middle ground where you have a lot of support from teachers but there is more autonomy and a feeling of independence.
School life is always busy
My favourite subject is Philosophy and Theology because I loved being able to debate and explore our own ideas and thoughts with teachers and people in class. You can talk about anything, but it’s all based on your reasoning and your thoughts. You can bring in anything to any essay, and it’s great to hear what other people have to say.
My favourite part of school life is how busy and full it is; you get up early and you’re straight into sport or music, or there's always something to do with your subjects outside of the classroom. The trips are incredible, I went on the Classics trip to Rome where everything you learn about becomes real.
The best part about Shrewsbury is how it’s not just what you learn in the classroom – the school and the teachers bring it into the real world and make it way more interesting.
Shrewsbury opens up a different world for Chloe
Shrewsbury has entirely changed what I want to do at university and what I want to pursue academically – my favourite subject was always History; I’d never studied Philosophy and Theology or Religious Education before, but since studying PT and taking it at A level at Shrewsbury it has become my favourite subject. The teachers are inspiring, and it has really opened up a different world for me and has completely changed the trajectory of what I want to do after school.
As a person a lot must be said for the confidence you gain at Shrewsbury. Meeting new people is a massive life experience but one that is really important because it means when you go to university you’re not completely overwhelmed.
Life as a cricket scholar
Being a cricket scholar has really shaped my time here, we train even in the winter and then come summer we train outside every day. We’ve been successful in the past couple of years and have been runners up in two national competitions.
The cricket tour to Cape Town was a highlight for me at Shrewsbury. I’ve played a lot of cricket on soggy Welsh and English pitches, but nothing compared to playing in front of Table Mountain. We mixed a lot with the boys’ team, which was great and something we don’t generally do, and we played cricket with people from different backgrounds and lifestyles.
Sport is such a unifying thing and the school really picks up on that and is something they really value; using sports to interact with lots of different people from different backgrounds, not just other schools in the area.
Boarding life means always having support
House Life is amazing; being in house and close to friends all the time is great. We discuss subjects, offering a great support network if things aren’t going so well. Joining in Lower Sixth was different experience, I was a bit more homesick than others might have been, but having people around all the time, there's always someone to talk to or help you. My housemistress is amazing, and the assistant HSMS and tutors are always there to support you.
It’s great to have a smaller community inside the even wider school community.
The opportunities as Head of School
I did not expect to be Head of School, it’s been an amazing opportunity. It’s been great to interact with the Posters and feel like I have a duty to make sure some people who aren't quite as outspoken as others have their voices heard. It’s nice that I can help give people a voice who might not have had it before.
Looking at the history of Heads of School and knowing that I'm part of that is amazing. It's a great opportunity that, even though I’d only been here a year, they recognised what I had achieved and I was rewarded for it. It’s a big responsibility but something I've enjoyed taking on board.
What Shrewsbury for life means to Chloe
Shrewsbury for life means that when you leave the school, you’re not leaving everyone behind. You don’t go home while you’re here, this is your home, so you know that we have friends for life. Shrewsbury encourages you not to leave that behind.
There are so many opportunities to get in touch with Old Salopians who have achieved things in life and want to help people in the same situation and that’s one thing Shrewsbury is great at, the OS network.
You’re encouraged to come back and being a Salopian doesn’t really end just because you’re not at the school. Shrewsbury ensures that you always feel welcome.
Shrewsbury was the right choice
When I arrived at Shrewsbury, I realised there was no need to be worried – it was immediately better than I thought it was going to be. Teachers in house do their best to combat any struggles and that’s great. Everything opened up when I came to Shrewsbury.