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Accolades and Awards

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Best in Boarding 2023
Best in Philanthropy 2022
The Week, Independent Schools Guide

Shrewsbury is one of the country’s leading independent schools, and numerous accolades illustrate our success.

As well as being crowned Independent School of the Year 2020, Shrewsbury is regularly shortlisted in various award categories including three Tes Schools Awards 2023: Independent Senior School of the Year; Boarding School of the Year and Excellence in Creative Arts and in the Tatler Schools Awards 2024 for Best Public School and Tes Schools Awards 2024 for Boarding School of the Year.

One of the top 10 'most generous' independent schools.
The Sunday Times

This range showcases the all-around excellence that our whole-person education provides. This is demonstrated in the school awards and the individual accolades our pupils and staff gain during their time at Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury is in the top 80 schools in the country for Oxbridge offers.
The Spectator's Oxbridge Files


School Sport Magazine - Top 200 Sporting Schools of 2023

Shrewsbury School is delighted to be ranked as the 21st school for sport in School Sport Magazine Top 200 sporting schools of 2023.

In the third top 200 chart to be published, Shrewsbury has improved their position by 26 places from our ranking last year, placing the school in the top 1 per cent of schools in the UK. This result is a fantastic recognition of the achievement of our pupils and testament to the hard work of the sporting staff and the encouragement of whole school participation.

Shrewsbury has celebrated an incredible year of sporting success, with our boys and girls flourishing in both elite performance pathways and well as at recreational level: from representing Great Britain in several sports, to success on the football and cricket pitches and on the river.

Director of Sport at Shrewsbury, Andrew Pembleton, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised as the 21st ranked school for sport by School Sport Magazine. This places Shrewsbury in the top 1% of schools in the UK and is testament to the hard work, commitment and excellence of our pupils, teaching and coaching staff.

“We are in a fortunate position to have a great team behind our young sportspeople that include our ground’s team, sports facilities team, catering and medical team that allow our pupils to strive to be the best that they can be.

“The positive impact of sport stretches far beyond the courts, pitches, track and river which we compete on. The science is clear: sport benefits physical health, mental health and academic outcomes too.”

Spear's Magazine - 25 Best UK Senior Schools in 2024

We are delighted to be one of ‘The 25 Best UK Senior Schools in 2024’ in Spear’s Magazine.

Spear’s have produced their 2024 Schools’ Index, a guide to the world’s 100 leading private schools and it is within the UK section that Shrewsbury is listed as one of the top schools in the country.

Tes - Shortlisted for three Tes Schools Awards 2023

It is with great pleasure that we were shortlisted as finalists in three distinguished award categories in the Tes Schools Awards 2023.

We were shortlisted in the following three categories: Independent Senior School of the Year; Boarding School of the Year and Excellence in Creative Arts. Shrewsbury's recognition serves as a testament to the hard work, commitment, and dedication toward achieving excellence in our educational provision.

Read more here.

Tes - Shortlisted for tes Boarding School of the Year 2021

Shrewsbury School is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted for the Boarding School of the Year Award for the second year running in the national TES Independent School Awards.

This follows the national success of being named the Independent School of the Year at the Independent School of the Year Awards in October 2020, where we were also the joint recipient of the Community Outreach award.

Leo Winkley, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School, comments:

“I am delighted for the pupils and staff of Shrewsbury School that we have been short-listed for Boarding School of the Year 2021.  The past twelve months have required communities and individuals to draw deeply on their reserves of resilience and adaptability.  As a community that is seven days a week, whether in remote or in person, the pupils and staff have stayed together.  As a school, we have worked hard to contribute positively to the community around us, as well as providing the best possible experience for the girls and boys in our care.  Shrewsbury aims to empower children to flourish in life and to lead lives that benefit others. 

Read more here.

Tes - Highly Commended for tes Boarding School of the Year 2020

Shrewsbury School receives TES Boarding School of the Year ‘Highly Commended’ Award.

The TES (The Times Educational Supplement) Awards recognise the most outstanding independent schools from across the country.

Headmaster Leo Winkley said: 

“We were delighted to be shortlisted for Boarding School of the Year, which is one of the three ‘headline’ awards, and also to be shortlisted for the Creativity Award. Whilst we didn’t come away from the TES Awards ceremony with a winner’s medal, we did get a ‘silver’ in the Boarding School of the Year category. The worthy winner in this category was a small residential school for children with autism and other learning disabilities. Listed alongside schools such as Rugby and Wellington College, the judges gave Shrewsbury School a special mention as ‘highly commended’. This was the only additional award of the evening - so, a tremendous achievement in itself and a real source of collective pride, as well as an inspiration to keep working together to deliver the best possible experience for the children in our care."

Read more here.

ISP - Winner of Independent School of the Year and Community Outreach Award 2020

Shrewsbury School was thrilled to be named the Independent School of the Year at a virtual national awards ceremony held on 8 October 2020, where it also received the award for Community Outreach 2020.

These accolades were awarded at the Independent Schools of Year Awards, where Shrewsbury School was recognised for the positive impact and contributions its pupils and staff have made by working with and supporting communities and was awarded the top award as the overall Independent School of the Year for 2020. 

Hear from Headmaster, Leo Winkley, following the announcement.

Tatler - Shortlist for Tatler Schools Awards 2024

Shrewsbury School was delighted to be nominated in Tatler Schools Awards 2024 for Best Public School.

The Tatler Schools Awards handpick the nominated schools from a carefully created shortlist, following the Taters Schools Guide team travelling across the country touring independent schools.

Headmaster Leo Winkley commented: “It is an honour to be recognised by the Tatler Schools Awards as a nominated school in the category of Best Public School.  To be chosen as one of five schools from across the host of excellent British public schools – which remain the gold standard around the world – is a fantastic accolade and a great honour.

Read more here.

World Athletics Heritage Award

Shrewsbury School is honoured to be named as one of seven recipients awarded with a World Athletics Heritage Plaque, as well as being an institution placed in the distinctive virtual Museum of World Athletics ‘Indoor Athletics and Out of Stadia Collections’.

The World Athletics Heritage Plaque, a location-based recognition, is awarded for “an outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track and field athletics and of out of stadia athletics disciplines such as cross country, mountain, road, trail and ultra-running, and race walking.” 

Shrewsbury School has been awarded the plaque alongside Japan’s first Olympic champion and the New York City Marathon, as well as five other sites across Europe and South America. The Royal Shrewsbury School Hunt (RSSH) has been awarded the plaque under the ‘Culture’ category. 

ISP - Finalist for Independent School of the Year Awards 2023

Shrewsbury School is delighted to be named as a finalist for the second consecutive year in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in the Student Careers Programme category.

Shrewsbury's dedicated careers programme, delivered by the unique Futures Department, has been recognized by these awards, which highlight the excellence of the student experience offered by the UK's independent schools.

Read more here.

ISP - Finalist in Independent School of the Year Awards 2022

Shrewsbury School is delighted to be announced as a Finalist in this year’s Independent School of the Year Awards for the Student Careers Programme category.

These awards highlight the excellence of the student experience offered by the UK's independent schools and Shrewsbury has been recognised for its dedicated careers programme that is delivered by our unique Futures Department.

ISP - Shortlisted for Independent School of the Year for the Performing Arts and Community Outreach Awards 2022

Shrewsbury School was delighted to be shortlisted in three categories in the Independent School of the Year Awards 2022.

These awards highlight the excellence of the student experience offered by the UK's independent schools, and Shrewsbury was shortlisted in the Independent School of the year for Performing Arts (Music & Drama), The Green Award for Environmental Achievement and Independent School of the Year for Student Careers Programme categories.

Shrewsbury was then selected as a Finalist in the Student Careers Programme category.

Headmaster Leo Winkley commented: “We’re delighted to have been shortlisted in these categories covering diverse areas of whole person education at Shrewsbury. To be commended for our performing arts, environmental work and careers advice is a fabulous validation of the vibrant efforts of our pupils and staff."

Read more here.

The Week - Great for Boarding 2023

In the same week, as being nominated as a Finalist in the Tatler Schools Awards, we were delighted to be named as 'Great for Boarding' in The Week's Independent School Guide 2023.

The Week - Great for Philanthropy 2022

In 2022, Shrewsbury's Partnership and Community work was recognised by being highlighted as 'Great for Philanthropy' in The Week's Independent School Guide 2022.

Quality in Careers Standard

Shrewsbury has successfully achieved the national Quality in Careers Standard using the Career Mark approach. 

As England’s dedicated national quality award, the Quality in Careers Standard – through external assessment – uniquely accredits the four components of the CEIAG:

  1. Careers Education
  2. Careers Information
  3. Careers Advice
  4. Careers Guidance

Shrewsbury was delighted to be awarded this accreditation and expresses enormous gratitude to the OS Community, the parent body and friends of Shrewsbury School who have supported various initiatives during recent academic years. These have varied from careers insight talks, to concepts for new events (such as our inaugural ‘Enterprising Futures Conference’), mock interviews, work experience placements, university panels and much more.



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