Pupils Imagine Shrewsbury Through the Eyes of its First Headmaster

Pupils have explored Shrewsbury’s past through the annual Schutzer-Weissmann Letter Writing Competition, held in memory of former Head of English Mike Schutzer-Weissmann.

The competition has been running since 2016 and is undertaken each year by all pupils in the Third and Fourth Form. It commemorates Mike, an inspirational teacher who led the English Faculty for 26 years before his death in 2015 while still teaching at Shrewsbury.

Following talks from the Library team, pupils were asked to imagine themselves as the ghost of the Reverend Thomas Ashton, Shrewsbury’s first Headmaster, and to write a letter to the present Headmaster reflecting on the School he had encountered – both the Shrewsbury he remembered and the one he might find today.

Kristina Leslie, Head of English, said: “It was wonderful to see how enthusiastically pupils across the Third and Fourth Form embraced this year’s challenge. The standard of writing was extremely high, with 21 letters shortlisted for the final adjudication.”

Former Head of Biology Andrew Allott judged the entries, selecting Evelyn J (5th, M) as the overall winner of the Schutzer-Weissmann Cup. James L (5th, I) and Tilda E (4th, M) were both highly commended.

Andrew praised Evelyn’s winning letter for its “fluency and style, and the relative lack of errors and infelicities”.

Writing in the voice of Thomas Ashton, Evelyn reflected on the transformation of Shrewsbury over the centuries:

'The modest buildings I once knew have given way to a magnificent campus of handsome architecture, broad playing fields, and facilities beyond anything I could have imagined.

'Though I remain fond of Homer and Virgil, I admire the way the school now prepares young people for a world far more complex than the one I inhabited.

'The playing fields echoed with cheerful competition, musicians rehearsed with passion, actors performed confidently, and societies debated with remarkable intelligence.

'Above all, I was heartened to discover that the school's enduring values remain intact...though the world has altered beyond recognition, the school to which I was devoted so much of my life remains in excellent hands.'

The School will have another opportunity to celebrate the Schutzer-Weissmann family’s connection with Shrewsbury next month when Mike’s eldest daughter, Esther Schutzer-Weissmann, returns to give a Dialogues lecture, The Quality of Mercy, in the Barnes Theatre on Monday 5 October. After a classics degree, Esther converted to the Bar and got a tenancy at a criminal set in London. Since then, she has appeared in all kinds of criminal courts, from Poole magistrates’ court to the High Court sitting in Stafford, from the Privy Council sitting in the Houses of Parliament to the Isleworth Crown Court. You can book tickets here.