Suvarna Garge (Editor)

List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

This list of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom contains extant schools in the United Kingdom established prior to 1700 and a few former schools established prior to the reformation. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporary reference to the school.

Contents

Some pre reformation former (non-extant) schools

  • Lincoln School (1090) - now Lincoln Christ's Hospital School
  • Derby School (1160, Royal charter 1554) - closed in 1989
  • Ludlow Grammar School (1200, Palmer's Guild) - now Ludlow College
  • Hull Grammar School (c.1330, endowed in 1479) - closed in 2015
  • Cirencester Grammar School (1461) - closed in 1966
  • Crewkerne Grammar School (1499) - closed in 1904
  • Taunton Grammar School (1522) - closed in 1870
  • Brewood Grammar School (c.1450-1547) (Refounded 1575) - closed in 1975

    • Sixth century

  • The King's School, Canterbury (abbey founded 597, Royal charter 1541)

    • Seventh century

  • King's School, Rochester (604, Royal charter 1541)
  • The Minster School, York (song school founded 627, refounded 1903)
  • St Peter's School, York (627, Royal charter 1550s)
  • Thetford Grammar School (631, mentioned 1114, refounded 1566)
  • Hereford Cathedral School (676, mentioned 1384)
  • Royal Grammar School Worcester (685, first conclusive evidence 1291, Royal charter 1561)
  • Carlisle Grammar School (priory school founded 685)

    • Eighth century

  • Beverley Grammar School (c.700)

    • Tenth century

  • The Pilgrims' School (c.900)
  • Warwick School (10th century, refounded 1545)
  • Wells Cathedral School (909)
  • St Albans School (c.948, refounded 1549)
  • Southwell Minster School (minster founded 956, first mention 1313, refounded 1547)
  • The King's School, Ely (970)

    • Eleventh century

  • Bedford School (1086, refounded 1552)
  • Salisbury Cathedral School (1091)
  • Norwich School (1096, refounded 1547)

    • Twelfth century

  • Abingdon School (possibly as old as 1100, endowed 1256, refounded 1563)
  • St Paul's Cathedral School (founded 1123)
  • Reading School (abbey founded 1125, refounded 1486, Royal charter 1541)
  • The King's School, Pontefract (1139, refounded 1548)
  • Bristol Cathedral School (abbey founded 1140, refounded 1542)
  • Derby School (1160, refounded 1554)

    • Thirteenth century

  • Colchester Royal Grammar School (1206, Royal charter 1585)
  • Lancaster Royal Grammar School (mention of master 1235, endowed 1472)
  • King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth (earliest reference 1276, refounded 1551)

    • Fourteenth century

  • Stamford School (1309, re-endowed 1532)
  • Northallerton School (1323)
  • Hanley Castle High School (chantry school 1326, charter 1544)
  • The King's School, Grantham (1329, refounded 1528)
  • Bourne Grammar School (earliest record of existence 1330, endowed 1636)
  • The King's School, Ottery St Mary (1335, refounded 1545)
  • Bablake School (1344)
  • Doncaster Grammar School / Hall Cross School (first record of existence 1350)
  • Westminster School (first record of existence 1371, Royal charter 1541 and 1560)
  • Prince Henry's High School (c. 1376, refounded 1605)
  • New College School (1379)
  • Wisbech Grammar School (1379, Royal charter 1549)
  • Winchester College (1382)
  • Katharine Lady Berkeley's School (1384)
  • Penistone Grammar School (1392)
  • Ipswich School (1399, Royal Charter 1566)

    • Fifteenth century

  • Oswestry School (1407)
  • Durham School (1414, refounded 1541)
  • Chorister School (1416)
  • Royal Latin School (first mention 1423, Royal charter 1548)
  • Sponne School (chantry founded 1430)
  • Sevenoaks School (1432)
  • Chipping Campden School (c1440)
  • Eton College (1440)
  • City of London School (1442)
  • St Dunstan's College (earlier than 1446)
  • Hartismere School (founded 1451)
  • St. Bartholomew's School, Newbury (1466)
  • Bromsgrove School (record of a chantry school 1476, re-founded 1553)
  • Magdalen College School, Oxford (1480)
  • Thomas Rotherham College (1483)
  • Stockport Grammar School (1487)
  • Pott Shrigley (1492)
  • Ermysted's Grammar School (record of a chantry school 1492, re-founded 1548)
  • King Edward VI School, Lichfield (1495)
  • Loughborough Grammar School (1495)
  • The Prebendal School (1497)
  • Queen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne Minster (1497)
  • Giggleswick School (1499, Royal charter 1553)

    • Sixteenth century

  • The King's School in Macclesfield (1502)
  • Bridgnorth Endowed School (1503)
  • St Paul's School (London) (1509)
  • Royal Grammar School, Guildford (1509)
  • Wolverhampton Grammar School (1512)
  • Lewes Old Grammar School Lewes, East Sussex (1512)
  • Giggleswick School, North Yorkshire (1512)
  • Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield, West Sussex (1512)
  • Nottingham High School (1513)
  • Pocklington School (1514)
  • Manchester Grammar School (1515)
  • Gillingham School (1516)
  • Bolton School (ante 1516)
  • Cranbrook School, Kent (1518)
  • King's School, Bruton (1519)
  • Coleshill School (1520)
  • John Mayne School Biddenden (1522)
  • Kendal Grammar School (1525)
  • Royal Grammar School, Newcastle (1525)
  • Sedbergh School (1525)
  • Boteler Grammar School (1526)
  • Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (1527)
  • Bingley Grammar School (1529)
  • Magnus C of E School (1531)
  • Bristol Grammar School (1532)
  • Stamford School (1532)
  • The College of Richard Collyer (1532)
  • Coopers' Company and Coborn School (1536)
  • The Crypt School, Gloucester (1539)
  • Berkhamsted School (1541)
  • The King's School, Chester (1541)
  • The King's School, Gloucester (1541) (Dates from the 11th century)
  • The King's School, Peterborough (1541)
  • The King's School, Worcester (1541)
  • Northampton Grammar School (1541) - later renamed to Northampton School for Boys
  • Dauntsey's School (1542)
  • Royal Grammar School, Newcastle (1545)
  • King Henry VIII School, Coventry (1545)
  • Archbishop Holgate's School, York (1546)
  • Colyton Grammar School (1546)
  • Bradford Grammar School (1548)
  • Magdalen College School, Brackley (1548)
  • Maidstone Grammar School (1549)
  • Kirkham Grammar School (1549)
  • King Edward VI School (Bury St Edmunds) (1550)
  • Sherborne School (1550, possibly early 8th century)
  • King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford) (1551)
  • Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe (1551) (Royal Charter 1562)
  • King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth (1551) (possibly 1276)
  • Bedford School (1552, earliest record 1086)
  • Christ's Hospital (1552)
  • King Edward's School, Bath (1552)
  • King Edward's School, Birmingham (1552)
  • King Edward VI Grammar School, Stourbridge (1552) (formerly chantry school 1430) (became Sixth Form College 1992)
  • King Edward VI School, Morpeth (1552) (formerly chantry school, established in the 14th century, abolished in 1547)
  • Leeds Grammar School (1552)
  • Shrewsbury School (1552)
  • Hutton Grammar School (1552)
  • King Edward's School, Witley (1553)
  • King Edward VI School, Southampton (1553)
  • King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon (1553)
  • Tonbridge School (1553)
  • Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (1554)
  • Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall (1554)
  • Boston Grammar School (1555)
  • Gresham's School (1555)
  • Ripon Grammar School (refounded 1555, although thought to date from the 7th century)
  • Hampton School (1556)
  • Oundle School (1556)
  • Repton School (1557)
  • Sir John Deane's College, Northwich, Cheshire (formerly Sir John Deane's Grammar School) (1557)
  • Brentwood School (1558)
  • Enfield Grammar School (1558)
  • Alleyne's High School, Stone, Staffordshire (1558)
  • The Thomas Alleyne School, Stevenage, Hertfordshire (1558)
  • Thomas Alleyne's High School, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. (1558)
  • Solihull School (1560)
  • Kingston Grammar School (1561)
  • Merchant Taylors' School (1561)
  • St Saviour's Grammar School (1562) (merged with St Olave's Grammar School in 1896)
  • Sir Roger Manwood's School (1563)
  • Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith (1564)
  • Felsted School (1564)
  • Highgate School (1565)
  • Huntingdon Grammar School (1565) (now Hinchingbrooke School)
  • King Charles I School (1566)
  • Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford (1566)
  • Rivington and Blackrod Grammar School, Rivington (1566) (now Rivington High School)
  • Bedford Modern School (1566)
  • Ashby School (1567)
  • Rugby School (1567)
  • Richmond Grammar School (1568) (Earliest record 1361)
  • Colfe's School (1568) refounded (1652)
  • St Edmund's College (1568) (England's Oldest Catholic School)
  • Free School, Dorchester, Dorset (1569)
  • Bury Grammar School (1570)
  • Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle (1571)
  • St Olave's Grammar School (1571)
  • St Mary Redcliffe School (1571) (merged with Temple Colston School for girls (1709) and is now St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School)
  • Burford School (1571)
  • Harrow School (1572)
  • Netherthorpe School (1572)
  • Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Barnet (1573)
  • Appleby Grammar School (charter granted by Elizabeth I in 1574)
  • Pate's Grammar School (1574)
  • Dartford Grammar School (1576)
  • Sutton Valence School (1576)
  • Woodbridge School (1577)
  • The Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School (1579) (endowed 1564)
  • St. Bees School (1583)
  • Oakham School (1584)
  • Uppingham School (1584)
  • Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ashbourne (1585)
  • Ashton Grammar School, Seneley Green (1588)
  • Joyce Frankland Academy, England (1588) (formerly Newport Free Grammar School)
  • Spalding Grammar School (1588)
  • Queen Elizabeth's High School (1589)
  • Conyers' School (1590)
  • Queen Elizabeth's Hospital (1590)
  • Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale (1591)
  • Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield (1591)
  • Lymm High School (1592)
  • Stonyhurst College (1593) (oldest Roman Catholic school)
  • Emanuel School (1594)
  • Wellingborough School (1595)
  • Whitgift School (1596)
  • Trinity School of John Whitgift (1596)
  • Aldenham School (1597)
  • Heath Grammar School (1597) (merged with former The Crossley and Porter School (1881) and is now The Crossley Heath School)
  • King Alfred's School, Wantage (1597), formed and refounded 1851
  • Aylesbury Grammar School (1598)
  • Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham (1599)
  • Kimbolton School (1531, earliest references, 1600 accepted)

    • Seventeenth century

  • King James's School, Almondbury (1604)
  • Blundell's School (1604)
  • Carre's Grammar School (1604)
  • Downside School (1606)
  • Marlwood School (1606)
  • Paston College (1606)
  • Richard Clarke First School (1606)
  • Ilkley Grammar School (1607)
  • Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley (1607)
  • Charterhouse School (1611)
  • Batley Grammar School (1612)
  • Dame Alice Owen's School (1613)
  • Heversham School (1613)
  • Leigh Grammar School (1614)
  • Steyning Grammar School (1614)
  • The Perse School (1615)
  • Wilson's School (1615)
  • Richard Hale School (1616)
  • King James's School, Knaresborough (1616)
  • William Parker School (1619)
  • Alleyn's School (1619)
  • Dulwich College (1619) (founded as "the College of God's Gift")
  • Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby (1620)
  • Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School (1623)
  • Dr Challoner's Grammar School (1624)
  • The Latymer School (1624)
  • Latymer Upper School (1624)
  • Sir William Borlase's Grammar School (1624)
  • Chigwell School (1629)
  • Caistor Grammar School (1630)
  • The Norton Knatchbull School (1630)
  • Exeter School (1633)
  • Red Maids' School (1634) (all girls)
  • Calday Grange Grammar School (1636)
  • Lady Manners School (1636)
  • Eggar's School (1640)
  • The Blue School, Wells (1641)
  • The King's School (1642), Westminster City School Formed and refounded in 1877
  • Cheam School (1645)
  • The Palmers School (1645), Westminster City School Formed and refounded in 1877
  • Reading Blue Coat School (1646)
  • The Emery Hill School (1647), Westminster City School Formed and refounded in 1877
  • Thomas Adams School (1650)
  • Earls High School (1652)
  • Colfe's School (1652)
  • Chetham's Hospital (1653)
  • Adams' Grammar School (1656)
  • Hele's School (1658), moved site in 1937
  • The Maynard School (1658), all girls
  • Henry Box School (1660)
  • Bere Alston Primary School (1665)
  • Sir Thomas Rich's School (1666)
  • Old Swinford Hospital (1667)
  • The Read School, Drax (1667)
  • Brigg Grammar School (1669), Sir John Nelthorpe School since 1976.
  • The Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone (1674)
  • Reigate Grammar School (1675)
  • John Roan School (1677)
  • Sandbach School (1677)
  • Davenant Foundation School (1680)
  • Archbishop Tenison's School (1685)
  • Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School (1690)
  • Robert May's School (1694)
  • The Royal Hospital School (1694)
  • Grey Coat Hospital (1698)
  • Perins School (1698)
  • St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls (1699)
  • Sidcot School (1699)

    • Former (non-extant) schools

  • Cor Tewdws (College of Theodosius), Llantwit Major (Opened ca 395, buildings burned in 446, rebuilt in 508, finally closed down in reign of Henry VIII)

    • Haverfordwest Grammar School, founded no later than 1488 and at one time in the 20th Century one of only two public schools in Wales. The school closed in 1978.

    Thirteenth century

  • Ruthin School (c.1284, refounded 1574)

    • Sixteenth century

  • Christ College, Brecon (1541)
  • King Henry VIII School, Abergavenny (1542)
  • Friars School, Bangor (1557)
  • John Beddoes School (1565)

    • Seventeenth century

  • Ysgol David Hughes Ynys Mon (1603)
  • Hawarden High School (1606)
  • Monmouth School (1614)
  • Botwnnog School (1618)
  • The Bishop Gore School, Swansea (1682)

    • Twelfth century

  • High School of Glasgow (pre-1124)
  • Royal High School, Edinburgh (1128)
  • Stirling High School (High School of Stirling) 1129
  • Lanark Grammar School (1183)

    • Thirteenth century

  • Ayr Academy (1233)
  • High School of Dundee (1239)
  • Aberdeen Grammar School (possibly c. 1257, earliest mention 1418)

    • Fourteenth century

  • Knox Academy (Haddington Grammar School) (1379)

    • Fifteenth century

  • Brechin High School (1429)
  • Dunfermline High School (1468)

    • Sixteenth century

  • Paisley Grammar School (1576)
  • Kirkcudbright Academy (earliest record of existence 1582)
  • Montrose Academy (Precise date unknown) (Earliest evidence of schooling in Montrose from 1329)
  • The Royal School of Dunkeld (1567) (Royal Charter granted in the name of King James VI of Scotland)

    • Seventeenth century

  • George Heriot's School (1628)
  • Hutchesons' Grammar School (1641)
  • Dunoon Grammar School (1641)
  • Campbeltown Grammar School (1686)
  • The Mary Erskine School (1694)

    • Seventeenth century

  • The Royal School, Armagh (1608)
  • Royal School Dungannon (1614)
  • Foyle College (1617)
  • Portora Royal School (1618)

    • Channel Islands

  • Elizabeth College, Guernsey (1563)

    • References

    List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA