The first independent secondary school to go co-educational in 1971, we continue that tradition with an even 50:50 split of girls and boys across each of the year groups. Approximately half of our 1,000 pupils board at the School and half are day students. All our pupils belong to one of the 10 Boarding Houses or 6 Day Houses, so each individual has a place to call ‘home’.
The pursuit of academic excellence is at the heart of everything we do. We aim to offer the highest standards of teaching and learning, so that all pupils fulfil their academic potential. Our ambition is that our pupils not only perform well in their exams, but that they develop an intellectual curiosity that will cultivate a lifelong love of learning.
We provide pupils with a range of opportunities beyond the classroom to develop and pursue physical and mental well-being, to expand their love and interest in creative arts and sport and to exercise innovation, teamwork and leadership skills. Service to others is something that each and every one of our pupils comes to understand and value.
Famous alumni
- Joseph George Cumming, geologist and archaeologist, Professor of Classical Literature and of Geology
- Horace Donisthorpe, entomologist, myrmecologist and coleopterist
- Peter North, Kt., CBE, DCL, Principal of Jesus College and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford
- John Henry Pratt, FRS, mathematician
- Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks, CB DSC DL
- James Atlay, 98th Bishop of Hereford
- John Godfrey FitzMaurice Day, Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin 1920-1938; Archbishop of Armagh 1938
- Leonard Hawkes, Archdeacon of Lindisfarne
- John Henley, clergyman, commonly known as ‘Orator Henley’
- Thomas Merton, writer and Trappist monk
- Anthony Clarke, Baron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
- Lord Cope of Berkeley, Conservative Member of Parliament for South Gloucestershire 1974-1983; Northavon 1983-1997; during this time he was Paymaster-General 1992-1994
- Paul Filing, Australian politician (Member of the House of Representatives for Moore, Western Australia)
- William Allmond Codrington Goode GCMG, last Governor of Singapore 1957-1959; last Governor of North Borneo 1959-1963
- William George “Bill” O’Chee, Australian politician (Senator for Queensland)
- Charlie Bewley, actor
- Katie Hall, actress and soprano
- Andy Harries, UK producer, Left Bank Pictures
- Greg Hicks, actor
- Richard Hope, actor
- Richard Hurst, writer and director
- Miles Jupp, actor, comedian
- Jason Kay, singer (Jamiroquai)
- Matthew Macfadyen, actor
- Matthew Manning, psychic
- China Miéville, novelist
- Katie Mitchell, OBE, theatre director
- Alexander Newley, painter
- Alfred Young Nutt, Victorian artist and architect
- Malcolm Rogers, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
- Kwame Ryan, conductor and musician
- Janek Schaefer, sound artist, British Composer of the Year in Sonic Art
- Indra Sinha, novelist
- Tom Wiggall, composer
- Tom Heap, BBC News Rural Affairs Correspondent (formerly BBC News’s Science and Environment Correspondent)
- Charlotte Uhlenbroek, biologist and broadcaster
- Charlie Beech, professional rugby union player with Bath Rugby and England U19s
- Matthew Boyce, cricketer (Leicestershire)
- Roderick Bradley, player of American football
- J.W.M. Bradshaw, cricketer (Leicestershire)
- Stuart Broad,England international cricketer cricketer[1] and England T20 captain
- Alex Brundle, professional racing driver
- Percy Chapman, England cricketer (captain)
- Josh Cobb, cricketer (Leicestershire)
- Rob Cook, rugby union player for Gloucester Rugby[2]
- Tom Croft, British and Irish Lions and England player[1]
- Crista Cullen, England and Great Britain field hockey player
- Arthur Cursham, England footballer and county cricketer (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire)
- Alex Goode, rugby union player for Saracens RFC and England Saxons
- Ron Jacobs, rugby union player, England International and captain
- Frank Jerwood, Olympic oarsman
- Lewis Moody, British and Irish Lions, England Rugby, Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby rugby union player;[3] England captain
- Lucy Pearson, England women’s cricket captain
- Matt Smith, rugby union player, England Saxons
- James Alexander Simpson Taylor, cricketer (Leicestershire and Scotland)
- Charlie Walker, rugby union player for Harlequin F.C.
- Hamish Watson, rugby union player for Edinburgh and Scotland
- Alex Wyatt, cricketer (Leicestershire)
- Prince Alexander of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Alexander Friedrich Antonius Johannes), next in line to succeed as Head of the House of Hohenzollern
- John Jerwood, founder of the Jerwood Foundation
- Thomas Merton, writer and religious figure
- Richard Profit, polar explorer
