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Schools / Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury School is an independent co-educational boarding school in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, founded in 1552. Its main point of entry is Year 9 (13+): candidates sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in November of Year 6 or Year 7, followed by an assessment day at the school, leading to a guaranteed place with no further examination condition stated.

RegionWest Midlands
AdmissionsSchool admissions page
DfE URN123608

The exam

Athena holds admission-route records for Shrewsbury School. They are shown by entry cycle below; where the provider changes between cycles, each cycle keeps its own recorded exam.

2027 entry

  • ISEB Common Pre-TestsStage A — pre-test at 11+

    Set by ISEB (tests commissioned from GL Assessment)

    Confirmation: Confirmed by Common Entrance

    13+ entry - Stage 1 (the 11+ pre-test stage, in Year 6): candidates for Shrewsbury sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in November of Year 6 or Year 7, with a Headteacher's reference, followed by an assessment day at Shrewsbury in the Lent term, leading to a Guaranteed Place with no further examination condition stated. See the school's Independent School 13+ Entry route for the full pathway.

    9489 published practice questions tagged for this exam

    Route record: unverified · Route source

  • Independent School 13+ Entry (Common Entrance & Scholarship)Stage B — confirmation at 13+

    Set by ISEB Common Entrance / school scholarship papers

    Confirmation: Confirmed by Common Entrance

    Shrewsbury's early route uses the ISEB Pre-Test in November of Year 6 or 7 plus a Lent-term assessment day, leading to a Guaranteed Place (a Conditional Place, subject to passing the entrance assessments, can be secured earlier). Prep-school pupils commonly sit Common Entrance in June of Year 8; non-CE pupils sit Shrewsbury's own English and Maths exams in November of Year 8.

    Route record: verified · Athena independents completion research 2026-10-28

2028 entry

  • ISEB Common Pre-TestsStage A — pre-test at 11+

    Set by ISEB (tests commissioned from GL Assessment)

    Confirmation: Confirmed by Common Entrance

    13+ entry - Stage 1 (the 11+ pre-test stage, in Year 6): candidates for Shrewsbury sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in November of Year 6 or Year 7, with a Headteacher's reference, followed by an assessment day at Shrewsbury in the Lent term, leading to a Guaranteed Place with no further examination condition stated. See the school's Independent School 13+ Entry route for the full pathway.

    9489 published practice questions tagged for this exam

    Route record: unverified · Route source

  • Independent School 13+ Entry (Common Entrance & Scholarship)Stage B — confirmation at 13+

    Set by ISEB Common Entrance / school scholarship papers

    Confirmation: Confirmed by Common Entrance

    Shrewsbury's early route uses the ISEB Pre-Test in November of Year 6 or 7 plus a Lent-term assessment day, leading to a Guaranteed Place (a Conditional Place, subject to passing the entrance assessments, can be secured earlier). Prep-school pupils commonly sit Common Entrance in June of Year 8; non-CE pupils sit Shrewsbury's own English and Maths exams in November of Year 8.

    Route record: verified · Athena independents completion research 2026-10-28

Key dates & preparation

2028 entry

Test: Stage A pre-assessment during Year 6 (some schools assess in Year 7); confirmation — Common Entrance or the school’s own process — in May/June of Year 8 (see the route description for this school’s exact model)

Results: Conditional offers follow the Stage A assessment, typically by the spring of Year 6

Offers: Places are confirmed in Year 8 once the school’s confirmation condition is met (see the route description)

When to start preparing: Start preparing in the spring term of Year 5 (the standing rule: about 18 months before the test).

General guidance: this follows the rule of thumb of starting about 18 months before the test. It is not the school's own published advice.

Source: official admissions information · checked 2026-10-28

2027 entry

Test: Stage A pre-assessment during Year 6 (some schools assess in Year 7); confirmation — Common Entrance or the school’s own process — in May/June of Year 8 (see the route description for this school’s exact model)

Results: Conditional offers follow the Stage A assessment, typically by the spring of Year 6

Offers: Places are confirmed in Year 8 once the school’s confirmation condition is met (see the route description)

When to start preparing: Start preparing in the spring term of Year 5 (the standing rule: about 18 months before the test).

General guidance: this follows the rule of thumb of starting about 18 months before the test. It is not the school's own published advice.

Source: official admissions information · checked 2026-10-28

Admissions rules

No catchment — open competition

There is no catchment area. Entry at 13+ is governed by the school’s own pre-assessment and confirmation process (see the route description); registration deadlines fall early — typically during Year 5 or Year 6 — and places at this level are heavily oversubscribed.

Read the school's admissions policy

Results & destinations

2025 results

GCSE: 60% of grades were awarded 9–7 at IGCSE

School-published

A level: Average point score per A level entry 43.07 (average grade B+); 33.7% of A level students achieved AAB or higher

DfE performance tables

University destinations:

  • 65% of leavers — Russell Group universities — School-published: '2025 was another outstanding year for Shrewsbury pupils; 87% progressed to their first-choice university destinations, with 65% securing places at Russell Group universities including Exeter, UCL and Durham.' (places).

Source: official source · checked 2026-10-28

2024 results

A level: Average point score per A level entry 42.21 (average grade B+)

DfE performance tables

Source: official source · checked 2026-10-28

Scholarships & bursaries

Schemes recorded from the school's own published information. A scholarship is a merit award; a bursary is means-tested. Values are shown exactly as the school states them — where a scheme is honorary, its stated value says so.

13+ entry

  • Academic Scholarship

    ScholarshipAcademic

    What is assessed: Shrewsbury's own Academic Scholarship examinations. Winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the ISEB tests, the scholarship examination or the Shrewsbury 13+ examination before entering.

    When: May of Year 8

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Art Scholarship

    ScholarshipArt

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 13+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Year 8 scholarship season for 13+ entry; Sixth Form cycle for 16+ entry

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Design Technology Scholarship

    ScholarshipOther

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 13+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Year 8 scholarship season for 13+ entry; Sixth Form cycle for 16+ entry

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Drama Scholarship

    ScholarshipDrama

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 13+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Year 8 scholarship season for 13+ entry; Sixth Form cycle for 16+ entry

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Music Scholarship

    ScholarshipMusic

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 13+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Year 8 scholarship season for 13+ entry; Sixth Form cycle for 16+ entry

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Sir Michael Palin All-Rounder Scholarship

    ScholarshipAll rounder

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 13+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Year 8 scholarship season for 13+ entry; Sixth Form cycle for 16+ entry

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Sport Scholarship

    ScholarshipSport

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 13+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Year 8 scholarship season for 13+ entry; Sixth Form cycle for 16+ entry

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Third Form (13+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Means-tested bursaries

    BursaryOther

    What is assessed: Means-tested bursaries to support families, frequently combined with a scholarship award (no examination)

    When: Applied for alongside the 13+ application

    What it's worth: Value not stated on the school's published pages

    How to apply: Separate bursary application alongside registration

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

16+ entry

  • Academic Scholarship

    ScholarshipAcademic

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for Sixth Form entry (see the school's scholarships page)

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Art Scholarship

    ScholarshipArt

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 16+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Design Technology Scholarship

    ScholarshipOther

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 16+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Drama Scholarship

    ScholarshipDrama

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 16+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Music Scholarship

    ScholarshipMusic

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 16+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Sir Michael Palin All-Rounder Scholarship

    ScholarshipAll rounder

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 16+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

  • Sport Scholarship

    ScholarshipSport

    What is assessed: Scholarship assessment for 16+ entry; winners must also reach a satisfactory standard in the school's entrance requirements. Where a pupil wins more than one scholarship, the award carrying the highest level of fee remission prevails.

    When: Sixth Form entry cycle

    What it's worth: Fee remission applies at varying levels depending on the award; the level is not stated on the school's published scholarships page

    How to apply: Application for Sixth Form (16+) entry

    Official scholarship information

    Checked 2026-10-28

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