List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom

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. In many cases the date of the original foundation is uncertain. For conciseness schools whose date is cited on their own page in Wikipedia are not cited again here. Though not in the United Kingdom, one school (Elizabeth College) in Guernsey – a Crown dependency – is included in this list.

England

Sixth century

The King's School, Canterbury (abbey founded in 597, new royal charter in 1541)

Seventh century

The King's School, Rochester (founded in 604, new royal charter in 1541)
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)
Beverley Grammar School (c.700)

Eighth century

Sherborne School (705, royal charter 1550)
The Pilgrims' School, Winchester (c.900)^{[citation needed]}

Tenth century

Warwick School (914, royal charter 1545)
Wells Cathedral School (909)
St Albans School (c.948, refounded 1549)
The Minster School, Southwell (minster founded 956, first mention 1313, refounded 1547)
King's Ely (970)

Eleventh century

Bedford School (1086, refounded 1552)
Salisbury Cathedral School (1091)
Norwich School (1096, refounded 1547 as "King Edward VI Grammar School")
Abingdon School (possibly as old as 1100, endowed 1256, refounded 1563)

Twelfth century

St Paul's Cathedral School (founded 1123)
Colchester Royal Grammar School (1128, Royal Charters 1539, re-founded 1584)^[1]
Reading School (1125 as the school of Reading Abbey, refounded 1486, Royal charter 1541, closed in the 1860s, re-opened 1871)
The King's School, Pontefract (1139, refounded 1548)
Bristol Cathedral School (abbey founded 1140, refounded 1542)
Exeter Cathedral School (founded 1179)^[2]

Thirteenth century

Lancaster Royal Grammar School (mention of master 1235, endowed 1472)
Kingston Grammar School (chapel founded 13th Century, Refounded 1561)
Louth Grammar School (earliest reference 1276, refounded 1551 as King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth)
Stratford Grammar School (1295, refounded 1553 as King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon)

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)
St George's School, Windsor Castle (1348)
Doncaster Grammar School now Hall Cross School, (first record of existence 1350)
Beauchamp College (first record of existence 1359)
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 (Royal licence in 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)
King's College School, Cambridge (1441)
City of London School (1442)
St Dunstan's College (earlier than 1446)
Bridlington School (1447)
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 Church School (1492)
Ermysted's Grammar School (record of a chantry school 1492, re-founded 1548)
Lichfield Grammar School (1495, refounded as King Edward VI School, Lichfield )
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)
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn (1509)
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)
Hutton Grammar School, Lancashire (1512)
Nottingham High School (1513)
Pocklington School (1514)
Manchester Grammar School (1515)
Gillingham School (1516)
Bolton School (before 1516)
Cranbrook School, Kent (1518)
King's School, Bruton (1519)
Coleshill School (1520)
Hackney Free (1520) later renamed The Urswick School
John Mayne School, Biddenden (1522)^{[citation needed]}
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)
Prescot Grammar School (1544)
King Henry VIII School, Coventry (1545)
Archbishop Holgate's School, York (1546)
Colyton Grammar School (1546)
Malton School (1547)
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, 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 a chantry school 1430) (became Sixth Form College 1992)
The King Edward VI School, Morpeth (1552) (formerly a 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)
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)
Tadcaster Grammar School (1557)
Repton School (1557)
Hampton 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)
Westminster Abbey Choir School (1560)
Kingston Grammar School (1561)
Merchant Taylors' School (1561)
Queen Elizabeth's Academy (1561)
Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College (1561) (initial founding of Guisborough Grammar School, became Prior Pursglove College 1971, merged with Stockton College 2016)
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)
Bungay Grammar School (1565)
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) (Oldest Catholic school in England)
The Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester, Dorset (1569) (formerly Dorchester Free School)
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)
Lord Williams's School (1575)
Dartford Grammar School (1576)
Sutton Valence School (1576)
Woodbridge School (1587)
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)
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 Academy, Wantage (1597)
Aylesbury Grammar School (1598)
Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham (1599)
Kimbolton School (1531, earliest references, 1600 accepted)

Seventeenth century

Dixie Grammar School (1601)
Burnsall Primary School (1602), founded as grammar school, then became "all-age" (5–13) and now primary.^[3]
King James's School, Almondbury (1604)
Blundell's School (1604)
Carre's Grammar School (1604)
Newcastle Under Lyme School (c.1604)
Downside School (1606)
Marlwood School (1606)
Paston College (1606)
Clarke's Grammar 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)
Steyning Grammar School (1614)
Wolsingham School (1614) Originally Wolsingham Grammar School
The Perse School (1615)
Wilson's School (1615)
Richard Hale School (1617)
King James's School, Knaresborough (1616)
William Parker School (1619)
Alleyn's School (1619) (founded as ”the College of God’s Gift”)
Dulwich College (1619) (also founded as "the College of God's Gift")
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby (1620)
Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School (1623)^[4]^{[better source needed]}
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)
Hitchin Boys' School (1632)
Sir John Leman High School (1632)
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^{[clarification needed]} 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), formerly Colfe's Grammar School
Chetham's Hospital (1653)
Adams' Grammar School (1656)
Hele's School, formerly Plympton Grammar School; moved site in 1937
The Maynard School (1658), all girls
Henry Box School (1660)
Bere Alston Primary School (1665)^[5]
Sir Thomas Rich's School (1666)
Old Swinford Hospital (1667)
Read School, Drax (1667)
Brigg Grammar School (1669), since 1976 Sir John Nelthorpe School
Chard Grammar School (1671)
The Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone (1674)
Reigate Grammar School (1675)
Lady Boswell's Church of England Primary School, first state primary school (1675)
The John Roan School (1677)
Sandbach School (1677)
Davenant Foundation School (1680)
Parmiter's School (1681)
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)

Wales

Thirteenth century

Ruthin School (c.1284, refounded 1574)

Sixteenth century

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

Seventeenth century

Ysgol David Hughes Ynys Môn (1603)
Hawarden High School (1606)
Monmouth School (1614)
Botwnnog School (1616)^[6]
The Bishop Gore School, Swansea (1682)
Llanrwst Grammar School (1610)

Scotland

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)
Kirkwall Grammar School (1200)

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 first founded in 1120 refounded (1468)
Dumbarton Academy (earliest reference 1485)

Sixteenth century

Montrose Academy (c. 1534, earliest evidence of schooling 1329)
Leith Academy (1560)
Paisley Grammar School (1576)
Kirkcudbright Academy (earliest record of existence 1582)

Seventeenth century

Northern Ireland

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (February 2011)

Seventeenth century

The Royal School, Armagh (1608)
Royal School Dungannon (1614)
Foyle College (1617)
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School (successor to Portora Royal School, founded 1618)

Channel Islands

Sixteenth century

Elizabeth College (1563)

References for schools not having their own page

^ see: Vitae Corona Fides: The History of Colchester Royal Grammar School by Trevor Hearn
^ "History & Heritage". Exeter Cathedral School. 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^ "Burnsall School: A Brief Historical Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^ "Welcome to the website of Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School". Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^ Cripps, Melanie. "Prospectus-31.10.16" (PDF). Retrieved 15 December 2018.
^ Schools Inquiry Commission (1868). Report of the Commissioners. G .E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode. p. Appendix 60. Retrieved 15 December 2018.