Shrewsbury High School

Our View

A strong academic school, but with plenty of time and space for the ordinary mortal as long as they are enthusiastic about learning. Inspirational head doing great things.

Head

Since 2000, Mrs Marilyn L R Cass BA MA (in education management) (fiftyish). Educated at Royal School, Bath. Six years in WRAC – recruitment, PR, intelligence officer. Travelled all over world with husband, a former naval officer, who now works for charity. Two sons, twenties. Did her degree at Exeter, after children arrived, and went into teaching. Previously deputy head at Redland High, Bristol. After nine years in post says she could be good for another ten! Unstuffy, articulate, energetic, enthusiastic, no-nonsense and an excellent communicator. Prefers to enthuse and motivate rather than drive, but has strong expectation of hard work and good behaviour. Expects to know her pupils well and does a small amount of teaching. With her husband, takes the annual ski trip to the Alps – both are keen skiers and are qualified instructors. Girls say that she has 'sharpened up and modernised the school, with a new uniform, a wider curriculum which includes psychology.' It is now more formal and structured but also more flexible and broadening.

Academic Matters

Robustly academic, top level, but with three-form entry the senior department aims for a broad intake, with lots of middle of the road girls. Takes great pride both in its impressive academic results where four out of five are expected to gain A*/A (GCSE) or A/B (A level), and in the number of pupils placed at popular universities, but staff are also genuinely concerned for the under-performers, who are supported sympathetically. A small number of dyslexic children – 30 with Individual Educational Plans – who are helped to cope with normal classroom life and the school will 'see them through'.

The academic routine is lively and stimulating and the result is interested, excited children all striving to fulfil their potential. Girls report 'unpressurised but as academic as you might want it'. 'Challenging at the top end but does well with the less able.' 'Lots of after school help from the teachers.' 'Doesn't worry about league tables.' 'Brilliant teaching atmosphere.' French, German and Spanish available. Superb IT facilities, and music and art and particularly drama (super drama studio) are clearly strengths. On the value-added side, the ALIS assessment suggests that it is up a full grade from GCSE to A level. Class sizes can rise to 26 but the average is below this. A level forms average 14. So, who wouldn't fit in? 'Someone who wasn't enthusiastic about learning.'

Games, Options, the Arts

Space for sports has improved with the recent development of the prep, with thirteen acres of grounds. The GDST has invested in a new gym and classroom block at the prep, opened in 2008, enabling more activities to take place after school. While it could not really be described as a 'gamesy' school, more sport is planned for the sixth form and they do have up to 30 county players in a variety of sports. Also holds its own with the best at tennis. Superb sports complex, the Kingsland Centre, opened at the senior department in 2005. Uses fine facilities at Shrewsbury School: Astroturf, rowing, swimming pool.

Background and Atmosphere

A GDST school, it was opened in 1885 in much older premises along the old town walls, with grounds running down to the river Severn. The buildings are a pleasing mixture of old and new, largely concentrated within one site, but with a sixth form centre and music school on other parts of the campus. The head has a strong vision for the school and the Cass effect is visible nearly everywhere. It is losing its hitherto rather institutional feel, with brand-new labs and lots of cheerful paint, and there is a brand-new library and resource centre, though some of the classrooms and displays await attention. Two new classrooms have been incorporated in the new sports complex, the Kingsland Centre. The school is joined by the Kingsland Bridge to nearby Shrewsbury School, across which there is much to-ing and fro-ing, and also the pre-prep just a few minutes' walk away. In 2007 Shrewsbury High School acquired Kingsland Grange Prep, close to the other two sites. A new teaching block on this site was completed in September 2008, and the prep offers single-sex classes for boys and girls across the core curriculum.

Staff, of whom several have been there ten years plus with no sign of staleness, include quite a few twenty- and thirty-somethings to take the culture of the school forward. All like working there. Clearly a good working environment with inspiring and enthusiastic management.

Pastoral Care and Discipline

Not only do all pupils have form tutors but, in the GCSE years, they are also individually mentored by other teaching staff. In addition, there are pupil mentors, drawn from the sixth form, who are attached to every form group. Strong house system right through from pre-prep to sixth form. The head stresses importance of communication with parents and talking through problems which are handled firmly but sympathetically. She says, 'Children need to expect anything in life and to cope – to persist and not give up: a culture of achievement.'

Pupils and Parents

Pupils are confident, outgoing, assured, friendly, cheerful, with a strong sense of community and greatly supportive of each other. A wide social mix, with children drawn from the county set, professional classes, business and farming and new industries in Telford. It is a very popular option for staff at nearby Shrewsbury School and the headmaster's two daughters attended. Girls come from wide radius – Ludlow, Telford, Market Drayton, Bridgnorth, Wolverhampton and Whitchurch.

Entrance

Its popularity locally ensures a good stream of able girls in the senior department and it can afford to be selective, though projected increases in numbers give a chance for the not-so-academic. Largely fed from its own prep (a certain amount of filtering here). The rest of the intake at year 11 comes from other prep schools and some thirty odd state schools.

Exit

The sixth form is thriving, though some leave at 16 – to sixth form college and co-ed and girls' boarding schools. All go on to some form of higher education at 18 and the large majority ends up at university, with at least half a dozen going to Oxbridge. Boys at the prep take Common Entrance at 13 and go on to a variety of senior schools including Shrewsbury School, and each year a number of boys gain scholarships there.

Money Matters

Fees - extremely modest and wonderful value and, unlike most except other GDST schools, include almost everything (exam fees, personal insurance, external careers advice etc). Bursaries available.