Ellesmere College
Ellesmere College is a co-educational independent boarding school, part of the Woodward corporation, providing education to pupils aged 7-18, in Shropshire.
Key Information
Ellesmere College offers GCSE, A Level & IB curriculum. They deliver a strong IELTS & EAL for international students. Full boarding is offered on site in their Ellesmere grounds, catering to both UK & international students. Ellesmere College has an established Special Education Needs (SEN) provision specialising in dyslexic learning differences. Read more below ...
History of the School
The foundation stone of Ellesmere College, formerly known as St. Oswald's School, was laid on St. Oswald's Day, August 5th, 1879, and the school was opened on the same date in 1884. The founder was Canon Nathaniel Woodard who began a chain of Woodard Foundation Schools, beginning with Lancing College in Sussex. The land upon which the College is situated was provided by Lord Brownlow, whose wife laid the foundation stone.In November 2021 Ellesmere College was awarded the High Performance Learning World Class School Accreditation - one of only 39 schools worldwide to be awarded this accreditation. High Performance Learning (HPL) is an international movement delivering educational change, working with schools and teachers to provide a flexible learning framework, building cognitive competences and designed to achieve academic and lifetime success.
Pre-16 qualifications
Post 16 qualifications
Ellesmere employs the HPL approach through the whole school system - from Lower School to Sixth Form. It reflects what is already known about advanced thinking skills and learning behaviours, helping pupils to develop skills and attitudes like; confidence, agile thinking, perseverance and a greater awareness and concern for the broader issues in society. This is an holistic approach which aims to ensure pupils are fully prepared for academic, work & personal life challenges.
Academic performance
Boarding accommodation
With many areas of the Boarding life at Ellesmere College being described as 'outstanding' it is no wonder many pupils choose to board here. Ellesmere is progressive in its thinking and offers boarding based on age group (Junior, Middle and the Sixth Form). This allows boarders to grow and learn within larger friendship groups, share more experiences together and form life-long relationships.
Pastoral care
Day pupils and boarders alike benefit from the team of tutors and a 'house mother', all marshalled by a Housemaster or Housemistress. Each pupil is given a personal tutor whilst in Lower School the role is taken by the form teacher. The emphasis, again, is on the individual. The tutor will oversee the development of the pupil in all aspects of life at Ellesmere and regular communication with parents is very much part of the scheme. The Housemother's role is to provide pastoral and domestic care to both boarding and day pupils in the respective Saints Houses. They work alongside the Housemaster/Housemistress and tutors to provide a 'home from home' environment for boys and girls who are often away from home for the first time, dealing with emotional and practical problems that all teenagers face, from homesickness to lost socks (of which there are many!). The role can be very rewarding, building strong relationships with pupils and parents that can last long after they have left the Houses and even the school.
Extra-curricular activities
Ellesmere welcomes students with lots of interests and is not a school for narrow specialists. Alongside a strong academic focus, the College does pride itself on its sports provision and has outstanding sports facilities including; large external grounds for rugby, cricket and football, an on site 9 hole golf course, 4 indoor tennis courts and an indoor swimming pool. The College offers 7 different sports academies-tennis, swimming, shooting, football. cricket, rugby & golf.
General school facilities
A Day in the Life of