Bishop Wordsworth's School is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

boys'

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

for boys aged 11 to 18. The school has been amongst the top-performing schools in England, and in 2010 was the school with the best results in the

English Baccalaureate The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance indicator in England linked to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results. It measures students' attainment by calculating an average score from specified subject grades. ...

. It was granted academy status in March 2011 and is an Additional Member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools ...

. It is within the grounds of

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

, adjacent to the

Cathedral School Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools. Some of these ...

. Sixth form teaching was in collaboration with South Wilts Grammar School for Girls until June 2020; from September 2020 the school admitted girls direct to its sixth form, with 45 joining Year 12. The school's full name is Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, shortened to BWS. It is known colloquially as Bishop's, and its students as Bishop's Boys. The school's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

is ''Veritas in Caritate'', taken from the Latin text of Ephesians 4:15: "(Speaking the) truth in love."

History

The school was founded in June 1889, when the

bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The Episcopal see, see is in the Salisbur ...

, John Wordsworth, announced to his friend Canon Woodall, "I should like to see Salisbury a great educational centre. I should like to found a school which shall be equal to the greatest and best of our public schools." His initial desire that working class boys were not to be admitted caused much controversy. Fees were initially set at £1.10s.0d, and boarding fees were £2 per term; however, the fees were raised to £9 in 1894 to meet the unexpected costs of the school. During the first year, classes were taught in the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

of Salisbury itself. Bishop Wordsworth personally donated £3000, which was used to purchase an area of land in the cathedral close and to build the school's first buildings. After Wordsworth's death, the school was renamed Bishop Wordsworth's School, having been previously known as "The Bishop's School". In 1905, the school became a

, its buildings consisting of the current Chapel Block and Bishopgate. Between 1905 and 1927 the school also used buildings in the Friary and also on New Street in Salisbury. Until 1928 the school admitted both boys and girls, but from 1927, with the founding of a girls' grammar school in the city called

South Wilts Grammar School South Wilts Grammar School, formerly South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, is a grammar school in Salisbury, south Wiltshire, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18. Established in 1927, the school converted to an academy in 2011. In 2020, the name ...

, the school admitted boys only. In 1931 a hall, science laboratories and a library were built. By the 1930s, the school had achieved a reputation for pioneering educational work, and in 1936 became a public school. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, pupils from the Priory School in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

moved to BWS to avoid the bombing of the city. In 1948 the governors accepted voluntary controlled status, which meant being funded by

Wiltshire County Council Wiltshire Council, known between 1889 and 2009 as Wiltshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Wiltshire in South West England, and has its headquarters at County Hall in Trowbridge. Since 2009 it has bee ...

local education authority Local education authorities (LEAs) were defined in England and Wales as the local councils responsible for education within their jurisdictions. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902, which transferred education powers from school bo ...

and accepting its supervision. Boarding at the school in the Bishopgate buildings ended in the 1950s, and the buildings were used for teaching thereafter. The school now educates boys aged 11 to 18 in years 7–13 and girls aged 16 to 18 in years 12–13. In 2002, a major redevelopment of the school's site and buildings commenced. A new classroom block and drama studio were followed by an extensive sports hall and physical education facilities, and a sixth form block was finished in July 2010. The old sports hall was converted to house the art department, and the design technology block has been expanded. In 2011 a new cookery room was completed with the reception moved from The Close to Exeter Street and in 2017 the new Maths Block was completed. In 2004 the school was awarded its first specialism in

languages Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing. Human language is ch ...

. In 2008 the school achieved an additional specialism in

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

. As part of its specialist work the school has supported all of the city primary schools in Salisbury in languages, and many with science too. The school converted to single academy status in 2011. It has five houses, named after bishops of Salisbury: Poore, Osmund, Jewell, Martival and Ward. In 2016 the school was criticised for asking parents for money towards their sons' exam costs. One Bishop Wordsworth's School parent said the school was not private and should not be "money grabbing". Headmaster Stuart Smallwood defended the school, saying it did not receive enough government funding and that the payments were entirely optional. In October 2021, it was reported that Wiltshire Police had investigated drugs activity among a small number of pupils. The previous month, a 14-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. In March 2023, it was reported that a student in Year 10 had been arrested on suspicion of sending social media messages threatening to perform a mass shooting at the school. In December 2024, the ''Salisbury Journal'' reported that headmaster Matthew Morgan had left the school for personal reasons, after three months in the post.

Entrance

Entry to the school is regulated by the 11-plus. Applicants sit the test in year 6, at the age of 10 or 11. The exams are held in September at the school itself. There are also limited twelve plus and thirteen plus admissions, similarly by examination.

Sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

admission is administered by the head of sixth form, and is granted on the basis of

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

results. Pupils must achieve more than 48 points (including 5 in maths and English) in their GCSEs to continue their studies in sixth form, as well as a relatively high grade in the options they propose to take.

Notable staff

Sir

William Golding Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel '' Lord of the Flies'' (1954), Golding published another 12 volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 19 ...

, winner of the

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

, was a schoolmaster teaching

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and English in 1939, then English and religious education from 1945 to 1962. '' Lord of the Flies'' was Golding's first book, written in 1954, and it is widely believed that its main characters were based on Golding's students. Golding also regularly sang with Bishop Wordsworth's School choir. He was known affectionately as "Scruff" by the pupils due to his sometimes unkempt hair and beard and his carefree dress sense. After Golding's death in 1993, the school choir sang at his memorial service in Salisbury Cathedral. In March 2005 a plaque was placed at the school to commemorate Golding's time as a teacher. Headmaster Happold was also noted for the foundation of the "Company of Honour and Service". Kenelm Foster wrote:

" he company isa sort of modernist Grail (for Boys) or Solidarity which Dr Happold founded in 1935 at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. This is his nucleus, his 'order', his new aristocracy, which is to permeate England: a little cohort of leaders, of seers, of doers." (Cited in Happold, 1964, pp. 33).

Alan Harwood was a notable organ scholar and taught music at Bishop Wordsworth's School. After Harwood's death in 2003, composer Sam Hanson (organist/director of music at St Peter's Church, Bournemouth, formerly organ scholar at

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

), dedicated a requiem to him. Former headmaster Clive Barnett (who left the school in 2002) is a patron of EdUKaid, a charity working in Tanzania. In 2009, a retired teacher who was being investigated for indecent assault killed himself by inhaling helium. Nicholas Bray was found dead at his home by police officers on 12 June 2009 after failing to attend an appointment at Salisbury Police Station. He had been arrested in 2007 for an assault dating back several years and was also being investigated for possessing indecent images. In August 2024, Stuart Smallwood retired as headmaster after 22 years and was succeeded by Matthew Morgan, formerly headmaster at Sir Thomas Rich school in Gloucester.

Headmasters

* 1890–1928: Reuben Bracher * 1928–1960: Frederick Crossfield Happold * 1960–1964: Ernest Ethrin Sabben-Clare * 1964–1974: Robert Cabot Rowsell Blackledge * 1974–1992: Glyn Evans * 1992–2002: Clive Barnett * 2002–2024: Stuart Smallwood * 2024-2024: Matthew Morgan * 2025-2025: Stuart Smallwood (interim)

Notable alumni

The "Old Wordsworthian" AGM and lunch is traditionally held after the cathedral service and Founder's Day celebrations in July. Science * Mark Oxborrow, professor at

Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...

, co-discoverer of the room-temperature solid-state maser * Professor Patrick Eyers, Johnston Professor of Biochemistry at

University of LIverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

, who co-discovered the gatekeeper residue in protein kinases in 1998 and studies the roles of kinases and pseudoenzymes in human biology. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in the field of kinase regulation and been cited over 11,000 times Military * Walter Edward Maxfield, lieutenant colonel

1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF The 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Army. Raised for service during the First World War as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), it was formed in November 1914, in Brandon, Manitoba ...

(The Bishop's School: 1890–1892) * William Sholto Thesigerwst Douglass, colonel,

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

* Tom Adlam, lieutenant colonel, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment,

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

recipient * George Woolnough, lieutenant colonel, The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) * Chris Moon, captain, Royal Anglian Regiment * Richard Crisp, lieutenant, Special Air Service Regiment, executed by enemy forces during SAS/SOE Operation Bulbasket * F N Robertson, flight sergeant, No 261 Sqn, Hurricane fighter ace with 11th most kills of any Commonwealth pilot in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

* Dudley Cockle, flight sergeant, Royal Air Force airman; recipient of the

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

* Percy Morfill, squadron leader, a flying ace of the Royal Air Force during World War II Sports * Dudley Cockle, cricketer * David Egerton, England rugby international player * Richard Anthony Hill, former

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

and England international

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

flanker, player/captain/winner RWC 2003 * Richard John Hill, coach and former

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

and England international

scrum half, player/captain * Cadan Murley, Harlequins and England international rugby union wing * John Shaw, England XI hockey captain and Olympian * Tom Heathcote,

Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Founded in 1865 as Bath Football Club, since 1894 the club has played at the Recreation Ground, Bath, Rec ...

fly-half * John Coundley, racing driver * Jonathan Copp, (BWS: 1969–1977) England and Great Britain Olympic hockey squad coach * James McIntosh, English Channel swimmer Business * Colin Sharman, Baron Sharman, chairman of Aviva Group and former chairman of KPMG International, Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Morocco Arts *

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ralph Fiennes, various accolades, including a British Academy Film ...

, actor * Joseph Fiennes, actor * Tim Hampton, film producer * Anthony Robert Klitz, major, Middlesex Regiment,

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

* Hamish Milne, concert pianist and professor of piano at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

* David Oakes, actor * Otto Plaschkes, movie producer * Andy Sheppard, jazz musician * Nigel Shore, principal oboist with the Komische Oper Berlin * Peter Thursby, sculptor * David Bates, conductor * Barney Norris, novelist and playwright * James Marriott, musician Education * Basil Chubb, professor of Irish history at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

, author, and interned during the

in Stalag Luft III * Andrew Copp, neurobiologist * Andrew Tym Hattersley, head of the Exeter Diabetes Genetics Centre, professor of molecular medicine, Peninsula Medical School,

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

, consultant physician, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, great-grandson of John Wordsworth, the

, who founded BWS. * Prof. Chris Sangwin, mathematician,

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

Legal * Ken Macdonald,

warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically ident ...

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...

, director of public prosecutions (DPP), head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2003 to 2008 Politics * David Munro, Conservative police and crime commissioner for Surrey 2016–2020 * Tom Copley, Labour Party London Assembly member Religion * Mervyn Alexander, the 8th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton, from 1974 to 2001 * Wilfred Frank Curtis, major,

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

Journalism * Andrew Harvey,

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

newsreader * Anthony Hayward, journalist and author Other * Cecil Chubb, last private owner of Stonehenge * Mark Labbett (born 1965), quizzer * Frank Noyce, member of the Governor-General of India's Executive Council from 1932 to 1937, and member of the Indian Public Schools' Society (IPSS) * Sir Graham Smith, HM chief inspector of probation from 1992 to 2001 * Ralph Whitlock farmer, broadcaster, conservationist, journalist and author

Sources

* Happold, Frederick Crossfield, ''Bishop Wordsworth's School 1890 – 1950''. Privately printed for Bishop Wordsworth's School, 1950, 124pp. * Happold, Frederick Crossfield, ''Religious Faith and Twentieth-Century Man''. Pelican Original, 1964. * 'Roman Britain in 1954: I. Sites Explored: II. Inscriptions', ''The Journal of Roman Studies'', Vol. 45, Parts 1 and 2. (1955), pp. 121–149. * United Kingdom Census 1901 * British Army Medals & Honour Rolls 1914–1920

References

External links

*
Old Wordsworthians' Association

Statistics
from the

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for child protection, child services, education in England, educati ...

{{Authority control Boys' schools in Wiltshire Academies in Wiltshire Grammar schools in Wiltshire Schools in Salisbury Church of England secondary schools in the Diocese of Salisbury Educational institutions established in 1889 1889 establishments in England *