The Pilgrims' School is a preparatory school and cathedral school for boys aged 4-13, in the cathedral city

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The official date of establishment for the cathedral school is unknown but historical records indicate choristers of

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

's renowned

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

have been educated in the

Close Close may refer to: Music * ''Close'' (Kim Wilde album), 1988 * ''Close'' (Marvin Sapp album), 2017 * ''Close'' (Sean Bonniwell album), 1969 * "Close" (Sub Focus song), 2014 * "Close" (Nick Jonas song), 2016 * "Close" (Rae Sremmurd song), 201 ...

as early as the 7th century. The current school was opened in 1931. It also educates choristers of the

Winchester College Chapel Choir Winchester College Chapel Choir is an historic British boys choir that sings in the Chapel of Winchester College. It contains boys under age 12 as well as older students from Winchester College. The choir has performed on the radio and on internat ...

, and from the 1st September 2025 will become part of

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

History

The Pilgrims' School can be traced back through the schools associating with the Cathedral Choir to the Alta Schola which was established around 676 AD. This association continues today. A number of schools set up to educate the choir boys of

are known to have existed since

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

times. Some scholars link them with the Alta Schola (Latin; High School), established in Winchester around AD 676. The school moved to its present site and became a full preparatory school in 1931. It was officially registered as opened on 1 January 1935. The main building, redesigned by Sir

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...

in the 17th century, is on the site of a former Roman villa, and includes a medieval hall and barn. A pre-preparatory department was opened in 2007 to meet the growing demand for an early years programme.

Overview

Architecture

The school hall contains England's oldest surviving wood double hammer-beamed roof, which used to accommodate the pilgrims travelling to the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

. The ancient city wall runs around the boundary of the schools games pitches, situated next to the school. A tributary of the River Itchen flows through the grounds of the school, with the boys able to fish further downstream. Nature reserves in the water meadows have an abundance of wild flowers and birds, and an Iron Age fort comprising a maze at the top of St Catherine's Hill is within walking distance of the school grounds.

School Houses

Upon entry, each boy is allocated to one of the 5 houses, known as 'sets'. They compete in inter-set competitions and points are given for good conduct and academic performance, etc. *Romans *Saxons *Normans *Monks *

Wrens Wrens are a family (biology), family, Troglodytidae, of small brown passerine birds. The family includes 96 species and is divided into 19 genus, genera. All species are restricted to the New World except for the Eurasian wren that is widely di ...

Boarding houses

Most boys are day pupils but the boarding programme is open to all. Cathedral Choristers or Quiristers generally board full-time while others return home for the weekend.

Main School

There are eight

dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

, and the building mainly houses the

Choristers and the majority of 'Commoners' (other pupils).

Q School

Q School, short for 'Quiristers School', is the property of

, because the Quiristers sing in the College Choir and used to be taught separately in this building when they were a full part of the

community. However, in the 1960s it became uneconomical for the college to organise a separate school and curriculum from the rest of the boys, who were from Years 9–13, and so from 1966 onwards The Pilgrims' School welcomed Quiristers to be educated with the 'Commoners'. They still, however, have 4 dormitories for the Quiristers and some Commoners. The Quiristers continue to sing and rehearse at

, but are educated at The Pilgrims' School; staff at Q School are now solely members of staff at The Pilgrims' School. Q School is situated on Kingsgate Street in

, close to the main school site.

Admissions

In February 2023, 240 boys were enrolled at the school, with 163 day pupils, 77 boarders, 7 in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), 85 in the Junior School and 148 in the Senior School. The schools main points for entry are currently Reception (for boys aged 4+), Years 3 and 4 (for boys aged 8+/9+). Boys sometimes join the school in other year groups, and at various times in the year, subject to places being available.

Headmasters

Notable alumni

Jules Knight Julian "Jules" Knight (né Kaye; born 22 September 1981) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for being a member of the British vocal group Blake and his portrayal of Harry Tressler in the medical drama ''Holby City''. He left Blak ...

, actor * Hugh Mitchell, actor *

Stephen Barton Stephen Barton (born 17 September 1982) is a Grammy-winning and Ivor Novello award-winning British composer who lives in Los Angeles. He has composed the music for dozens of major film, television, and video game projects, and has won two SCL A ...

, composer *

Jamie Byng James Edmund Byng (born 27 June 1969) is a British publisher. He works for the independent publishing firm Canongate Books, where he is the CEO and publisher. Early life Byng grew up in the village of Abbots Worthy in Hampshire, England. T ...

, publisher * John Clegg, actor *

Jack Dee James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee (born 24 September 1961) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, presenter, and writer known for his sarcasm, irony, and deadpan humour. He wrote and starred in the sitcom '' Lead Balloon'' and hosts the panel show ...

, comedian *

Johnny Flynn Johnny Flynn (born 14 March 1983) is a British actor and musician. He starred as Dylan Witter in the Channel 4 and Netflix television sitcom '' Lovesick'' and is also known for his performances as David Bowie in the 2020 film '' Stardust''; M ...

, musician *

Patrick Gale Patrick Evelyn Hugh Sadler Gale (born 31 January 1962) is a British novelist. Early life and education Gale was born in 1962 on the Isle of Wight, the youngest of four children. His father was the prison governor of HM Prison Camp Hill on the ...

, author * Jon Snow, broadcaster * Anthony Smith, sculptor

References

External links

* * ISI Inspectio
ReportsJoining The Pilgrims' School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilgrims School, The Schools in Winchester Choir schools in England Grade I listed buildings in Hampshire Boys' schools in Hampshire Preparatory schools in Hampshire Boarding schools in Hampshire Private schools in Hampshire Educational institutions established in 1931 1931 establishments in England