Shropshire is one of England’s most rural counties and the countryside all around Shrewsbury is some of the most beautiful and unspoilt in the country.
Our unrivalled location is at the gateway to the Shropshire Hills ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ironbridge, and Wales, home to some of the most incredible scenery in Great Britain.
About the Course
Summer Academic Courses available:
1) Darwin Bioscience: Our Darwin Science School is a fantastic scientific journey through Biology inspired by Old Salopian Charles Darwin . Charles Darwin, who went on to become one of the most influential scientists of all time, was born in Shrewsbury and was a pupil at Shrewsbury School in 1818. His theory of Natural Selection is the single most powerful and unifying idea in all of Biology and helps us to truly understand what life is and the place of humanity in the universe.
2) Darwin Geoscience: Our Geoscience Summer School with take students on a fantastic journey through Earth's history and how environmental and climate change affect the world around us.
Students will recreate the famous 1831 trip of Charles Darwin and Cambridge Professor of Geology Adam Sedgwick into the heart of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia). Sedgwick led this expedition annually and his invitation to Darwin would prove revolutionary for modern environmental science. It was on this trip that Darwin first internalised the power of geological time in shaping physical landscapes and biological organisms.
3) Darwin Maths Evolution: Our Maths Evolution Summer School is an exciting course for students to develop a deeper understanding of Mathematics and the discoveries of Old Salopian Charles Darwin. Darwin Maths Evolution is an exploration of the discoveries of Charles Darwin and some of the most influential Mathematicians in history through to current day AI.
4) Darwin Discovery: Dive into a fortnight of discovery and boarding-life led by Shrewsbury School staff and designed to be serious fun for adventurous 9-12 year olds! Darwin’s Discovery Course brings together Biology, Geology, Maths, Design and Coding - with an amazing taster of British school life at Shrewsbury a globally leading school.
Darwin Bioscience: This course is designed to be delivered to students between the ages of 12-15.
This course will encourage students to grow their scientific skills, allowing them to develop inquisitive minds ready for the next level of study at school and at university.
On this course, through a series of engaging, practical lessons, students will be inspired by Darwin’s life and influences, whilst they learn about modern science techniques to prepare them for further study or careers beyond learning.
Successful completion of this course includes the awarding of The Shrewsbury School Darwin Bioscience Certificate.
This course is for those with advanced English skills who wish to improve their English vocabulary and fluency through the study of science.
Potential Excursions to Oxford University, Oxford, Natural History Museum, London, Down House, Kent , Shrewsbury School’s own Darwinia (things owned by Darwin) Collection, Shrewsbury and Shropshire
Afternoon & Evening Activities
Darwin Geoscience: This course is designed to be delivered to students between the ages of 12-15.
The Darwin Geoscience Course is largely field based and students should expect to spend considerable amounts of time in the outdoors.
We believe that the best way to understand the power of Earth Science is through an immersive teaching experience that starts in the landscape. Students will learn to read the landscape using a range of qualitative and quantitive techniques including; field sketching, sediment coring, geological logging, and mapping.
On this course, through a series of engaging, practical lessons, students will be inspired by the work of Charles Darwin and Adam Sedgwick Newton, and discover how they would revolutionise modern environmental science.
They will also explore the unique geographical surroundings of Shrewsbury discovering the power of Earth Science preparing students for further study or careers beyond learning.
Potential excursions to Eryri National Park, Snowdonia, Glyderau Mountain Range, Snowdonia, Natural History Museum, London, Wenlock Edge, Shropshire, Shrewsbury and Shropshire
Afternoon & Evening Activities
Darwin Maths Evolution: This course is designed to be delivered to students between the ages of 12-15.
This course will encourage students to be inquisitive and investigative, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of the language of Mathematics and logical links within it.
Through studying this course at Shrewsbury, pupils’ eyes will be opened to the unity within Mathematics, preparing them for more advanced study. This, alongside team challenges and competitions, encourages pupils to develop a critical knowledge and ability to communicate mathematically.
Through classroom discussions, practical experiments, and eye-opening trips, this course is guaranteed to provide an unmatched insight into this interesting subject. Through the variety and depth of the unique methods of discovery, this course is certainly serious fun and will help to shape students’ future studies or careers in Mathematics.
On this course, through a series of engaging, practical lessons, students will be inspired by the work of Darwin, Newton, Lovelace and Turing and discover how Maths has shaped the world around us, whilst they learn about AI preparing them for further study or careers beyond learning.
Potential excursions to Bletchley Park – the home of Alan Turing’s Enigma machines, the Bombe, which cracked the Enigma Code and changed the course of World War II, Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Royal Greenwich Observatory, London, Oxford University, Shrewsbury and Shropshire
Afternoon & Evening Activities
Darwin's Discovery Course: This course is designed to be delivered to students between the ages of 9-12.
Inspired by Charles Darwin’s path from Shrewsbury School to scientific fame, you’ll wear the lab coat one moment and sports kit the next as you tackle hands-on science, outdoor quests and creative challenges on our historic riverside campus.
Follow in the footsteps of Darwin, Newton and Turing with your new summer school friends as you hunt for ancient fossils beside the River Severn, crack clever maths puzzles over snack breaks, sketch glacial landscapes on field trips, and you’ll explore how Maths, Design, Biology, and Geology have shaped our understanding of the world whilst looking further to AI.
All the while, you’ll live the true British boarding experience: enjoy your morning breakfast as a house in the dining hall, join team challenges on our playing fields, share stories under starry skies, and explore Shrewsbury, Shropshire, London and more. By the end, you’ll have sharpened your curious mind – and collected memories of an epic summer adventure!
Step outside and into the field as you become a young Earth Explorer! visiting real landscapes, collect rocks and fossils, and sketch amazing views shaped by glaciers and volcanoes
Back in class, dive into the magic of Maths and Coding. Solve puzzles over fruit-filled snack breaks, build mini programs with new friends, and design your dream flag or a model town using logic.
Potential excursions to Imperial College London, Bletchley Park – the home of Alan Turing’s Enigma machines, the Bombe, which cracked the Enigma Code and changed the course of World War II,
Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Oxford University, Oxford, Ironbridge – the birthplace of the industrial revolution, Shrewsbury and Shropshire
Afternoon & Evening Activities
Package also Includes:
Full Board Accommodation within onsite campus
24/7Pastoral Care Team support throughout their Summer course
Free WI-FI facilities
*Scheduled transport from either Manchester, Birmingham or Heathrow airports is available for students coming from overseas, which is organised by the School
Afternoon & Evening Activities with English lessons as optional
Excursions
Comprehensive Insurance
1 year free online course
NB: *(Students must arrive on the first Sunday between 6am-10am or 5pm-9pm to Heathrow, or between 12pm and 8pm at Birmingham or Manchester airports, and depart on the final Saturday, between 11am and 11pm at Heathrow, or between 10am and 6pm from Birmingham or Manchester).
Activities:
Afternoon and evening activities will allow students to mix socially and enjoy fun sessions This could include (may be subject to change):
Bubble football
BBQs
Movie nights (some outdoors)
Swimming
Trampolining
Water sports
Local walks
Sports – football, badminton basketball, cricket, plus an introduction to fives and rowing
Trips to Sporting Events
About the School
Shrewsbury School is a leading independent school in the UK, with a long and distinguished history.
Since 1552, we have been providing high-quality education to pupils including Charles Darwin, Sir Michael Palin and Lord Heseltine, and for over 50 years we have delivered a Shrewsbury education to international students from all over the world.
Accommodation:
Shrewsbury School has a beautiful green-hearted campus site on the banks of the River Severn within one of the most historic county towns in England.
Our Houses make for the perfect place to come back to after a day of learning. Each boarding house has a common room providing ample space for pupils to relax and unwind, study areas for them to continue their educational journey as well as social areas with televisions, games, table tennis and other activities that will allow students to bond outside of the classroom.
Boys and girls will be separated in accommodation and allocated age-appropriate rooms for their stay, with experienced pastoral care on site.
Catering:
Meals at Shrewsbury are enjoyed in our purpose-built catering hall, Kingsland Hall (‘KH’), where students will choose from a wide variety of freshly prepared dishes and then eat with their friends and tutors from the courses.
Food is provided by our contract catering company Sodexo, a catering company that is committed to the provision of delicious meals that bring both ingredients and cultures to life. Students with special dietary needs such as dairy/ lactose intolerance, vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free diets and halal food can also be catered for.
