List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom

This list is a work-in-progress, as it is built from various sources. It is fully expected that some of the positions may yet change. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporary reference to the school.

Former (non-extant) schools

* Cor Tewdws (College of Theodosius), Llantwit Major (446 - closed down in reign of Henry VIII)
* Cirencester Grammar School (1461) - closed in 1966
* Douai School (1615) - closed down in 1999
* Royal Grammar School, Worcester (1291) - merged with neighbour (The Alice Ottley School), to form RGS Worcester and The Alice Ottley School (2007)

Extant schools

ixth century

* The King's School, Canterbury (597)

eventh century

* The King's School, Rochester (604)
* St Peter's School, York (627)

Eighth century

* Beverley Grammar School (700)

Tenth century

* The Pilgrims' School (c.900)
* Warwick School (904)
* Wells Cathedral School (909)
* St Albans School (948)
* The King's School, Ely (970)

Eleventh century

* Salisbury Cathedral School (1091)
* Norwich School (1096)

Twelfth century

* High School of Glasgow (pre-1124)
* Reading School (1125)
* Royal High School, Edinburgh (1128)
* Bristol Cathedral School (1140)
* Derby School (1160)
* Westminster School (1179)
* Lanark Grammar School (1183)

Thirteenth century

* Colchester Royal Grammar School (1206)
* Ayr Academy (1233)
* Lancaster Royal Grammar School (1235)
* High School of Dundee (1239)
* Abingdon School (1256 (possibly as old as 1100))
* King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth (1276)
* Ruthin School (1284)
* the former Royal Grammar School Worcester (1291) - now known as RGS Worcester and The Alice Ottley School (2007)

Fourteenth century

* Stamford School (1309, re-endowed 1532)
* Northallerton College (1323)
* Hull Grammar School (1330)
* The King's School, Ottery St Mary (1335)
* Bablake School (1344)
* Doncaster Grammar School / Hall Cross School (1350) (first record of existence)
* New College School (1379)
* Wisbech Grammar School (1379)
* Winchester College (1382)
* Hereford Cathedral School (1384)
* Katharine Lady Berkeley's School (1384)
* Penistone Grammar School (1392)

Fifteenth century

* Chorister School (c.1400)
* Oswestry School (1407)
* Durham School (1414)
* Aberdeen Grammar School (1418) (possibly 1263)
* Royal Latin School (1423)
* Sponne School (1430)
* Sevenoaks School (1432)
* Eton College (1440)
* City of London School (1442)
* St. Bartholomew's School Newbury (1466)
*Bromsgrove School (1476) (first record of existence)
* Magdalen College School, Oxford (1480)
* Stockport Grammar School (1487)
* Ermysted's Grammar School (1492) (first record of existence)
* King Edward VI School, Lichfield (1495)
* Loughborough Grammar School (1495)
* Queen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne Minster (1497)

ixteenth century

* The King's School, Macclesfield (1502)
* St Paul's School (London) (1509)
* Royal Grammar School, Guildford (1509)
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn (1509)
* Giggleswick School, North Yorkshire (c. 1512)
* Wolverhampton Grammar School (1512)
* Nottingham High School (1513)
* Pocklington School (1514)
* Manchester Grammar School (1515)
* Gillingham School (1516)
* Bolton School (1516)
* Cranbrook School, Kent (1518)
* King's School, Bruton (1519)
* Coleshill School (1520)
* Taunton Grammar School (1522)
* Royal Grammar School, Newcastle (1525)
* Sedbergh School (1525)
* Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (1527)
* Ipswich School (1528)
* The King's School, Grantham (1528)
* Bingley Grammar School (1529)
* Kimbolton School (1531)
* Bristol Grammar School (1532)
* The Coopers Company and Coborn School, Upminster (1536)
* The Crypt School, Gloucester (1539)
* Berkhamsted Collegiate School (1541)
* Christ College, Brecon (1541)
* The King's School, Chester (1541)
* The King's School, Gloucester (1541) (Dates from 11th century)
* The King's School, Peterborough (1541)
* The King's School, Worcester (1541)
* Dauntsey's School (1542)
* Colyton Grammar School (1546)
* Bradford Grammar School (1548)
* Maidstone Grammar School (1549)
* King Edward Grammar School, Bury St. Edmunds (1550)
* Sherborne School (1550)
* King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford) (1551)
* King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth (1551) (possibly 1276)
* Bedford School (1552)
* King Edward's School, Bath (1552)
* King Edward's School, Birmingham (1552)
* King Edward VI Grammar School, Stourbridge (1552) (formerly chantry school 1430) (became Sixth Form College 1992)
* Leeds Grammar School (1552)
* Shrewsbury School (1552)
* Hutton Grammar School (1552)
* Christ's Hospital (1553)
* King Edward's School, Witley (1553)
* King Edward VI School, Southampton (1553)
* King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon (1553)
* Tonbridge School (1553)
* Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (1554)
* Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall (1554)
* Boston Grammar School (1555)
* Gresham's School (1555)
* Ripon Grammar School (1555)
* Hampton School (1556)
* Oundle School (1556)
* Brentwood School (1557)
* Friars School, Bangor (1557)
* Repton School (1557)
* Enfield Grammar School (1558)
* Alleyne's High School, Stone, Staffordshire (1558)
* The Thomas Alleyne School, Stevenage, Hertfordshire (1558)
* Thomas Alleyne's High School, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. (1558)
* Solihull School (1560)
* Kingston Grammar School (1561)
* Merchant Taylors' School (1561)
* Elizabeth College, Guernsey (1563)
* Sir Roger Manwood's School (1563)
* Felsted School (1564)
* Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe (1564)
* Highgate School (1565)
* John Beddoes School (1565)
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford (1566)
* Rugby School (1567)
* Brentwood School (1568)
* Colfe's School (1568) refounded (1652)
* St Edmund's College (1568)
* Bury Grammar School (1570)
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle (1571)
* St Olave's Grammar School (1571)
* Harrow School (1572)
* Netherthorpe School (1572)
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Barnet (1573)
* Dartford Grammar School (1576)
* Pate's Grammar School (1576)
* Sutton Valence School (1576)
* Woodbridge School (1577)
* The Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School (1580) (possibly 1565)
* St. Bees School (1583)
* Oakham School (1584)
* Uppingham School (1584)
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ashbourne (1585)
* Newport Free Grammar School (1588)
* Spalding Grammar School (1588)
* Queen Elizabeth's High School (1589)
* Conyers' School (1590)
* Queen Elizabeth's Hospital (1590)
* Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield (1591)
* Stonyhurst College (1593)
* Emanuel School (1594)
* Wellingborough School (1595)
* Whitgift School (1596)
* Aldenham School (1597)
* Aylesbury Grammar School (1598)

eventeenth century

* Ysgol David Hughes (1603)
* King James's School (1604)
* Blundell's School (1604)
* Carre's Grammar School (1604)
* Downside School (1606)
* Paston College (1606)
* The Royal School, Armagh (1608)
* Charterhouse School (1611)
* Batley Grammar School (1612)
* Dame Alice Owen's School (1613)
* Heversham School (1613)
* Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School (1614)
* Monmouth School (1614)
* Royal School Dungannon (1614)
* The Perse School (1615)
* Wilson's School (1615)
* Foyle and Londonderry College (1617)
* Portora Royal School (1618)
* William Parker School (1619)
* Alleyn's School (1619)
* Dulwich College (1619)
* Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby (1620)
* Dr Challoner's Grammar School (1624)
* The Latymer School (1624)
* Latymer Upper School (1624)
* Chigwell School (1629)
* Caistor Grammar School (1630)
* Exeter School (1633)
* Red Maids' School (1634), all girls
* Calday Grange Grammar School (1636)
* Dunoon Grammar School (1641)
* The King's School (1642), Westminster City School Formed and refounded in 1877
* Cheam School (1645)
* The Palmers School (1645), Westminster City School Formed and refounded in 1877
* The Emery Hill School (1647), Westminster City School Formed and refounded in 1877
* Adams' Grammar School (1656)
* Hele's School (1658), Formed 1658, moved site in 1937
* The Maynard School (1658), all girls
* Henry Box School (1660)
* Old Swinford Hospital (1667)
* Brigg Grammar School (1669), Sir John Nelthorpe School since 1976.
* The Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone (1674)
* Reigate Grammar School (1675)

ee also

*The oldest independent schools in the UK
*List of founders of English schools and colleges
*List of the oldest schools in the world