It was re-founded by Matthew Knightley and Sir Thomas Gifford in 1553 and survived as a grammar school until 1975 when its last headmaster, Roy Leafe, retired.

As a 20th-century grammar school it took a number of boarders half of whom lived in the school itself and the rest lived at Wheaton Aston Hall, and taught agricultural science.

The earliest part of the remaining buildings, originally two houses donated to the school, dates from 1778.

They were rebuilt in 1856 as Rushall House (now Grade II listed[1]) and used as a schoolroom and dormitories.

In 1863 the headmaster's house was rebuilt, and further extensions to the school were made in 1898, 1926, 1935, and 1952.