Former pupils include Professor Peter Bullock, a soil scientist who was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

An annual payment of £8 from the Exchequer was assigned in perpetuity 'to a Schoolmaster keeping a grammar school' at Bridgnorth after the dissolution of the Chantries in 1548 during the reign of Edward VI.

In 1785, during the reign of George III, the 'Old Grammar School' was renovated with gifts of £200 each given by the town's members of Parliament, Major Whitmore and Admiral Pigot.

[4] The 'Old Grammar School' building still stands in St Leonard's Close and is currently occupied by a firm of accountants.

In 1639 during the reign of Charles I Sir William Whitmore had erected on the east side of St Leonard's Church a house of which part was to be occupied, at a nominal rent, by the headmaster, and the remainder by the minister of St Leonard's Church.

The school was named by Edward Careswell of Bobbington as one of the several free grammar schools in Shropshire, also including Shrewsbury, Newport, Wem, Shifnal and Donnington (the last appears to have had only a short existence) to benefit by his will, which in 1690, during the reign of William III and Mary II devoted certain local properties to the maintenance of eighteen, later reduced to ten, scholars from these schools at Christ Church, Oxford University.

For 160 years Bridgnorth shared in the resulting close connexion between Shropshire and Christ Church, Oxford, until in 1905 the Exhibitions became tenable elsewhere.

Stackhouse bequeathed to the Bridgnorth his collection of theological books and his memory is preserved in the name of the Stackhouse Library, the octagonal brick building with a dome, built on the northeast side of St Leonard's Church to house the collection of books which he had begun, and by a marble tablet over the building's fireplace.

[7] Distinguished eighteenth-century alumni of the school include Bishop Thomas Percy, Bishop of Dromore and author of Reliques of Ancient English Poetry,[8] Sir John Josiah Guest, the engineer, entrepreneur and Member of Parliament,[9] Thomas Beddoes, the physician and scientific writer,[10] and William Macmichael, physician to Kings George IV and William IV and author of The Gold-Headed Cane.

Unsuccessful attempts were made to acquire some of the funds of the Careswell trust for the improvement of the school's buildings and endowments.

[12] Distinguished nineteenth-century alumni of the school include Bishop James Fraser, the reforming Bishop of Manchester,[13] Lord Lingen, the influential civil servant,[14] Henry John Roby, the classical scholar, writer on Roman law and Member of Parliament,[15] General Sir Charles Warren, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police during the period of the Jack the Ripper murders and operational commander of British forces at the Battle of Spion Kop during the Second Boer War,[16] Reverend Robert William Eyton, Rector of Ryton and author of The Antiquities of Shropshire, Rev.

In the years immediately previous to 1908 classes were held in three places – the Headmaster's House in St Leonard's Close, the Foster Memorial Institute in the High Street, and the 'Old Grammar School' building in St Leonard's Close.

Famous twentieth-century alumni of the school include Sir Cedric Hardwicke, the Hollywood and stage actor,[20] Cyril Washbrook, the cricketer who played for Lancashire and England and who gained a famous record as batsman,[21] Professor Peter Bullock, the inspirational soil scientist who was a member of the IPCC (the work of the IPCC, including the contributions of many scientists, was recognised by the joint award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize),[2] and the historian John Mason.

Pupils can take part in aerobics, athletics, badminton, basketball, bowls, cricket, cross-country running, dance, darts, gymnastics, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby, snooker, soccer, horse club, craft club, squash, swimming, and tennis.

[22] In Autumn 1989 Emma Askins was awarded an Army Scholarship for eventual entry to RMA Sandhurst subject to clearances and examination results.

AS and A2 subjects offered to 6th form students in years 12 and 13 include Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Design, Drama and Theatre Studies, English Language, English Literature, French, Further Maths, geography, History, Information Technology, Maths, Music, Music Technology, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology, Religious Education, and Spanish.

taken place, the school received a 'satisfactory' in most areas, pupil's behavior being one of the best, rated as 'good', while the maths department was the least achievable.