[2] He was ordained in the Church of England in 1846 and served in various curacies until in 1853 he began his true life work by an appointment to the headmastership of Uppingham School.

He raised the school to a high state of efficiency, and stamped it with the qualities of his own strong personality, as did Thomas Arnold at Rugby.

During his headship the school was forced to move temporarily to Borth in Wales after an outbreak of typhoid ravaged the student body.

In addition to being a believer in teaching the classics, Thring broadened the overall curriculum at Uppingham by ensuring that the moral, aesthetic, and physical aspects meet the needs of the students.

[4] Thring had a negative attitude to the education for those unable to pay fees: You cannot break the laws of nature which have made the work and powers of men vary in value.