Shrewsbury School welcomes Prestfelde into expanding family
Shrewsbury School and Prestfelde School have announced a major partnership, confirming that Prestfelde has officially become the newest member of the Shrewsbury family of schools.
The move is described as the "most obvious of partnerships," formalising a relationship built over decades of close collaboration and shared educational values between the neighbouring institutions. Prestfelde has long served as a key feeder school for Shrewsbury, with 125 former pupils currently enrolled at the senior school, including two of the current Heads and Deputy Heads of School.
Security and Investment
The agreement will see Prestfelde, a leading prep school founded in 1929, transfer ownership from the Woodard Corporation to Shrewsbury School. The two educational charities will subsequently merge into one entity under the governance of the 1552-founded Shrewsbury School, which was named Independent School of the Year in 2020.
Crucially, Prestfelde will retain its distinctive identity and continue preparing pupils for a range of excellent senior schools. Membership in the Shrewsbury School family is expected to bring significant security and investment, ensuring a bright future for its pupils, parents, and staff.
Leo Winkley, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School, expressed his delight, saying: “Shrewsbury and Prestfelde have been living together for many, many years. Now, we are finally tying the knot! I feel sure that our exceptionally close relationship will go from strength to strength... Together, we can offer a wealth of connections and opportunities.”
A Growing Educational Family
Prestfelde is the third prep school to join the Shrewsbury family, following Packwood Prep School in 2019 and Terra Nova School in Cheshire, which is set to join in August 2025. This expansion, alongside partner international schools in Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and India, solidifies Shrewsbury’s commitment to providing a "whole person education" globally.
Matty Thavenot, Headmaster of Prestfelde School, welcomed the collaboration. “It is important to strengthen bonds and ties for the greater good of our pupils,” he said. “We will continue to operate in the same manner that all Prestfeldians, past, present and future, expect, know and love, whilst benefitting from all that Shrewsbury School has to offer.”
Rex Sartain, Chair of Governors at Prestfelde, noted that the school made the move from a "position of strength," transferring from the Woodard Corporation to realise even greater benefits and invest in "future life skills" for its pupils.
James Pitt, Chair of Governors at Shrewsbury School, highlighted the sector context: "At a time of considerable change in the independent education sector, it is important that schools that are closely aligned in their educational aims and ethos, come together to form the strongest alliances."
