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Five Questions...with Leo Winkley, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School

Thanks for doing this, Leo. Let's get right into it!

The King visits Shrewsbury School tomorrow - what will you show him?

We would visit the Taylor Library and have a look at the various ancient books, including Old Salopian Charles Darwin’s ‘On The Origin of Species’, and his world atlas with its schoolboy doodles from when he was a pupil at Shrewsbury. Given The King’s interest in ecology, we’d then head off to see the work of the pupil Eco Committee, whose initiatives include the pollinators’ garden, with bee hives, and the wild flower meadow, a re-wilding project, and the Biology garden – all pupil-led environmental projects.

Two weeks of rain - what will the children remember?

If it weas really heavy rain, we would probably hold a swimming gala, an open mic, inter-house competitions and socials. In short, we would carry on as normal with our day-to-day pursuit of memory-making ‘serious fun’!

Always connected or totally unplugged? How does your school approach digital devices and social media?

We have a clear policy that mobile phones and devices must be ‘off and away’ during the school day. Shrewsbury School is an ‘eyes-up community’. Equally, we recognise that our pupils are digital natives and need to learn to navigate the online world safely and creatively.

We take mobile phones in at night so that boarders can unplug and get a decent night’s sleep. We encourage an off-screen wind-down time before bed.

What’s the most creative excuse a student has ever given for missing a lesson or getting into trouble?

I remember a pupil coming in late to a lesson claiming that she had got her big toe stuck in the bath-tap. It was probably true! Another pupil told me that his pet iguana had eaten his homework – or ‘Top Schools’, as we call it at Shrewsbury. A parent once told me that their son had failed to arrive at school on time because there was a cow blocking their drive.

What’s one tradition at your school that baffles outsiders but is cherished by students?

The world’s oldest cross-country running race, The Tucks, is run by every pupil in the School. It starts with a rallying call and a blast on a huntsman’s horn. At the end of the year, the whole school forms a line and walks past the Heads of School who call out each individual name at Final Callover. They respond saying ‘Here!’ – it is both a validation of each Salopian and a valediction for those who are leaving.

Many thanks for your answers, Leo!

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—Five Questions...with Leo Winkley, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School

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Five Questions...with Leo Winkley, Headmaster of Shrewsbury School