History of the School

Winkle Street 1553 – 1696

William Capon left money in his will to found a grammar school for poor scholars of Southampton. The King signed the necessary charter in 1553 and the school opened in 1554 in Winkle Street, an unfashionable part of the town, inside the city wall near God’s House Tower gate. In 1938, purpose-built school buildings were constructed at Hill Lane, and the school have accommodated ever since.

King Edward VI School become Independent 1978 An appeal was launched for funds to enable the School to become independent in 1978. The target of the appeal was £300,000 but by the following summer it had reached £700,000. Colin Dobson, the Head Master, was able to express satisfaction that Bursaries for 34 of the School’s one hundred and fifty new entrants had been provided.

King Edward VI School becomes fully co-educational 1994 In 1994 45 girls joined 86 boys as the first intake.

Purchased Stroud, 2012 In 2012, King Edward VI School made Stroud School, Romsey its official preparatory school. The school is located on the edge of the market town of Romsey and comprises of Early Years, Key Stage 1, Middle and Senior School, welcoming children from three to eleven years of age. Stroud’s outstanding outdoor environment includes sports fields, woodland, riding stables, a swimming pool, gardens, a nature reserve with a pond and a range of wildlife.

Wellbeing Centre opened, 2021 The Wellbeing Centre connects all the relevant areas of the school for enhancing the students’ wellbeing; learning support, the counsellor, the chaplain, the nurses, and a dedicated wellbeing room. The wellbeing room has been designed to be a quiet, safe space in the heart of the school where any student can go when they need to get away from the hustle and bustle of school life.

If you would like to read more about our history, please visit our timeline on our homepage.