History of the School

The 900 year history of the school, combined with its incomparable setting beneath the famous spire of Salisbury Cathedral, provides a unique atmosphere of tradition in which to educate our pupils.

One of the oldest educational establishments in the world, our school was founded in 1091 by St Osmund, nephew of William the Conqueror and Bishop of Salisbury, to educate the choristers of his Cathedral at Old Sarum, a mile away from our present site.

After 150 years at Old Sarum, the choristers’ school moved to Salisbury, following the building of the new Cathedral and in 1947 the school finally came to its present home, based in the 13th century buildings and grounds of the Bishop’s Palace.

In more recent years, the school added a Pre-Preparatory department and in 1987, the school admitted girls for the first time. Today the school is fully co-educational.

1991 was a memorable year for the school and the Cathedral's musical tradition with the founding of the first English Cathedral Girls' choir. This quickly gained a strong reputation and has gone from strength to strength.

In March 2016, Salisbury Cathedral School merged with Leaden Hall School, also based in the Cathedral Close.  

Today the school makes full use of its historic buildings and extensive grounds and continues to benefit from additional modern facilities.