The Pilgrims' School

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We are blessed with a truly beautiful location. away from view, within the secure and secluded Cathedral Close, the school benefits from a wonderful sense of privacy. Visitors are often surprised by the size of the school site and the grass play areas and open vistas behind our front door.
The school is nestled between Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College. Moments from our front door is the heart of the historic city of Winchester. Step through our back gate to enjoy the stunning countryside of the South Downs Way.
The ancient city wall runs around the boundary of our extensive games pitches, which are right next to the school. Adjacent to the Bishop's Palace and the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, they offer a glorious view of the Cathedral. Few school pitches can boast of such a stunning setting.
A tributary of the River Itchen flows through the school grounds. The boys go fishing further downstream. nature reserves in the water meadows have an abundance of wildflowers and birds, and an Iron Age fort with a maze at the top of St Catherine's Hill is within easy walking distance of the school. These are wonderful resources for supervised explorations and activities with the boys – and the hill is perfect for toboggans when it snows!
The beautiful and venerable buildings that surround us are a constant source of inspiration and an ever-present reminder of history and tradition.
A Pilgrim can be an artist or an actor, a sailor or a quizzer, a chess player, or a karate kid. Indeed, he may be all of the above – or possibly none of them. But as a Pilgrim, he will be immersed in something and perhaps discovering an interest that will last a lifetime.
A Pilgrim may well be sporty – playing games, enthusiastically and in the right spirit, is what many boys enjoy about living here. Soccer and cricket happen at all hours and training and matches for team sports occur throughout the week, all year round.
A Pilgrim is probably musical – almost every boy here learns a musical instrument and about half learn two. We are well known for our two professional choirs, one at Winchester Cathedral and one at Winchester College, and Pilgrims’ boys often leave for their senior school as Music Scholar. Not every Pilgrims’ boy is interested in music, but there is, arguably, no better school in the country for someone who is.
One unifying principle? We want to help develop impressive characters we want boys to be kind and happy, confident and determined, and to have integrity and manners.
To be a Pilgrim is to be part of a strong community and shared history. It is to be located between College, Cathedral, and Castle – minutes from the countryside and minutes from the city center. It is to see the world through the lens of opportunity and change. It is to be comfortable as an individual and, in all regards, your best self.
Its lineage can be traced back through the schools associated with the Cathedral Choir at least to the Alta Schola, established around 676 AD. The Pilgrims' School carries on this tradition today.
The school moved to its present site in 1931 and became a preparatory school for choristers and non-choristers alike, to allow each to benefit from the talents of the other.
The main building was redesigned in the 17th century and sits on the site of former Roman and medieval buildings. The Pilgrims' Hall, attached to the school is visited by tourists who come from far and wide to see its magnificent hammer-beam roof, most likely constructed in the first half of the 14th century.
In 1966, the Quiristers of Winchester College Chapel Choir became an integral part of The Pilgrims' School and are still educated here today. Our Pre-Preparatory opened in 2007.
The special nature of the Cathedral Close location means that the school site will not expand further. The emphasis, therefore, is on the provision of added resources and ensuring that Pilgrims are well prepared for the challenges ahead.

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