List of the oldest schools in the world
This is a list of extant schools excluding universities and higher education establishments. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporary reference to the school. The list is a work-in-progress, and there will inevitably be many omissions, particularly for schools in non-English-speaking countries.
Prior to the Sixth Century
Sixth century
Seventh century
Eighth century
Ninth century
Tenth century
- The Pilgrims' School, England (c.900)
- Wells Cathedral School, England (c.909)[9]
- Warwick School, England (914)
- St Albans School, England (948)
- The King's School, Ely, England (970)
- Yuelu Academy, China (976) - one of the four most renowned academies during the Song Dynasty, it is renamed Hunan University in 1926.[10]
- Pannonhalma Benedictine College, Hungary (996) - Founded by Grand Prince Géza of Hungary
- Roskilde Katedralskole, Denmark (c. 980)
Eleventh century
Twelfth century
- Stedelijk Gymnasium Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands (c. 1100)
- High School of Glasgow, Scotland (pre-1124)
- Reading School, England (1125)
- Royal High School, Scotland (1128)
- Stiftsgymnasium Melk, Austria (pre-1140)
- Bristol Cathedral School, England (1140)
- Ribe katedralskole, Denmark (1145)
- Trondheim katedralskole, Norway (c. 1152)
- Bergen katedralskole, Norway (1153)
- Oslo katedralskole, Norway (1153)
- Derby School, England (1160)
- Westminster School, England (1179)
- Małachowianka, Poland (1180)
- Lanark Grammar School, Scotland (1183)
- Paulo Pontine, later Bedford School, Bedford, England (Date Uncertain, refounded by Edward VI 1552, see below)
Thirteenth century
- Colchester Royal Grammar School, England (pre-1206)
- Metropolitanskolen, Denmark (1209)
- Riga State Gymnasium No.1, Latvia (1211)
- Thomasschule zu Leipzig, Germany (1212)
- Lancaster Royal Grammar School, England (1235)
- High School of Dundee, Scotland (1239)
- Bailuzhou High School, Ji'an, China (1241)
- Abingdon School, England (1256)
- Aberdeen Grammar School (1257)
- Stedelijk Gymnasium van 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (exact year of foundation unknown, but first mentioned in 1274)
- Cathedral School in Turku, Finland (1276)
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth, England (1276)
- Lycée Saint-Louis, Paris, France (1280, formerly known as the Collège d'Harcourt)
- Ruthin School, Denbighshire, Wales (1284)
- Ipswich School, Suffolk, England (1299) (first record of existence)
- Katedralskolan, Uppsala, Sweden (exact year of foundation not known)
- Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden, The Netherlands (First mentioned 1323, but year of foundation is estimated mid 13th Century)
Fourteenth century
- Stamford School, England (c.1309 but re-endowed 1532)
- Northallerton College, England (1323)
- Jurisich Miklós Grammar School, Hungary, Koszeg (1328)
- Gymnasium Erasmianum, The Netherlands (1328)
- Gymnasium Ernestinum, Celle, Germany (1328)
- Bourne Grammar School Lincolnshire, England (1330)
- Hull Grammar School, England (1330)
- King's School Ottery St. Mary, England (1335)
- Barlaeus Gymnasium, Amsterdam, Netherlands (1342)
- Bablake School, England (1344)
- Instituto San Isidro, Spain (1346)
- St George's School, Windsor Castle, England (1348)
- Doncaster Grammar School / Hall Cross School, England (1350)
- New College School, England (1379)
- Wisbech Grammar School, England (1379)
- Knox Academy, Scotland (1379)
- Samuel von Brukenthal National College Sibiu, Romania (1380)
- Winchester College, England (1382)
- Hereford Cathedral School, England (1384)
- Katharine Lady Berkeley's School, England (1384)
- Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem, the Netherlands (1389)
- Gymnasium Halepaghen-Schule Buxtehude, Germany (1390)
- Penistone Grammar School, England (1392)
- Gymnasium Haganum, The Netherlands (1394)
- Cathedral School of Vilnius, Lithuania (founded before 1397)
Fifteenth century
- Chorister School, England (c.1400)
- Oswestry School, England (1407)
- Durham School, England (1414)
- Aberdeen Grammar School, Scotland (1418) (possibly 1257)
- Royal Latin School, England (1423)
- Sponne School, England (1430)
- St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir School, Dublin (1432)
- Sevenoaks School, England (1432)
- Eton College, England (1440)
- Chipping Campden School, England (c1440)
- City of London School, England (1442)
- Bridlington School, England (1447)[11]
- Dreikönigsgymnasium, Cologne, Germany (1450)
- St. Bartholomew's School, England (1466)
- Bromsgrove School (record of a chantry school 1476, re-founded 1553)
- Uppsala University College, Sweden (1477)
- Magdalen College School, Oxford, England (1480)
- Galatasaray High School, Turkey (1481)
- Skegness Grammar School, England (1483)
- Stockport Grammar School, England (1487)
- Ermysted's Grammar School, England (1492) (first record of existence)
- King Edward VI School, Lichfield, England (1495)
- Loughborough Grammar School, England (1495)
- Queen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne Minster, England (1497)
References
See also