WHAT? WHERE?

Packwood is a nurturing, non-selective day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 4-13. Surrounded by 65 acres of woodland and playing fields in rural Shropshire, it’s kid heaven that balances academic focus and free range fun for its 193 pupils. Boys outnumber girls here, with 61 girls and 132 boys.

The main building is a welcoming Victorian country house, fringed by pretty, formal gardens, rolling fields and woodland (including the much-loved Spinney where campfires, muddy fun and marshmallow-toasting are the order of the day). It feels warm rather than stuffy – light and spacious, with appealing art featuring Woodi the Packwood owl everywhere. Beyond the main house, the school is made up of a mix of more modern classroom blocks, swish new science labs and a large sports hall. It sits on the edge of the quiet village of Ruyton XI Towns in the heart of rural Shropshire, but Manchester airport is just over an hour away, handy for boarders coming from afar. The bulk of pupils board (65%), be it a few days or full time, with day pupils coming in from Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Welshpool and Whitchurch, as well as Cheshire and further afield.

Part of the Shrewsbury Global Family of schools, the curriculum is designed to seamlessly flow into Shrewsbury’s and ensure they are Upper School ready. While it’s big on traditional free-range childhood freedoms, Packwood is forward-thinking and keen to make the most of global connections to prepare pupils for a contemporary, connected world.

FACILITIES

There’s a lot of school for the number of pupils and academic facilities are good. The stand-out star is the new Science Block (opened in Dec ’23) which is incredible for a Prep school. Three of the very latest labs (all thoughtfully designed to cater to young kids) mean most lessons are hands-on and practical. Cool break-out areas with calming fish tanks and comfy chairs are great for encouraging collaborative work.

/SPORT

Pretty great sporting facilities for a small prep school. Two tennis courts, stacks of grass pitches, a full-size, floodlit astro, an immaculately-maintained modern sports hall, a small 12.5m swimming pool (pre-prep get a weekly timetabled lesson and there are plans to include formal swim lessons for longer in response to demand from parents), MTB trails and even a golf course.

Plenty of pupils play sport to a high level, with 12 county cricketers (there are plans to make Packwood a cricket centre of excellence) and 14 district cricketers, four county hockey players, two county lacrosse players and a footballer selected for the ISFA Midlands U13 squad.

Niche sports are already embedded here, with a fierce reputation for fencing (with six selected for GB this year) and marvellous mountain biking trails in the grounds. They look set to flourish further under the new Head, as part of an initiative to offer more sporting breadth and inspire all children to find a sport they love. Teaming up with Shrewsbury School’s Head of Adventure (gotta love that job title), they should be able to offer more outdoorsy opps such as rock climbing.

/CREATIVE ARTS

Oh, to be arty at Packwood! The huge art rooms are flooded with light and have some of the best views in the school, overlooking woodland and rolling green fields. There are two potters’ wheels for getting creative with clay, an excellent design and tech suite and it’s clear creativity is valued here – with oodles of cool, colourful artworks adorning the walls and professional-looking papier-maché masks drying on the floor.

MUSIC

Music is well catered for here, with four choirs (selective and non-selective), 12 musical ensembles and plenty of opportunities to perform – from informal teatime concerts in the front hall to concerts in the theatre and the al fresco summer concert (complete with deckchairs and picnics). Around 75% of the kids play at least one musical instrument – on the higher side of what I usually see. In recent years, Packwood pupils have been awarded music scholarships to schools including Shrewsbury, Harrow and Winchester.

/DRAMA

With a professional-standard theatre giving West End vibes, it’s no surprise that drama is really popular here. Most pupils get involved in productions one way or another, whether that’s on stage, behind the scenes or in the impressive tech box, which is managed by an entirely pupil-led crew for every production. Kids hone their speaking skills, with pupils Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 sitting English Speaking Board exams and 37 pupils currently brushing up their speech and drama skills for LAMDA.

LITTLIES

On site nursery, Happy Faces, is independently run and follows a Montessori ethos. It’s popular with local families, many of who progress to local state primaries, but each year a fair few step up to Packwood Pre-prep, known as Acorns.

With a fab forest school on site, the 36 children in Acorns spend a lot of time outdoors. Tree climbing and making camps in The Spinney, taking nature walks and getting muddy – getting outside is encouraged. Acorns has the flexibility to create their own curriculum, much of which is cross-curricular. Need flexibility at the end of the day? When lessons finish at 3.30pm, kids can stay for after school clubs (including dance, ballet, football, ball skills, tennis, outdoor club and art). After sandwiches, fruit and a drink, they can then stay for supervised play and be collected from Acorns at 6pm or with older siblings from the Prep school.

ACADEMICS

The school day is long at Packwood. Timetables run from 8am until 6pm, with six lessons and Games, followed by supper and activities (there’s a huge extra-curricular offering as part of the Packwood Award). There’s Saturday school too. It does mean that for day pupils though, once they are at home they can just relax. 

The average class size is 13 and, from Year 3 there are two forms per year group, with Years 3 and 4 taught in a separate teaching block by subject specialists to get them ready to be on the move across the whole school from Year 5. 

There are plans to beef up digital learning with the ambition to become a Microsoft Showcase School. Pupils are regularly assessed with Year 8 sitting three exams a year, Years 6-7 sitting an end-of-year exam, while Years 3-5 are assessed throughout the year with end-of-topic tests. In 2024, all Year 8 leavers scooped their first choice of senior school, with a third receiving scholarships. Most (almost 80 per cent) head to Shrewsbury School, so Packwood has removed the pressure of the compulsory common entrance exam, but will still support children who wish to take it. The Y7/8 curriculum is specifically designed to feed into Shrewsbury.

BOARDING

Boarding starts from Year 3 and 100 pupils (out of 160) board at least some of the time, with 50 being full boarders, staying on Sundays too. Most come from Wales and surrounding counties, but there are plenty of Army families as well as some international boarders. 

The boys’ boarding house – the aptly named Warren – is a maze of lovely big, bright bedrooms with vast windows and plenty of space. And that space is put to good use. Evenings and weekends sound like an absolute hoot here. Epic Hot Wheels tracks that spill all the way down the stairs, high energy Nerf Gun wars, board game bonanzas – the boys sound like they love life here. The day I visited, one of the bedrooms had a vast canvas tent suspended from the walls and ceiling. Their favourite game though is a variation of tag where they have to tag their game-for-a-laugh houseparent Hector Robertson before he gets them with his Nerf gun. Nintendo Switch nights are occasionally on offer but, says Robertson, they are usually turned down in favour of hi-jinks games. And, with a housemaster as engaged and energetic as this, who can blame them?

Over in the girls’ boarding house, above Acorns pre-prep, it’s a calmer, more chilled affair. Again, the bedrooms benefit from lovely rural views and common rooms are welcoming, with a real family feel. There’s a nice scheme to ease kids in too. For the first three terms of being a boarder, a child has the option to go home after Games on Saturdays and return either on Sunday night or Monday morning.

WHAT ELSE?

Outdoor freedoms are Packwood’s DNA – climbing trees, collecting eggs from the chickens, playing in the woodland spinney are all celebrated. Something the new Head and his wife love about it and wants for their own kids. The children have a genuine freedom here. At break times they can drift in and out of classrooms, play golf, go ripsticking down the long hill (pictured) and pretty much explore wherever they want. When it snowed in January, timetables were abandoned and everyone enjoyed a morning sledging and making the most of the snow. Adventure and independence are the name of the game. 

Since the arrival of new Head Will Goldsmith, the elegant entrance hall, with vast picture window and cosy roaring fire has been transformed from a stuffy, formal area where kids weren’t allowed, into a well-used, welcoming space for match teas, fireside board games and chocolat chaud evenings. As I left, I stepped around a happy group of little girls lying around playing Sylvanian Families. It’s a lovely homely change for the better.

PASTORAL CARE & SEND

Packwood is strong on pastoral care. The kids I spoke to were very clear who and where they can turn to for help. They listed lots of different options available to them, clearly confident in knowing they can always find someone who can help.

With a long boarding tradition, there are 15 staff families who live on site and, from Year 3 kids are looked after by a form tutor as well as an individual mentor. With small class sizes and sessions every morning, the tutors really get to know the children. there are longer sessions to allow time for in depth group discussions on wellbeing and topical issues. Kids also have weekly one-to-one meetings with their tutors to discuss how things are going. This can be a walk, a chat or a game of table-tennis. SEND pupils are supported in class and access the full curriculum, and teachers work with the Head of Learning Support to address individual needs.

THE HEAD

Warm and likeable, energetic new Head Will Goldsmith joined in Sept 2024 after six years leading St George’s in Windsor. It’s his third headship and there’s a palpable sense of excitement and energy about his tenure – among both staff and pupils. Even the longest-standing staff are optimistic and supportive, and the Year 8 monitors I chatted to seem truly gutted to be leaving just as his exciting changes (and three key missions to build adventure, character and soaring performance) take root. 

Big hits so far (from the kids’ perspective at least) are the new chickens and the promise of pigs and other farm animals. Beyond that he is keen to build the relationship with senior school Shrewsbury and make the most of its global connections and opportunities. He has visions of his pupils collaborating with kids within the global family of schools on projects together.

The kids adore the new Head, are clearly pleased to have their views taken seriously and are genuinely excited (I’ve never heard 12-year-olds gush so animatedly about a ‘strategic plan’!). It sounds as if he’s done his homework, with plenty of parent meetings, staff consultations and listening to the pupils.

QUIRKS

Year 7 and 8 feed the chickens and collect the eggs in the mornings and can cook breakfast in The Spinney. Pigs and sheep will follow as part of the paddock-to-plate programme aimed at giving pupils responsibility and skills for life. This should appeal to the many rural and agricultural families at Packwood, but also to the entrepreneurs and creatives who send their kids here.

No stressy school bell between lessons here. The new Head has gone back to a hand bell to mark the start and end of classes. Altogether more chill.

A highlight of the school calendar is the beloved Christmas Hats Competition. Pupils unleash their creative flair to produce all kinds of crazy headgear which are unveiled and lauded at the Christmas Feast.

ISI REPORT

The latest report from 2023 found the school to be ‘Excellent in all areas’.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Not allowed. Matrons look after boarders’ phones.

WRAP AROUND CARE

 Frazzled parents juggling work, life and kids – rejoice. Day pupils can attend breakfast from 7.40am. After school they can sign up and stay for evening clubs, or stay and have supper from 5.50pm – 6.30pm, while Acorns can stay until 5.30pm with no additional cost. For prep, there’s also the option for the odd night of boarding.

TRANSPORT

Four minibus routes to the school every morning from Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Welshpool and Whitchurch. The return journey sets off from Packwood at 5.50pm (apart from Wednesdays and Saturdays due to sports).

FEES

Acorns costs £4,344 per term, Year 3 is £6,426 per term. From Year 4 day pupils pay £9,042 per term and boarders pay £11,556 per term (with overseas boarders paying £13,032 per term) – on the higher side for the area. Sending the whole brood? You’ll get a 15% sibling discount for the third child and each child thereafter. 

WORD ON THE GROUND

It’s rare to find such overwhelming support for the changes being brought in by a new Head. School meals get a big, healthy tick, with the kids giving input (I had to stop myself going back for seconds – traditional school dinners it ain’t). The only groan I encountered was from the boys, who wished they could do more outdoor sport during the darkest days of winter. But, it looks like timetable changes and the help of Shrewsbury’s Head of Adventure make that likely to happen.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Those looking for a wholesome school where kids can be kids. Packwood is a place where childhood is cherished and kids are encouraged to think for themselves – a recipe for producing well-rounded, confident kids. Good, flexible after-school care is particularly helpful for working parents.

Not for: Parents who prefer a more supervised, starchy approach to schooling. A free range childhood with pigs and chickens isn’t for everyone, but it’s pretty refreshing.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest. Book the next open day on 8 Mar or arrange a private visit.

Packwood School, Ruyton XI Towns, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HX