List of oldest schools
This is a list of schools, excluding universities and higher education establishments, that have been in continuous operation since founded. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporaneous reference to the school.
Sixth century
- The King's School, Canterbury, England
Seventh century
- The King's School, Rochester, England
- St Peter's School, York, England
- Thetford Grammar School, Thetford, England, first conclusive
- Royal Grammar School Worcester, England, first conclusive evidence
- Beverley Grammar School, England, oldest state school in England
Eighth century
- Sherborne School, England
- Gymnasium Paulinum, Germany
- Gymnasium Theodorianum, Germany
Ninth century
- Gymnasium Carolinum, Osnabrück, Germany, founded by Charles the Great
- , Xanten, Germany
Tenth century
- Wells Cathedral School, England
- Warwick School, England
- St Albans School, England
- Southwell Minster School, England
- The King's School, Ely, England
- Pannonhalma Benedictine College, Hungary, founded by Grand Prince Géza of Hungary
Eleventh century
- Roskilde Katedralskole, Denmark
- Suzhou High School, China
- Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, Iceland
- Viborg Katedralskole, Denmark
- Katedralskolan, Lund, Sweden, originally part of Denmark, despite the many Danish-Swedish wars continuously operating since it was founded.
- Salisbury Cathedral School, England
- Norwich School, England
- Abingdon School, England
Twelfth century
- St Paul's Cathedral School, England
- High School of Glasgow, Scotland
- Reading School, England
- Royal High School, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Stirling High School, Scotland
- Stiftsgymnasium Melk, Austria
- Bristol Cathedral School, England
- Ribe Katedralskole, Denmark
- Trondheim katedralskole, Norway
- Bergen katedralskole, Norway
- Oslo katedralskole, Norway
- Derby School, England
- , France
- Westminster School, England
- Małachowianka, Poland
- Lanark Grammar School, Scotland
- Aarhus Katedralskole Denmark
- Paulo Pontine, later Bedford School, Bedford, England
Thirteenth century
- Colchester Royal Grammar School, England
- Metropolitanskolen, Denmark
- Riga State Gymnasium No.1, Latvia
- Thomasschule zu Leipzig, Germany
- Ayr Academy, Scotland
- Lancaster Royal Grammar School, England
- High School of Dundee, Scotland
- Bailuzhou High School, Ji'an, China
- Harrow School, England
- Johan de Witt Gymnasium, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
- Abingdon School, England
- Aberdeen Grammar School, Scotland
- , The Netherlands
- Cathedral School in Turku, Finland
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth, England
- Ruthin School, Denbighshire, Wales
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Katedralskolan, Uppsala, Sweden
- Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden, The Netherlands
Fourteenth century
- Stamford School, England
- Northallerton School, England
- Hanley Castle High School, England
- Jurisich Miklós Grammar School, Hungary, Koszeg
- Gymnasium Erasmianum, The Netherlands
- , Celle, Germany
- , Warendorf, Germany
- The King’s School, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England refounded
- Bourne Grammar School Lincolnshire, England
- Hull Grammar School, England
- King's School Ottery St. Mary, England
- Barlaeus Gymnasium, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Bablake School, England
- Instituto San Isidro, Spain
- St George's School, Windsor Castle, England
- Doncaster Grammar School / Hall Cross School, England
- Beauchamp College, England
- Sint Maartensschool, The Netherlands
- Prince Henry's High School, England
- , Amersfoort, The Netherlands
- New College School, England
- Wisbech Grammar School, England
- Knox Academy, Scotland
- Samuel von Brukenthal National College, Sibiu, Romania - originally part of Hungary
- Winchester College, England
- Hereford Cathedral School, England
- Katharine Lady Berkeley's School, England
- Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem, the Netherlands
- Halepaghen Grammar School, Germany
- Penistone Grammar School, England
- Gymnasium Haganum, The Netherlands
- Cathedral School of Vilnius, Lithuania
- Ipswich School, Suffolk, England
- Chorister School, England
Fifteenth century
- , Sweden
- Oswestry School, England
- Durham School, England
- Aberdeen Grammar School, Scotland
- Royal Latin School, England
- Brechin High School, Scotland
- Sponne School, England
- St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir School, Dublin, Ireland
- Sevenoaks School, England
- Eton College, England
- Chipping Campden School, England
- King's College School, Cambridge, England
- City of London School, England
- Adams' Grammar School, England
- Bridlington School, England
- Dreikönigsgymnasium, Cologne, Germany
- Phanar Greek Orthodox College, Istanbul, Turkey
- St. Bartholomew's School, England
- Dunfermline High School, Scotland
- Bromsgrove School
- Magdalen College School, Oxford, England
- Galatasaray High School, Istanbul, Turkey
- Skegness Grammar School, England
- Stockport Grammar School, England
- Ermysted's Grammar School, England
- King Edward VI School, Lichfield, England
- Loughborough Grammar School, England
- The Prebendal School, England
- Queen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne Minster, England
- Alcester Grammar School, England
Sixteenth century
- Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, England
- Royal Grammar School, Guildford, England
- St Paul's School, London, England
- Giggleswick School, England
- Lewes Old Grammar School, England
- Wolverhampton Grammar School, England
- Nottingham High School, England
- Pocklington Grammar School, England
- Manchester Grammar School, England
- Gillingham School, Dorset, England
- Bolton School, England
- Cranbrook School, Kent, England
- King's School, Bruton, England
- Sedbergh School, England
- Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, England
- , Germany
- Bingley Grammar School, West Yorkshire, England
- Magnus Grammar School, England
- Bristol Grammar School, England
- Nicolas Gibson Free School now the Coopers' Company and Coborn School, England
- Elizabethan Grammar School now Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, England
- , Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kilkenny College. Ireland
- The Crypt School, England
- Christ College, Brecon, Wales
- The King's School, Peterborough, England
- The King's School, Worcester, England
- The King's School, Gloucester, England
- The King's School, Chester, England
- Berkhamsted School, Hertfordshire, England
- King Henry VIII School, Abergavenny, Wales
- , Dortmund, Germany
- , Nijmegen, Netherlands
- , Düsseldorf, Germany
- Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford, England
- Colyton Grammar School, Colyford, Devon, England
- Bradford Grammar School, Bradford, Yorkshire, England
- Kirkham Grammar School, England
- Maidstone Grammar School, Maidstone, England
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Essex, England
- Leeds Grammar School, Leeds, England
- King Edward's School, Birmingham, England
- King Edward's School, Bath England
- Shrewsbury School, England
- Christ's Hospital, England
- Hutton Grammar School, England
- Akademisches Gymnasium, Austria
- Tonbridge School, England
- King Edward VI School, Southampton, England
- Queen Mary's Grammar School, England
- Boston Grammar School, England
- Ripon Grammar School, England
- Laxton Grammar School, England
- Hampton School, England
- Academic Grammar School, Prague, Czech Republic
- Brentwood School, England
- Friars School, Bangor, Wales
- Tadcaster Grammar School, England
- , Gävle, Sweden
- Enfield Grammar School, England .
- Repton School, England
- Solihull School, England
- Leith Academy, Scotland
- Westminster Abbey Choir School, England
- Kingston Grammar School, England
- Colegio Nuestra Señora de Montesión, Spain
- St Olave's Grammar School, England
- Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, England
- Akademisches Gymnasium Innsbruck, Austria
- Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, England
- Elizabeth College, Guernsey
- Sir Roger Manwood's School, England
- Felsted School, England
- Herlufsholm Boarding School, Denmark
- Highgate School, England
- Ashby School, England
- Rugby School, England
- The Royal School of Dunkeld, Scotland
- Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, England
- Dartford Grammar School, England
- Sutton Valence School, England
- Paisley Grammar School, Scotland
- Kirkcudbright Academy
- St. Bees School, England
- , Como, Italy
- Oakham School, England
- Uppingham School, England
- Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ashbourne, England
- Spalding Grammar School, England
- Joyce Frankland Academy, England
- Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, England
- Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, England
- Emanuel School, England
- , Germany
- Whitgift School, England
- Aldenham School, England
- Aylesbury Grammar School, England
- Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham, England