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About Us

HARROW HISTORY

1572

Foundation year

450+

Years of legacy

830

Full-Boarding pupils

Founded in 1572, Harrow’s long heritage shapes a strong community spirit and sense of belonging. Its identity lies in balancing tradition with innovation, continuity with change.

A SCHOOL SHAPED by THE BEST OF ITS PAST

As one of the world’s most respected independent schools, Harrow School provides a world-class, full-boarding education for 830 boys aged 13 to 18 on its 324-acre campus in northwest London, United Kingdom. Harrow strives to be at the forefront of educational development through inspiring teaching and coaching, cutting-edge technology, and outstanding facilities.

Founded in 1572, Harrow’s rich heritage continues to shape daily life within the School. It fosters a strong sense of community among pupils, staff, and parents, nurturing both personal growth and a shared spirit of belonging that spans generations.

At its core, Harrow embodies a balance between tradition and innovation – honouring its history while embracing progress, and uniting the values of the past with the opportunities of the future.

A LEGACY that DEFINE US

Harrow School’s history spans more than four centuries of academic excellence
and character-driven education.

1572
1760
1805
1893
1998
2026

Giants of Old

Harrow’s most impressive alumni are known among the school community as the “Giants of Old”.

These giants include distinguished alumni such as Sir Winston Churchill, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, and Lord Shaftesbury, alongside members of royal families from the Middle East, Britain, Thailand, India, and Malaysia.

The School’s influence extends across literature (Lord Byron, Anthony Trollope), the performing arts (Benedict Cumberbatch, James Blunt, Richard Curtis), and science and exploration (Nobel laureate Lord Rayleigh, photography pioneer Fox Talbot, astronaut Dr Nicholas Patrick, and explorer Pen Hadow).

Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Robert Peel
Shri Jawaharlal Nehru
Viscount Alexander
King Hussein
King Faisal

National Leadership

Seven British Prime Ministers, including Sir Winston Churchill and Sir Robert Peel. The first Prime Minister of India, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. Former Govenor-General of Canada, Field Marshall Viscount Alexander. Nizam of Hyderabad Mukarram Jah, King Hussein of Jordan and King of Iraq Faisal II. British, Thai, Indian, Malaysian and Middle Eastern royal families.

Lord Shaftesbury
Admiral Rodney
Sir Jeremy Greenstock
Lord Guthrie
Lord Butler
Sir Peter de la Billière

Public Service

British social reformer Lord Shaftesbury. Admiral Rodney. Former UK Ambassador to the UN Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former Head of the British Armed Forces Field Marshall The Lord Guthrie, former Head of the British Civil Service Lord Butler, and a former Commander of British Forces General Sir Peter de la Billière.

Lord Byron
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Anthony Trollope
John Galsworthy
Terence Rattigan
Benedict Cumberbatch
Edward Fox
James Blunt
Richard Curtis

The Arts

The writers Lord Byron, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Anthony Trollope, John Galsworthy and Terence Rattigan. Actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Edward Fox, musician James Blunt and filmmaker Richard Curtis.

Christopher Tyerman
Simon Sebag Montefiore
Paul Binski
Lord Rayleigh
William Henry Fox Talbot
Alastair Fothergill
Sir Arthur Evans
James Bruce
Pen Hadow
Tom Avery

Scholarship, Science & Technology

Historians Christopher Tyerman and Simon Sebag Montefiore, and medieval art history professor Paul Binski. Nobel prize-winning physicist Lord Rayleigh, photography pioneer William Fox Talbot, documentary-maker Alastair Fothergill, and explorers Sir Arthur Evans, James Bruce, Pen Hadow and Tom Avery.

Charles Alcock
Maro Itoje
Billy Vunipola
Nick Compton

Sport

Founder of the UK’s Football Association Charles Alcock, international rugby players Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola, and cricketer Nick Compton.

Peter Beckwith
Chris Blackwell
Andrew Ritchie

Business & Finance

Property developer Peter Beckwith, founder of Island Records Chris Blackwell, and inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle Andrew Ritchie.