Spread across 150 acres of lush, open land, Shrewsbury International School India rises quietly in Bhopal. When Stephanie Cauvet, Director of Marketing and Admissions, was first offered the position, she admits she was momentarily at a loss. “I had been working at Kodaikanal International School for close to a decade, and I wondered—where in India is Bhopal?” she recalls, smiling. Opening a map brought clarity. “It was right in the centre… the heart of the country!” Cauvet soon decided to move to Bhopal for the assignment and enrolled her children at Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury School was first founded in the town of Shrewsbury in the United Kingdom by Edward VI in 1552. It rose to national prominence under the headmastership of Thomas Ashton, who joined in 1561. Shrewsbury India, interestingly, is the fifth campus worldwide, alongside two in Thailand, and one each in Hong Kong and Cambodia. It is the only fully boarding international campus in the Shrewsbury family, alongside the original in the UK.

Shrewsbury India opened its doors in August last year with just over 50 students across Classes 6 to 11. As the school now prepares for a far busier academic year, Cauvet—fresh from the holidays and hosting her visiting parents from France—reflects on their time in the city. “My parents loved Bhopal—and who wouldn’t?” she says. “Geographically and culturally, it’s such a welcoming, loving place.”

Behind this new chapter in central India stands a legacy that’s nearly five centuries old.

At the time of its founding in 1552, the Shrewsbury School Charter consisted of 40 lines and bore the signature and seal of King Edward VI. It opened with the words:“…To all to whom these letters shall come, greeting, Know ye, that we, at the humble petition as well of the Bailiffs and Burgesses and Inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury in the county of Salop as of very many other our subjects of our whole neighbouring country there, for a Grammar School to be erected and established there for the education and instruction of boys and youths…”

Naomi Nicholas, archivist at Shrewsbury School in the UK, explains that the institution’s records extend back to 1552. Reflecting on the collection, she says, “Some of the most interesting things are school records from the 1950s. They really bring the past to life: photographs of ex-students, notes from housemasters, and even the atlas that Charles Darwin used when he was at school.” Darwin, the naturalist who revolutionised our understanding of human evolution, is among the school’s distinguished alumni.

As the school flourished, both its curriculum and student body expanded. According to an undated Public Schools Commission Report, Classics remained the cornerstone of study, supplemented by some history and geography. There was, however, no regular instruction in modern languages until the appointment of Signor Albizzi, an Italian refugee, who introduced them. French, as a school subject, was still described by a pupil as late as 1862 as a “mere figment.” Later, the Headmaster himself taught a course in German.

Language remains a central subject even at Shrewsbury India. ⁠ Pupils up to Grade 8 are offered French, Spanish, German, and Hindi. Cauvet adds, “Grades 9-10 (IGCSE), they have to take a minimum of one language (up to two). In the A levels, they pick three to four subjects, and they can decide to study a foreign language.”

Abhishek Mohan Gupta, President of the Board of Management at Shrewsbury International School, is swamped with files at his desk. He tells The Indian Express that they “always wanted to create a world-class residential school in the city,” noting that Bhopal’s central location, strong connectivity, nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites, and favourable safety, climate, and natural resources made it the ideal choice.

Born and raised in Bhopal, Gupta’s family moved to the city in 1952 to launch Dainik Jagran and later entered the education sector in 1997. Among his many initiatives—such as Delhi Public School, Bhopal, and Jagran Lakecity University—Shrewsbury is the latest addition.

Vertul Singh, government official and author of Bhopalnama, notes that the city’s educational heritage stretches back to the era of the Begums, referring to the period between 1819 and 1926, when the city was ruled by four Begums—Qudsia, Sikander, Shah Jahan and Sultan Jahan. “The Begums did something remarkable—they laid the foundation for nursing institutions, girls’ education, and much more,” he says in an interview with The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, at the Shrewsbury campus, most students—including expats—enjoy kadhi and rice, accompanied by salad, brinjal, and fish curry, followed by dessert. While relishing lunch, Piers Webb, Head of Humanities and Assistant Housemaster, tells The Indian Express: “Bhopal is steeped in history and culture. I happened to visit the Literary fest here, which had some world-class speakers. This shows Bhopal’s efforts to put itself on the global stage.”

Gavin Oldridge, Teacher of Physical Education and Assistant Housemaster, is still getting the hang of the cricket craze in India. While overseeing tracks being laid for the upcoming sports day, he says: “The love our pupils have for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is like football in the UK. I’m just tuning into what’s popular in the environment.”

Most of the faculty here were teaching in the UK or elsewhere abroad before arriving in Bhopal, drawn by a mix of adventure and alignment with the Shrewsbury philosophy. For Neil Pettitt, Head of Science, a visit to India 20 years ago stayed with him. “I was solo travelling in Gujarat, and that was certainly part of the reason to come back.” Having taught internationally for over two decades, in Penang and earlier in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pettitt says it takes about 18 months to settle in. “To know where the nice market is, who the electrician or plumber is, the little life things,” he adds, laughing.

For Oliver Russell, Deputy Head-Strategy and School, who was previously at Shrewsbury, UK, the difference is not particularly stark. “Shrewsbury town and the surrounding countryside in the UK have parallels with Madhya Pradesh: an understated, beautiful space that not many people know much about,” he says. “People may ask if there’s much to do in Bhopal. Then you get there and realise there’s real beauty in the natural environment—the air, the peace and the lakes.”

In Headmaster Dominic Tomalin’s view, this is because Bhopal has been careful about how it approaches development. “The traffic, for example, compared to many other locations, is quite impressive. It’s a nice, up-and-coming city,” he says.

Beyond its legacy, what the administration has consciously carried over from the UK campus is Shrewsbury’s village-like feel. “The campus here in India has been very carefully designed to preserve that sense of community,” Tomalin notes, adding, “It does so through a large common green at the centre, with boarding houses, the academic block, and other amenities arranged around it. If you look at Shrewsbury, UK, you’ll see the same care taken to preserve a wonderful green patch at the heart of the school.”

What immediately catches a visitor’s eye on a campus tour are the sports facilities—vast open fields, tennis courts, basketball and pickleball courts, and indoor stadiums for swimming, rowing, cricket, handball, and more. Yet, despite this impressive focus on sport, academics remain at the core of the curriculum.

Inside the academic block, lockers line the ground-floor corridor outside the classrooms. Each bears a student’s name alongside the flag of their home country. The vivid colours reflect how even a small cohort of students represents remarkable diversity.

In the boarding house, however, diversity is less visible. Sheets are thrown around, a bottle lies open, and stationery is scattered about. The girls’ and boys’ residential houses are separated by a few blocks, yet both are virtually identical, each equipped with a kitchen, television, play area, study area, and other essential facilities.

In a distinctive move, the school follows the Cambridge board. “Cambridge education is the way forward in India. The National Education Policy strongly aligns with its pedagogy—critical thinking, experiential learning, and internships—giving us a clear advantage,” asserts Gupta.

Tomalin echoes this view, “We are very firmly a Cambridge school, and the reason we’ve decided to do that is it gives us the greatest flexibility to tailor programmes not only to pupils’ talents but also to where their interests lie.”

In between meals, there’s school, sports, and a healthy dose of downtime. Cauvet notes that schedules are adjusted based on student and faculty feedback, keeping things flexible. For her, Shrewsbury stands as a counterpoint to the notion that boarding schools are inherently punitive institutions.