The Royal School, Wolverhampton

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The Royal School, Wolverhampton is a co-educational free school with a sixth form for day and boarding pupils in Wolverhampton, England. It welcomes students aged 4 to 18 and has about 1,363 pupils.

It is the only state school in the UK with a Royal Charter and has been a free school since September 2016. It used to be a private fee-paying school.

History
- Founded in 1850 as The Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum by John Lees to help children who had lost parents after a cholera outbreak.
- In 1891, Queen Victoria allowed the school to use the prefix “Royal,” becoming The Royal Orphanage of Wolverhampton.
- In the late 1940s, it was renamed The Royal Wolverhampton School.
- It became a free school in 2016 as welfare changes shifted how the school worked.

Location and facilities
- The school started at 46 Queen Street and moved to Penn Road in 1854, where it remains and has been expanded over the years.
- The Hilda Hayward swimming pool was built in the 1970s, destroyed by fire in 2005, and rebuilt for £2.5 million, opening in 2006. The pool serves the school’s swimming programs and Elite Swim Club.

Patron, motto and values
- The school’s patron is Prince Edward.
- Motto: Nisi Dominus Frustra (Except the Lord in Vain).
- Religious affiliation: Church of England.

What the school offers
- Sports include athletics, basketball, football, cricket, rounders, netball and swimming.
- In Years 9–13, students can join the Combined Cadet Force, Police Cadets, Nursing Cadets, or Young Enterprise; in Years 7–11 there is a Coding Club.
- Children of armed forces personnel can receive £1,000 per term per child to help with boarding costs.