It was originally founded as a boarding school for boys. In 2008, however, girls were accepted in the sixth form. Since 2015 Shrewsbury School has been a co-educational school. As at Michaelmas Term 2023, Shrewsbury School had 842 pupils: 522 boys and 320 girls. The school has seven boys', and five girls' houses. Alumni of the school are known as Old Salopians.

The present school site, to which the school moved in