The school was established to provide six choristers for the Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, which sings in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which is the official country residence of the British Royal Family. St George's is one of the oldest schools in the country, and has provided an unbroken line of boy choristers to sing daily services in St George's Chapel since 1352.
As late as 1942 the school was reported by its headmaster as being "for the sons of Gentlemen only".[1]
The seventeen full choristers live at the school, with about seven 'probationers' who are mostly day pupils. The choristers attend lessons at the school with the other children and rehearse each day before and after school in the Song School by the Chapel, where they also sing seven services each week during term time. Their school fees are partly met by grants from the Dean and Canons of Windsor.
The school has a boarding community of 30 children, many of whom board on weekly or flexible arrangements. Most pupils have experienced some level of boarding before they leave at 13.
The school buildings are situated just below the north wall of Windsor Castle, with the school being divided into three distinct sections – the Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2) the Middle School (Years 3, 4 and 5) and the Senior School (Years 6, 7 and 8).
Nearly all pupils over the age of 7 learn an instrument, the majority of girls take part in ballet, tap or jazz dancing and a range of school choirs covers all age-groups.
Although the school is a town centre school, spacious playing fields are situated next door to the school site, within the King's private grounds. Boys play football, rugby and cricket and the girls play netball, hockey and rounders. Swimming takes place in the school's indoor pool.
In 2021, the house names were changed from Revenge, Rodney, Vindictive and Victory, to Garter, Clarence, Lancaster and Winchester. They are now named after the towers at Windsor Castle. The original houses were named after warships.
At the beginning of the 2024/25 school year, St George’s will welcome their first ever female headmistress, Emma Károlyi.
^ abThe Spectator, vol. 168 (1942), pp. 266 & 298: "St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle — The Choir School is a first-class Preparatory School for the Public Schools, for the sons of Gentlemen only... G. S. Fowler, MA, St George's School, Windsor Castle"
^ abcdeWridgway, Neville (1980). The Choristers of St George's Chapel. Chas. Luff & Co. p. 132.
^The Journal of Education, vol. 54 (W. Stewart & Company, 1922), p. 90: "Mr. HFW Deane, Chairman of the Year Book Press, Ltd., whose death was reported late in December last, was well known in educational circles. He was educated at Repton and Trinity College, Cambridge. For fourteen years he was a master at St. Ninian's School, Moffat, and in 1885 became head master of St. George's School, Windsor. He retired from this post in 1904, being appointed Chapter Clerk and Librarian to the Dean and Canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Later he established, with his sons, the publishing firm now known as The Year Book Press."
^College, Lancing; Esdaile, Arundell James Kennedy (1913). The Lancing Register. Lancing Club. p. 153. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
^Headmaster, R. H. E. Russell (Creed & Co, Dorset, 1986)
^ abcdefIn High Remembrance, Ed. R. H. E. Russell & P. A. F. Thomas (2007)
^The Church of England year book, vol. 116 (Church of England National Assembly, 2000) p. 244: "Headmaster, St George's School: Mr Roger Jones, St George's School, Windsor"
^Hugh Chisholm, ed. The Encyclopædia Britannica: The New Volumes, Volume 1 (1922): "After a preliminary private education he became a chorister at St. George's chapel, Windsor, in 1882..."
