Bishop Cotton School, Shimla is one of the oldest boys boarding schools in Asia and was the first ‘Public School’ in India. It was founded on 28th July 1859, by Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton. George Cotton was a scholar at Westminster School and a graduate of Cambridge University. In 1836, Cotton began teaching at Rugby School under the tutelage of Doctor Thomas Arnold before moving on to be Master of Marlborough College. It was the young Mr Cotton who is spoken of as the ‘the model young master’ in Thomas Hughes’ famous book ‘Tom Brown’s School Days’.

As Bishop of Calcutta, on the 28th July 1859, Cotton conducted a service for the foundation of a public school at a hill station. Collections were made in most of the churches of the Diocese for this purpose. These funds were used to found the Bishop’s School at Jutogh, Shimla. The land and the buildings on it were a gift from the Viceroy. Three private houses were purchased by Bishop Cotton, out of the India Public School Fund, and the school opened for students on the 15th March 1863. Though mentioned in correspondence as the Shimla Public School, it never actually bore this name. 

Most of our families have proactively made the decision to choose boarding because of the benefits it will bring their boys – independence, friendships, fitness and routines.  Other families understandably have specific reasons such as both parents (or single parents) are working long hours or their work requires the parents to move regularly disrupting their children’s education. Other families are concerned by the high pollution levels in modern cities as well as our current Covid-19 pandemic.