Stonyhurst College has a distinguished history as one of Britain’s leading Catholic boarding schools. The College was originally founded in St Omer in 1593 by Fr Robert Persons SJ under the patronage of Philip II of Spain. The purpose of the College was to provide a Catholic education for English boys at a time when such an education was prohibited in England. However, in 1762 the Jesuits were forced to move from St Omer, when the King of France expelled them from France, and re-established their school at Bruges. A further move was necessary  in 1773, this time to Liege, following the worldwide suppression of the Jesuits by the Pope. Finally the school was forced to move from Liege when it was beseiged by the French Revolutionary Army. The school arrived at its current location in Lancashire on 29^th August 1794. Since then, Stonyhurst College has continued to expand, evolve and thrive.

Today young men and women at Stonyhurst receive an education which equips them for the 21^st century, in a setting steeped in history. The College’s continental, Jesuit origins are reflected in its distinctive  nomenclature: the academic year groups are known as  Playrooms, from the early Jesuits’ emphasis on the value of staging dramatic performances. Each year is named after an aspect of language, starting with  Lower Grammar, then Grammar, Syntax, Poetry and finally Rhetoric. Pupils are taught about the history of the College, and are proud of their school's heritage.