Selwyn House quickly grew in size and relocated two more times. Its aim was to provide a solid grounding in basic subjects, and to equip boys for the boarding schools from which they would proceed to university. The school was modeled after English preparatory schools, and the staff was largely recruited from the United Kingdom. Under the leadership of Dr. Robert Speirs, headmaster from 1945 to 1971 and after whom the Speirs Medal is named, the reputation of the school grew significantly. In the 1940s, the students who attended the school were overwhelmingly Protestant with the notable exception of sons of the Bronfman family, who were Jewish.