A perpendicular magnetic write head having a conformal wrap around trailing shield. The write head includes a write pole that can be configured with a trapezoidal shape as viewed from the Air Bearing Surface (ABS) and which includes a wrap around trailing magnetic shield. The magnetic shield has a trailing portion that is separated from the leading edge of the write pole by a non-magnetic trailing gap, and has side shield portions that are separated from first and second side portions of the write pole by first and second non-magnetic side gaps. The magnetic shield can be configured with notches at either side of the trailing portion of magnetic shield. These notches can extend in the trailing direction by a distance that is preferably ¼ to 1 times the trailing gap thickness. The width of the straight, trailing portion of the shield is preferable ½ to 1 times of the main pole width.