Leweston School in Dorset closes suddenly during half-term

Summarised from 4 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 29 Oct, 09:03 · Archive

Leweston School near Sherborne in Dorset has announced it will not reopen after the October half-term, affecting almost 600 pupils.

Leweston School, a Catholic boarding and day school near Sherborne in Dorset, announced it will not reopen after the October half-term. The closure was announced during half-term itself, with little warning to families. The school said in a statement: 'We are very sorry for what this means for our pupils, their families and our staff, and for how little notice we have been able to give.' The Independent reports the school was originally founded in 1891 as St Anthony's and was sold to a subsidiary of Concept Education in December 2025. It registered for a loan from HSBC Bank in March 2026.

The school charged £7,909 per term for Year 7 and 8 day pupils, rising to £8,475 per term for Years 9 to 11 and £8,286 for Years 12 and 13. Boarding arrangements ranged from £12,880 per term for seven-night-a-week accommodation to £14,990 per term for international students with full boarding.

Almost 600 pupils are affected by the closure. Every pupil has been offered a place from 2 November at schools in the Inspired Learning Group, including Clayesmore School and Sunninghill Prep, both located around 19 miles away. The school's alumni include actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Baroness Dido Harding.

The school gave no official reason for its sudden closure. However, The Independent and Daily Mail note that people on social media have speculated the closure is due to Labour's 20 per cent VAT on private school fees, a policy which came into force last year. The Daily Express states that Leweston brings the total number of private schools closing in the wake of Labour's targeting of independent education to 72, though it does not specify the source of this figure. The Daily Mail reports that the Independent Schools Council suggested more than 100 private schools had closed since the introduction of VAT on fees.

How it is being reported

• ‘We just paid our £42,000 fees’: The parents whose private school suddenly closedThis week, Leweston School in Dorset abruptly closed, leaving 577 pupils from nursery to sixth form without a placementThe i Paper · 29 Oct, 12:00
• Historic UK private school shuts without warning leaving hundreds of students abandonedLeweston School has apologised to pupils, their families and its staff for the short noticeThe Independent · 29 Oct, 08:50
• Kristin Scott Thomas's £45,000-a-year former private school closes suddenly during half-term after 135 yearsLeweston School, near Sherborne in Dorset, apologised to families for the 'little notice' on the closure.Daily Mail · 28 Oct, 15:12
• Private school charging up to £14,990 per term announces sudden closure during October holidaysLeweston School has apologised to pupils, their families and its staff for the short noticeThe Independent · 28 Oct, 08:43
• Historic school shuts without warning bringing Labour’s tally of closures to 72Leweston School in Dorset closes in half term - almost 600 pupils face uncertain future.Daily Express · 27 Oct, 18:49

In this story: Leweston School · Sherborne · Dorset · Clayesmore School · Sunninghill Prep · Kristin Scott Thomas · Baroness Dido Harding · Concept Education

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log