Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it will close permanently and will not reopen after the half-term holiday, leaving hundreds of pupils and their families facing the sudden prospect of finding a new school.
The independent school confirmed the closure in a statement published on its website today (27th October), apologising to families and staff for the exceptionally short notice.
‘Leweston School will not reopen after half term, and will close,’ the statement said.
‘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 school says every pupil has been offered a place from Monday 2nd November at a school within the Inspired Learning Group, which includes Clayesmore School and Sunninghill Prep.
Founded in 1891, Leweston is a co-educational Catholic independent school offering nursery, preparatory, senior and sixth-form education. Government records list 577 pupils, aged between two and 19.
The announcement comes less than a year after Leweston entered a new partnership with Concept Education and the Catholic Schools’ Trust. In November 2025, headmaster John Paget-Tomlinson told parents the arrangement would bring financial investment and help secure a ‘strong and sustainable future’ for the school.
No explanation for the closure has been provided in the school’s published statement.
Families and staff have been contacted directly. Parents with questions about alternative schools within the Inspired Learning Group can email [email protected].
The announcement raises immediate questions about the future of the school’s staff, arrangements for pupils approaching public examinations, and why a school that was promising a sustainable future less than a year ago is now closing with just six days’ notice.
