Private school near Sherborne to close for good after half term
Every Leweston School pupil has been offered a place at another school from 2nd November
A private Catholic boarding and day school near Sherborne in Dorset has announced it will not reopen after half term and will close.
Leweston School said every pupil has been offered a place at another school from Monday 2nd November.
The school published a statement on its website. It does not give a reason for the closure.
What the school has said
The statement said:
"Leweston School will not reopen after half term, and will close.
"Every Leweston pupil has been offered a place from Monday 2 November at a school in the Inspired Learning Group, which includes Clayesmore School and Sunninghill Prep.
"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. Families and staff have been contacted directly.
Leweston families with questions about ILG schools can contact [email protected] . For anything else, please contact Hugh Dickinson, Chief Executive of Concept Education."
Background to the school
Leweston School has pupils from nursery age to 18.
The school was founded in 1891 and that its former pupils include actress Kristin Scott Thomas and Baroness Dido Harding.
It was sold in December 2025 to a subsidiary of Concept Education, which also runs The Marist School in Ascot, Berkshire.
A document at Companies House shows Leweston School (Sherborne) Ltd registered a loan from HSBC Bank in March 2026, with all of its assets offered as security.