** Parents of pupils at Leweston School have pledged around £450,000 towards reopening the Dorset school, which closed without warning during the October half-term. The Leweston Working Group, led by parents and independent of the company now in liquidation, says reopening remains its priority and it is seeking £10 million to secure the school's long-term future.

A sudden closure

Leweston, a 135-year-old Catholic day and boarding school near Sherborne, told families on 27 October that it would not reopen after the half-term break. The closure left 577 pupils without a school and around 200 staff without their October pay. Every pupil was offered a place from 2 November at a school in the Inspired Learning Group, including Clayesmore School and Sunninghill Prep, as [School Management Plus](https://www.schoolmanagementplus.com/bursars-finance/leweston-school-in-dorset-closes-suddenly/) reported.

Concept Education, whose subsidiary took over the school in December 2025, blamed a cash shortfall caused by falling pupil numbers, alongside VAT on fees, the loss of business rates relief and higher employment costs. The company has since entered liquidation.

The rescue plan

The working group says about £6 million of the £10 million would cover acquisition, reopening and the first two academic years, based on a cautious plan assuming fewer than a third of pupils return. It aims to reopen no later than the start of the spring term in January 2027, though it says September 2027 now looks increasingly likely, according to the [Leweston Working Group](https://leweston.group/). A hardship fund for staff stands at £30,000, and a petition has gathered close to 3,000 signatures. Local MP Edward Morello is backing the parents' campaign. According to the Independent Schools Council, 117 private schools have ceased operating since VAT was added to fees in January 2025.