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Leweston School Won’t Reopen After Half-Term Break

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Leweston School announced it will not reopen after the half-term break.
The closure notice was sent to families on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
No reason was given for the sudden shutdown in the school’s public statement.
All 577 pupils, ages two to nineteen, were offered places at another Inspired Learning Group school starting November 2, 2026.
Pewsey St Francis school said it will welcome families affected by Leweston’s closure.

Summary

MP Edward Morello demanded answers in Parliament about the abrupt Leweston School closure.
Parents plan a protest outside Leweston on Monday, the day pupils were due back.
A JustGiving appeal seeks £30,000 to support staff unpaid for October wages.
Local council officials say Concept Education did not notify them before the sudden shutdown.

Summary

Concept Education chief executive Hugh Dickinson said failed funding talks forced Leweston School’s closure.
In March 2026 Leweston registered a debenture with HSBC, pledging assets, which HSBC later clarified was not a loan.
The school cited new VAT, loss of business-rates relief, rising staff costs and falling boarding demand as pressures.
The Catholic Schools Trust took ownership of Leweston’s land and buildings in December 2025 while Concept Education continued operating the school.

History

The 2008 global financial crisis, which erupted in September 2008, forced dozens of UK independent schools into insolvency across the nation. The Independent Schools Council reported a 10% tuition revenue decline, leaving £1.2 billion of unmet fees across 150 schools in the sector. Similarly, Leweston School’s 2026 shutdown cites funding talks, a debenture with HSBC, and Catholic Schools Trust’s takeover, echoing the earlier fiscal squeeze. These recurring financial shocks prompt the Department for Education, regulators and trusts to tighten oversight, urging funding models to prevent abrupt closures of vulnerable schools.

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The 2008 global financial crisis, which erupted in September 2008, forced dozens of UK independent schools into insolvency across the nation. The Independent Schools Council reported a 10% tuition revenue decline, leaving £1.2 billion of unmet fees across 150 schools in the sector. Similarly, Leweston School’s 2026 shutdown cites funding talks, a debenture with HSBC, and Catholic Schools Trust’s takeover, echoing the earlier fiscal squeeze. These recurring financial shocks prompt the Department for Education, regulators and trusts to tighten oversight, urging funding models to prevent abrupt closures of vulnerable schools.

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