News about major changes at UK independent schools is flowing in to the 樱花动漫 office at such a rate, we鈥檙e now keeping this up-to-date document recording schools鈥 big plans. From mergers and partnerships to going co-educational, we鈥檒l be keeping an eye on all the big changes afoot across the nation.
June 17
in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, UK, announced that it would become part of The in September 2025, .
The co-ed prep school has 151 pupils, according to government figures.
“St Hugh鈥檚 will retain its unique identity, leadership, location, and traditions, while gaining access to the opportunities, resources and expertise of a dynamic and expanding group”, the statement said.
June 12
and going co-educational, with boys admitted in Year 7 and 12 from September 2026 onwards. The school will change its name to Duchy College, in recognition of the fact the school is in an area that is part of the Duchy of Lancaster.
“I feel sad losing the name,” its principal Joanna Fox told The Times. “It鈥檚 our heritage, but we couldn鈥檛 be Harrogate Ladies鈥 College with boys, that wasn鈥檛 going to work. One child suggested Harrogate Lads and Lasses College.鈥
The school was founded in 1893 and was a pioneer of girls’ education. The principal said that the school had “extolled the virtues of girls-only education for a long time” but that the move to co-education would secure the school’s future.
June 2:
Box Hill School in Surrey announced it had relaunched as RGS Surrey Hills after it joined the Reigate Grammar School (RGS) Group.
The 375-pupil co-ed boarding school for students aged 11 to 19 near Dorking in Surrey will retain its staff and 鈥渦nique identity鈥, a LinkedIn announcement said.
RGS Group, which includes nearby , has said that the former Box Hill School will retain its own leadership team, teaching staff, community and curriculum, including International Baccalaureate (IB) and A-levels.
Box Hill 鈥 now RGS Surrey Hills 鈥 said: 鈥淭his partnership strengthens what we already do so well: offering a nurturing, academically ambitious education with strong values at its heart. We retain our staff and unique identity 鈥 while gaining the support and shared opportunities of the award-winning RGS Group.鈥
May 21
On May 21, , a 3 to 13 prep in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, announced it would be merging with the , which consists of Haberdashers鈥 Boys鈥 School and Haberdashers鈥 Girls鈥 School. A statement on Lochinver’s website outlined the reasons behind the move to join the high-profile schools group, saying: “Schools across the UK are looking at ways to improve their financial stability and educational offer with the growth of not-for-profit educational groups and multiple mergers.”
Sharing resources and expertise, it said, would help “manage cost rises to parents”, improve financial sustainability, help attract teaching talent and provide more career development opportunities for staff.
The move will take effect in September 2025.
20 May 2025
This week, the girls-only decided to break from 140 years of tradition and said it plans to admit boys from September this year.
Up until several years ago, boys attended Durham High School for their pre-prep education before moving onto different schools.
Nick Grenfell-Marten, chair of the board of Durham Education Limited, which owns Durham High, said that the decision has 鈥渘ot been taken lightly鈥 but was 鈥渢he right decision for the future of the school鈥.
He said Durham’s parent company, the Chinese-owned, was committed to investing in the school.
Michelle Hill, headmistress, said the swap to co-education was a response to the number of prospective parents wanting their children to be educated together.
Admitting boys would 鈥渆nrich the learning environment鈥 and 鈥減rovide every pupil with an even stronger foundation for the future鈥, she said.
On May 12, we learnt that in West Sussex would be merging with and would be part of its 鈥渇amily of schools鈥 from September 2025.
A press release said that Dorset House, a day and boarding school, will complement Lancing鈥檚 existing prep schools in Hove and Worthing.
Also last week, it was announced that and in Woking, Surrey, will merge, creating a co-educational school called Hoe Bridge School – for pupils aged from six months to 16 years.
It will be split across the two existing sites, with a year-round nursery and a senior school for Years 9, 10 and 11 on the current Greenfield site. A term-time nursery and preparatory school for Reception to Year 8 will occupy the current Hoe Bridge Site.
The move comes after because of reported unpaid debts to Woking Council.
In other merger news, it was announced on May 12 that , Cheshire, would merge with from August 1. The announcement emphasised that the prep school would keep its 鈥渄istinct identity鈥 and continue to prepare children for a range of senior schools.
Finally, it emerged on May 15 that , in West Sussex 鈥 one of only a few preps in the UK not to have a uniform 鈥 was to merge with.
Under the agreement, Windlesham House will retain its current identity, name, ethos, values, no uniform policy, and its badge, as well as its day-to-day operational autonomy and senior leadership teams.
