Crime & Safety
Cotswolds private school to close after over 100 years
Rendcomb College, near Cirencester across the border from Oxfordshire, announced it will permanently shut its doors this summer.
This will bring an end to a 106‑year history of educating day pupils and boarders in the heart of the Cotswolds.
The independent day and boarding school opened in 1920 and has around 380 pupils on its roll.
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It said that current and projected pupil numbers, combined with the economic climate facing fee‑paying schools, mean it is no longer financially viable.
In a statement, governors said they had “reluctantly” concluded that the college must close at the end of the 2025‑26 academic year, after exploring “every other feasible option”, including potential mergers, alternative owners and additional sources of funding.
“Despite Rendcomb College’s extremely strong track record as a school, the reality is that current and projected pupil numbers, alongside the economic situation facing independent schools across the country, do not make the school financially viable in the future,” read the statement.
“It has therefore reluctantly been decided that the school will close at the end of the academic year.
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“The staff and governors have done everything to make Rendcomb College an excellent school, and its closure is highly unfortunate but sadly unavoidable.
“For many years, the college has benefited from significant funding from the Rendcomb College Foundation.
“Whilst this has made the operation of the college possible until now, the enormous increase in the deficit for the current year, and the anticipated financial picture for next year, mean that such support is unsustainable.
“This is a very sad decision to have taken and follows the exploration of every other feasible option, including mergers and other forms of funding.
“Our focus now will be on helping pupils find appropriate alternative provision and assisting our highly professional and dedicated staff to find posts elsewhere.”
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Wycliffe College, another independent school in Gloucestershire, has said it is prepared to offer places in all year groups to affected Rendcomb pupils and has pledged to match existing fees for those transferring into certain years, in a bid to minimise disruption.
The closure adds to growing concern about the pressures facing private schools across the region, coming after a series of high‑profile warnings about the impact of rising costs and the introduction of VAT on school fees.
In Oxfordshire, Our Lady’s Abingdon, a 160‑year‑old Catholic independent day school, shut in 2025.
A range of “economic pressures” were cited, including the planned imposition of VAT on school fees, higher National Insurance contributions, the loss of business rates relief and falling pupil numbers.
Carrdus School, a prep school serving the Banbury area, also confirmed it would close in 2025 due to financial pressures.
The incident occurred just before 8pm on Tuesday, April 14, when an electric bicycle was stolen from outside Popeyes in Queen Street.
Thames Valley Police now wishes to speak to two men regarding the theft and has published an appeal with their photos today (Wednesday, April 22).
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A spokesperson for the force said: “Do you recognise these men?
“We are appealing for your help to identify them, as we believe they may have vital information about the theft of an electric bike in Oxford.
“If you recognise the people pictured, or if this is you, please contact the force on 101 or by making a report via the link in the comments quoting the reference number 43260181448.”
Nicola Mansell, 45, of Benmead Road in Kidlington, pleaded guilty to drink-driving after crashing a Ford Focus on the A44 on the Bladon Roundabout approaching Woodstock from Oxford on February 21.
She recorded 70 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
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Mansell was not injured in the crash, though witnesses reported seeing paramedics and an ambulance at the scene as a precaution.
She was disqualified from driving for 17 months and ordered to pay a £300 fine, £85 in prosecution costs, and a £120 victim surcharge.
Mansell was given the option to complete a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which could reduce her ban by 17 weeks if completed by March 18, 2027.
A guilty plea was taken into account during sentencing.
PURE Spa Witney Lakes has been named alongside the best in the globe by SpaSeekers.com, a spa booking agency.
Found to catch the eye more than almost every other spa in the UK, the Oxfordshire spot ranked third in the country.
This was only behind the likes of Hoar Cross Hall in the Midlands and Cheshire’s Carden Park.
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Set within the Oxfordshire countryside and bordering the Cotswolds, the agency says it provides a truly luxurious spa experience.
The results of the study come as Google searches for “relaxing holidays” are up by 353 per cent in the last month alone.
The study took images of 50 spas that are often revered online for their eye-catching aesthetics and analysed which spots grab people’s attention the quickest, as well as holding it the longest.
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Spa therapist Maddie Evans said: “Whether you’re planning a bucket list holiday or for a special birthday treat, a visit to a spa can make the occasion even more memorable, especially when the surroundings are just as impressive as the treatments on offer.
“These spas double up as a form of sightseeing and allow you to take in breath-taking views while relaxing.
“With so many spas around the world, there’s also something for everyone – so whether you love the sound of tropical hot springs in New Zealand or a forest getaway in England, there’s always going to be something for you, and we hope our research helps to provide inspiration for your next trip.”
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