UK private school prepares for expansion after land purchase

St Hugh’s School, a co-educational day school and boarding school for pupils aged three to 13, is located at Carswell Manor.

The independent school will welcome its first cohort of Year 9 pupils in September 2026, with the first group of GCSE pupils completing their studies in 2029.

READ MORE: Private prep school announces land purchase

The opening of the senior school follows the purchase of nearly 20 acres of land next to the existing site.

The newly acquired land will play a central role in the school’s strategic vision for the next five to 10 years.

St Hugh’s School (Image: St Hugh’s School)

St Hugh’s has been working closely with architects to shape a comprehensive development plan, including a new dining room, enhanced teaching spaces, and expanded facilities for the pre-prep, prep, and the new senior school which formally opens in June this year.

There is an open morning for prospective parents and pupils on Friday, May 8, and places at the senior school are now being advertised.

Pupils at St Hugh’s School (Image: St Hugh’s School)

Headmaster David Griffiths said earlier in his letter to parents that the land purchase “will almost double the size of the school’s usable open area” and represented “a bold statement of ambition from the governing body” as the school looks ahead to the next decade of growth.

The plan to create the new senior school was first announced last year.

Mr Griffiths said at the time: “This is an incredibly exciting step for St Hugh’s.

“”We are building on our strong foundation as a prep school while responding to the clear need for excellent senior education options locally.

“Our new senior school will offer the same nurturing environment, high academic standards, and family-focused ethos that our school community values so deeply.”

The decision to expand followed a long-term review of the educational landscape and growing demand for academically ambitious, co-educational day schooling with strong pastoral care.

The school said it will retain its “family-friendly atmosphere” without “rapid or excessive growth” in pupil numbers.

A detailed overview of the expansion is included in the school’s Strategy 120 booklet.

The additional land will allow for new activities on-site such as clay ‘pigeon’ shooting, and another exciting development is the creation of a new school farm.

This initiative will significantly expand outdoor education provision, particularly for younger pupils, with plans to involve children and local farming families in shaping the project.

The school has thanked the alumni whose generosity made the land purchase possible, as well as the Woodgate family, the land’s vendors, for their support.

Originally founded as a small boys’ boarding school near London, St Hugh’s then evolved into a co-educational preparatory school.