Leweston continues to be aware of the prevailing economic conditions. However, we are determined to remain competitive in terms of our offering and the fees we charge our loyal parents. Our philosophy is that an education at Leweston has never been, and never will be, simply a transactional process. We are a community - and each individual has their part to play in contributing to the school's cultural identity and helping to determine its future success.
Consequently, in revising our fees for September, we have undertaken a thorough benchmarking exercise and spoken widely with internal and external stakeholders, including a well-regarded educational consultancy firm. The Board determined that it is a primary objective for Leweston to maintain the differential between ourselves and other schools to ensure that as many families as possible can take advantage of our high-quality education at an accessible price.
In order to retain the integrity of this important aim, we have carefully reviewed the fee structure across the whole school and introduced a more logical approach to the different ages and stages of a Leweston education, as well as to reflect the transitional provision between our Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior and Sixth Form. We have also tried to ensure that our boarding fees, in particular, remain highly competitive.
Our commitment to our international students remains strong. We do not charge an international supplement, our extra weekends are non-compulsory and pupils are not charged to stay with us, our international deposit is unchanged and a substantial amount of EAL support is included in the curriculum.
As our recent Good Schools Guide review stated, “Leweston feels like the savvy parent's choice, offering a broad, all-through education and heaps of opportunity at a cost that feels like very good value compared to similar schools.” In keeping with this, we believe that the revised fees for September reflect a sensible
outlook to protect the interests of our school whilst remaining inclusive and fair to our hard-working families. As a charitable enterprise, any profits are reinvested into the offer for our pupils. For example, over the past year, we opened new dormitories in Antony House, appointed a new Pastoral Lead, introduced an expanded well-being programme for parents and pupils, enhanced academic reporting and made a significant investment into our all-weather pitch. Furthermore, we have exciting plans in the coming months to maintain and strengthen our academic, musical, sporting, dramatic and extra-curricular provision, to maintain and improve our flexible boarding model, further develop the excellent pastoral care offered to pupils and continue with improvements across our beautiful campus.
Our focus is to ensure that our parents' investment is, and remains, excellent value for money. We continue to offer opportunities that mirror schools that are charging as much as a third more in fees. Furthermore, we are watching and waiting for clarification of VAT being added to independent school fees in the medium term. At this point in time, we think it is prudent to defer any finite communication with you about this issue until we have a much clearer understanding of its implications and timeline. Nonetheless, you have our guarantee that we are considering the matter with great seriousness and will write to in a timely fashion to explain our rationale once the position is settled.
At Leweston, we regard ourselves as an extended family; we support and challenge each child to be the best they can be, building confidence and resilience which will equip them for an ever-changing world. We believe that this strong, cultural identity will enable us to provide continuity of the education you cherish and ensure the future prosperity of the school that we all know and love.
Leweston
Sherbourne
14 May 2024