Education, Ringwood | Posted on April 2nd, 2026 | return to news

Moyles Court School in Ringwood set to close

The private boarding school in Ringwood has announced it is closing this summer.

A private boarding school based in the New Forest near Ringwood is set to close this year due to financial pressures and falling student numbers.

In a letter to parents, Moyles Court School revealed that it will be closing at the end of the current academic year, which ends in mid-July.

The school, which is 63 years old, admitted this was an “incredibly difficult” decision and hasn’t been taken lightly.

It cited several reasons for the closure, but chief among them is the Labour government’s decision to charge VAT on private school fees. According to Moyles Court, this is causing many families to no longer be able to afford the school fees.

Moyles Court also pointed to falling pupil numbers, driven by a declining local birth rate and a reduction in international boarding, as other reasons for reduced student numbers, making it impossible to sustain the school.

There has also been increasing financial pressure on parents of children attending the school, with many requesting bursaries and scholarships to help keep their children at the school due to the cost-of-living crisis increasing financial strain on their households.

According to the school, 83 per cent of families who have left or are leaving the school are moving their children out of the independent sector, rather than to a different boarding school.

Moyles Court said: “We have explored every possible avenue to secure the future of the school.

“The reality is that the market for small, community-focused independent schools has shifted significantly.”

It added that the business model for small private schools is “increasingly unsustainable in the current climate” and is not financially viable.

Writing on social media, resident Simon Hollosi described the closure as “terribly sad news”. He said: “These families aren’t millionaires; they’re hardworking parents doing their best to give their children a good education, often supported by scholarships and bursaries.

“Now the impact of this closure will fall on an already stretched state system, with opportunities and local talent at risk of being lost.

“This is deeply concerning for our community.”