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On Wednesday, January 21, the Royal High School in Bath announced that following the summer term it will close the prep school, including provision for pupils from nursery to year four.
From September 2026, girls in years five and six will be relocated to the senior school site on the city’s Lansdown Road.
It comes after Our Lady’s Abingdon school in Radley Road in Abingdon was forced to close last year for financial reasons with parents being informed of the decision in August.
Another private school in Oxfordshire, Carrdus School in Banbury, was sold for £4.5m in November with governors blaming VAT tax hikes.
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The Bath school is the alma-mater of celebrity chef Dame Mary who lives in the Henley area of Oxfordshire.
As reported in the Times, in 1998 it merged with Bath High School, which was founded in 1875 and is where Dame Mary attended as a schoolgirl.
The former Royal School campus became the senior school, while the former Bath High School site served as the junior school.
Royal High Bath head, Heidi-Jayne Boyes, said: “This move strengthens every aspect of the educational experience we offer.
“By bringing all girls from Year 5 onwards onto one site, we are creating one vibrant, future‑focused school community where every decision, from the curriculum to wellbeing provision, is shaped around how girls learn best.
“We are proud to be experts in girls’ education, and this change allows us to deepen that expertise for the benefit of all our students.”
Imogen Pudduck, chairwoman of Governors and former student of Royal High Bath, added: “As an alumna, I know first‑hand how transformative a Royal High education can be. This is an affirmative and ambitious move that strengthens our identity as a school designed for girls.
“This decision safeguards the future of the school and enhances the experience for generations of girls to come. More than ever, the world is a tough place for women. This move forms part of our mission to help girls live a life without limits.”
According to the Times, in a letter to parents at the school, the head also blamed government decisions, including “increasing costs with the introduction of VAT on school fees, removal of business rates relief and an increase in employer national insurance contributions”.
She added: “Over time, our cost base has risen faster than pupil numbers, coupled with a decline in birth rates nationally, which means market dynamics are rapidly changing.
The school has said the move will strengthen its position moving forward, language that echoes a Warminster School that announced it would be selling the site of its prep school earlier in January.
It announced pupils at its own prep school will be relocated from its current Vicarage Street location to Weymouth House, in the heart of the senior school campus from September 2026.
A spokesperson added that the move follows “extensive work” by the governors and executive team secure the long-term stability of the school and strengthen its position for the years ahead, a spokesperson said.
As this paper reported in the summer of 2025, Bishopstrow College, located just outside Warminster went into administration along with its parent company Inspiring Futures Education on Monday, June 30.
Reacting to the school entering into administration at the time, Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire, Dr Andrew Murrison described the announcement as “terrible news” and slammed the government’s decision to impose tax on private school fees.
Dr Murrison continued: “Bishopstrow College brings in a lot of foreign income, employs a significant number of people locally and pays tax to the Treasury.
“All that has been ripped up by this lousy government’s imposition of VAT on education putting ideology ahead of managing the economy properly. Shameful.”
In response to Dr Murrison, a government spokesperson said: “Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30 to help fund public services, including supporting the 94 per cent of children in state schools to achieve and thrive.
“On average, around 50 mainstream private schools typically close each year. This is due to a range of reasons, including financial struggles and school standards issues.
“Local authorities and schools commonly support children and parents in these circumstances, we are confident in local state schools’ ability to accommodate new pupils.”
