Independent School News: May 2026 Week 3

Considering independent education? Find the best school for your child here. Otherwise, read on for the latest independent school news (May 2026).

Highfield & Brookham Exhibition Fundraises For Bursaries

A three-day art exhibition at Highfield and Brookham recently raised almost £15,000 for the school’s bursary fund. Forty-eight artists exhibited their work at the school’s theatre – among them alumnus Joey Green, one of the school’s first bursary recipients and who now studies at Central Saint Martins. He was also one of nine artists to create collaborative art pieces with current students, all of which were sold in a silent auction with all proceeds going towards the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund.

Discover Highfield and Brookham: countryandtownhouse.com/schools/highfield-and-brookham

Francis Holland Prep has won a gold award and a special mention for innovation – both for the second year running – for Chelsea in Bloom flower display

Francis Holland Prep Flourishes At Chelsea In Bloom

This week, Francis Holland Prep won a gold award for the second year running for its flower display for Chelsea in Bloom 2026. Following the theme of ‘out of this world’, the display reimagines George and the Dragon as a female empowerment story, with a girl confronting the fire-breathing dragon with a pen rather than a sword to represent the power of communication. Pupils and staff made the stars that decorate the dragon’s wings by hand, and as well as a gold award, the display received a special mention for innovation.

Blackheath High Junior School recently welcomed double Olympian Montell Douglas for an assembly celebrating its new girl empowerment programme

Double Olympian Inspires Blackheath Pupils

Blackheath High Junior School recently welcomed double Olympian Montell Douglas for an assembly celebrating its new girl empowerment programme. Through The Mighty Girl Challenge, girls in years two to five take part in activities inspiring them to be ambitious, brave and curious – and Douglas’ assembly did just that. She talked about how, after breaking a British sprint record in the 2008 Olympics, she injured her knee and had to relearn how to walk, leading her to take up bobsleigh and compete in the Olympics for a second time. She ended her assembly with some valuable advice: ‘Keep pushing, keep going, keep bringing your best. Most of all, aim high, be bold and stay curious.’

St Peter’s Student Competes For Great Britain

Lower sixth St Peter’s York student, Rowan, recently represented the Britain and Northern Ireland U20 team at the 2026 Loughborough International athletics match. After running the men’s 400m in 47.82 seconds, Rowan went on to run the first leg of the U20 mixed relay, setting the team up to secure fifth place. He said: ‘Having the honour to represent my country has always been my dream, and to make it come true meant the world to me. I look forward to what the rest of this year has to offer. It’s all stepping stones to the LA Olympics.’

Discover St Peter’s York: countryandtownhouse.com/schools/st-peters-york

York House is celebrating the recent birth of six lambs on site, marking the school’s fourth season of lambing

Successful Lambing Season At York House

York House is celebrating the recent birth of six lambs on site, marking the school’s fourth season of lambing. This year’s babies – named Chandler, Rocky, Polar, Cloud, Matias and Twix by the pupils – are particularly special as the first lambs to be born from ewes bred at York House three years ago. ‘To see firsthand the resilience and strength of these tiny animals from such an early stage of life is a wonderful experience for the children,’ said York House’s smallholding manager, Tara Warren. The lambs will stay with the rest of the school’s flock, allowing pupils to watch them grow as they go through their own school journeys.

Discover York House: countryandtownhouse.com/schools/york-house-school

Twenty-three Malvern College pupils earned places on county programmes this year and will go on to train with Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire

Malvern College Celebrates Young Cricketers’ Success

Sixteen-year-old student at Malvern College, Charlie Taylor, recently signed a professional contract with Warwickshire Cricket Club, making him one of 23 pupils earning places on county programmes this year. Both boys and girls will go on to train with Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, beginning their professional careers in sport. ‘The growth in girls’ cricket has been especially exciting,’ said Malvern’s cricket professional, George Rhodes. ‘We’re seeing more and more talented girls wanting to push themselves in performing cricket and having five girls involved in county pathways creates brilliant role models for younger pupils.’

New Partnerships, New Heads & New Campaigns

The King’s School Canterbury: A new partnership between The King’s School Canterbury and Spring Grove School in Wye marks the creation of The King’s School Canterbury Education Group. The two Kent schools will each keep their own day-to-day leadership but hope the partnership will allow them both to thrive with higher quality education and more opportunities for staff growth.

Pattison School: Pattison, a coeducational school in Coventry with a heritage in and focus on performing arts, has appointed Jason Lewis as its new head. An experienced educator, Lewis was most recently executive head at Bosworth Independent School and is now ‘delighted to be joining a school with such a proud and rich history’.

King Edward’s School Bath: KES Bath has launched a new bursary campaign, aiming to raise £2m by 2030. The senior school currently provides over £1.3m in support to over 100 students, and the new Transforming Lives Through Education campaign will allow this to grow, allowing even more students to access a transformative education at the school.

Discover King Edward’s School Bath: countryandtownhouse.com/schools/king-edwards-school-bath