Leweston School

Operated by a charitable foundation and company, 'Leweston School Trust', which is registered charity no. The Trust, registered company no. Prior to 27 December 2007, the Trust's legal name was St Antony's Leweston School Trust. The Trust's primary aim is to provide an independent Roman Catholic education. Ian Lucas was listed as Chairman of the Governors.

• Name — Leweston School • Motto — Gaudere et Bene Facere ('Rejoice and Do Well') • Established — 1891 • Type — Private day and boarding school • Religious Affiliation — Roman Catholic • Head Label — Head • Head — John Paget-Tomlinson • Founder — Sisters of Christian Instruction • Address — Leweston • City — Sherborne • County — Dorset • Country — England • Postal Code — DT9 6EN • Urn — 113920 • Staff — 155 • Gender — Co-educational throughout the whole school • Lower Age — 3 months • Upper Age — 18 • Houses — Campion Fisher Mayne More • Colours — Blue and white • Alumni — Old Antonians • Website — http: www.leweston.co.uk • Illustration — Trinity Chapel

Leweston School was founded in Sherborne as St Antony's school in 1891 by the Sisters of Christian Instruction, Sacred Heart nuns from Belgium with Jesuit principles. They operated a school for girl boarders. The senior school moved to the Leweston Manor estate in 1948 and became known as St Antony's-Leweston School; in 1993 the preparatory school followed. The manor building was Grade II listed in 1951 as "Saint Antony's Convent (formerly listed as Leweston Manor)". At the time, a convent was still there, but the primary use of the building was as the school. The listing states that the interior was "largely remodelled c.1930" and that the additions completed in the mid 20th century were "not of special interest". The main school building is a Palladian manor house built in the late eighteenth century. The first owner during the 20th century, in 1906, was George Hamilton Fletcher of the White Star shipping line who sold the property to Eric Hamilton Rose in the 1920s. Rose dubbed it Leweston Manor; he and his wife Rosamond arranged for major renovations to be completed. It was sold in 1948 to the nuns of St Antony's School, who sold the freehold in 1990; it has remained a Roman Catholic school, renamed Leweston School in 2007. The current owner has maintained the historic integrity of the manor and chapel. The school grounds occupy 46 acre, and include the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, a Grade I listed building, constructed in 1616 by Sir John Fitzjames. The Trinity Chapel is the oldest building on the school site and is used regularly for smaller services. Most of this chapel's interior is from the 17th century, including the two-decker pulpit, but the original altar is missing; the current altar was added in the 1930s. There is another chapel in the main school. It is modern, completed in 1970, with a triangular plan.

• Dido Harding, Baroness Harding of Winscombe – businesswoman and Conservative life peer • Erin Pizzey – Equality activist and founder of world's first domestic violence shelter • Kristin Scott Thomas – actress • Serena Scott Thomas – actress