What CLAYESMORE SCHOOL does

Clayesmore School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school operating from a 62-acre estate in Iwerne Minster, Blandford, Dorset, founded in 1896 by Lex Devine and operating continuously for over 125 years. The school delivers a four-stage educational offering: Nursery (3 months to 4 years, opening 2026), Prep (Reception through Year 8), Senior (Years 9-11, leading to GCSE), and Sixth Form (Years 12-13, A Level and BTEC), with multiple boarding houses supporting both Prep and Senior boarding. Core academic delivery is supplemented by the LEX (Learning Enrichment and Extension) programme of Saturday and weekday enrichment, a Teaching and Learning Centre providing CReSTeD-accredited specialist support for dyslexia, ADHD, and mild autism, and a co-curricular programme spanning sport, music, drama, and outdoor education on the estate.

The business model is termly subscription tuition billing across all four stages, with boarding and day tiers differentiated by fee. Senior boarding fees are £16,503.60 per term and Senior day fees £11,890.80 per term (academic year 2025/26, inclusive of VAT following January 2025 imposition of VAT on educational fees); Prep boarding is £11,298 per term, with day fees ranging from £3,500 (Reception-Year 2) to £7,389.60 (Years 5-8). The school operates direct-to-consumer admissions through its in-house admissions team, website enquiry forms, phone, email, Open Mornings, and a fast-track admissions pathway completing in approximately five days. Military and FCDO families receive CEA-supported discounted fees (14% Prep, 22.2% Senior). Non-tuition revenue streams include commercial venue hire (Main House, Founder's Square, boarding houses), The Writer's Block cafe open to the public, and the Clayesmore Sports Centre (25m pool, fitness suite, sports hall).

Clayesmore became part of the Inspired Learning Group (ILG) in May 2024, with ILG serving as strategic parent operating company headquartered in Stanmore. The school is governed by a School Board chaired by James Fowler, with Amit Mehta as ILG Proprietor. Day-to-day leadership is currently provided by Acting Head Nicola Jones, with Rob Lane appointed as incoming Head from September 2026. Operations are supported by a Director of Finance & Operations, Senior Deputy, Deputy Head (Pastoral), Director of Sport, multiple Housemasters/Housemistresses, and a Commercial Manager. The registered company is CM School London Limited (Company No: 16418464).

Name

CLAYESMORE SCHOOL

Legal name

CM School London Limited

Website

https://clayesmore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Clayesmore School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Dorset, founded 1896, delivering Nursery through Sixth Form education to UK, military/FCDO, and international families under termly subscription tuition, owned by Inspired Learning Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Infant & Toddler Developmental Enrichment (Sensory, Motor, Language) (EDACAGAK)

Keywords

• Independent school education
• Boarding school services
• Secondary school education
• Primary school education
• Early years nursery

Headquarters

HQ city

Blandford Forum

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Prep School Fees: Termly tuition fees for Prep school (Reception to Year 8), including VAT. Boarding and day options available.
2. Senior School Fees: Termly tuition fees for Senior school (Years 9-11), including VAT. Boarding and day options.
3. Sixth Form Fees: Termly tuition fees for Sixth Form (Years 12-13)
4. Nursery Fees: Childcare fees for children aged 3 months to 5 years, with term time and full year options. Includes meals, milk and nappies.
5. Venue Hire: Commercial hire of school facilities including Main House, Founder's Square, boarding houses, and sports centre for weddings, events, meetings and corporate gatherings.
6. The Writer's Block Cafe: On-site cafe open to community, serving food and beverages with seasonal menu.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Clayesmore School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school delivering full-time education from Nursery (3 months) through Prep School, Senior School (GCSE) and Sixth Form (A Level/BTEC). It offers both day and boarding placements, specialist learning support via a CReSTeD-accredited Teaching and Learning Centre, and a broad co-curricular and weekend enrichment programme (LEX). Ancillary commercial offerings include venue hire, a sports centre, and an on-site cafe.

Product overview

Clayesmore School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school located in Dorset, offering education from Nursery (3 months) through to Sixth Form (age 18). The school comprises four key educational phases: Nursery, Prep School (Reception-Year 8), Senior School (Years 9-11), and Sixth Form (Years 12-13). Beyond core academic programmes, the school provides boarding facilities across multiple houses, a Sports Centre with swimming pool and fitness facilities, The Writer's Block cafe, and a Venue Hire service for events. The LEX (Learning Enrichment and Extension) programme offers Saturday and weekday activities spanning skills development, outdoor education, arts, and sports. Additional services include a Teaching and Learning Centre for academic support, an Academic Scholarship Programme, Holiday and Sports Camps, and a Parent Portal powered by ISAMS. The school joined the Inspired Learning Group (ILG) family of independent schools in May 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Writer's Block: On-site cafe serving the Clayesmore family and wider community, known for coffee, food and homemade cakes
• Clayesmore Sports Centre
• Clayesmore Nursery

Products and services

• Nursery Early years education and care for children aged 3 months to 4 years, following the EYFS framework with a focus on play-based learning and outdoor exploration on the 62-acre estate.
• Prep School Independent co-educational day and boarding school for Reception through Year 8 (ages 4-13), combining academic rigour with creativity, music, sport and forest school within a nurturing environment.
• Senior School Secondary education for Years 9-11 (ages 13-16) leading to GCSE qualifications, with comprehensive pastoral care, boarding options and a wide range of extracurricular activities.
• Sixth Form Post-16 education for Years 12-13 (ages 16-18) offering A Level and BTEC pathways, with small class sizes, leadership opportunities and preparation for university and future careers.
• Boarding Residential education across multiple boarding houses for both Prep and Senior students, providing a home-from-home environment with dedicated houseparents and structured weekend activities.
• Sports Centre Purpose-built sports facility featuring a 25m swimming pool, multi-activity sports hall, squash courts, fitness suite and The Forum gym space, available for public hire and school programmes.
• The Writer's Block Cafe On-site coffee shop and cafe serving the school community and wider public, offering seasonal menus with locally sourced ingredients, hot and cold drinks, and homemade cakes and bakes.
• Venue Hire Private hire of school facilities including Main House event spaces, Founder's Square conferencing facilities and boarding houses for weddings, corporate events, meetings and accommodation.
• LEX Programme Learning Enrichment and Extension programme offering Saturday activities and weekday LEX@Lunch clubs, providing transformative experiences across skills development, outdoor activities, arts and sports.
• Holiday and Sports Camps Sports camps and holiday programmes providing children with opportunities to develop athletic skills, teamwork and confidence during school breaks.
• Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) Specialist academic support programme providing specialist assessment, targeted support for pupils with learning differences, speech and language therapy, social skills development and assistive technology, accredited by CReSTeD.
• Academic Scholarship Programme Scholarship awards available in Academic, Music, Art, Drama, Sport, Design Technology and All Rounder categories for entry into Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12, representing potential fee reductions.
• Parent Portal (ISAMS) Online portal for parent communication, offering access to correspondence, term dates, calendars, bus timetables and sports fixtures through the ISAMS platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70% of Prep pupils learn a musical instrument
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Inspired Learning Group (ILG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024Inspired Learning Group is the parent company of Clayesmore School. ILG comprises independent schools and nurseries with head office in Stanmore. Clayesmore joined ILG in May 2024. ILG aims to create safe and inspiring educational environments where children can grow into positive members of society.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Millfield School: Large independent co-educational boarding school in Street, Somerset. Operates a similar full-boarding, broad-curricular model with significant sports and co-curricular investment, attracting overlapping UK and international fee-paying families.
• Taunton School: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in Somerset offering Nursery through Sixth Form on a single campus. Directly comparable in age range, boarding offering, and regional catchment to Clayesmore.
• Canford School: Co-educational independent boarding and day school located in Wimborne, Dorset, on a similar large rural estate. Operates in the same geographic catchment and targets the same UK and international fee-paying families with comparable curriculum and pastoral model.
• Bryanston School: Independent co-educational boarding school in Blandford, Dorset, immediately adjacent to Clayesmore. Closest geographic and demographic peer, competing for the same domestic and international boarding families with comparable fee structure and academic profile.
• Clifton College: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in Bristol with Pre-Prep through Sixth Form. Comparable in age range, co-ed boarding model, and academic/boarding offering to Clayesmore.
• Leweston School: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in Sherborne, Dorset. Operates within the same Dorset catchment and competes for similar boarding and day families with comparable fee structure.
• Dauntsey's School: Co-educational independent boarding and day school in Wiltshire. Similar full-boarding heritage, comparable fee band, and overlapping admissions geography in the South of England.
• Milton Abbey School: Independent co-educational boarding school in Blandford Forum, Dorset. Geographic peer operating a similar rural-estate boarding model and competing for the same regional fee-paying families.
• King's School, Bruton: Independent co-educational boarding and day school in Somerset. Comparable size, boarding-led model and academic positioning, competing in the same South West independent school market.

Regional players

• St Mary's Calne: Independent girls' boarding school in Wiltshire operating a similar full-boarding, broad-curricular model. Adjacent geography and overlapping international family catchment, although single-sex and not a direct co-ed competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/clayesmore-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_writers_block_cafe
• Xx.com/clayesmore
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClayesmoreSchool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CLAYESMORE SCHOOL