Clayesmore
An independent co-educational day and boarding school in the heart of Dorset countryside , sixty-two acres, an all-through journey from Nursery to Sixth Form, built on the founding belief that education should shape the whole person, not just the scholar.
A school built around the whole child.
Clayesmore sits at Iwerne Minster, near Blandford Forum in Dorset , a country estate two hours from London and forty minutes from the Jurassic Coast. It's co-educational, both day and boarding, running the full journey from Nursery through Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior and Sixth Form, all on one estate.
For our students, the appeal is balance: a serious academic programme alongside genuinely strong sport, music, drama and outdoor life , plus a pastoral culture where, as the school itself puts it, every pupil is truly known.
Heritage
Founded in 1896 by Lex Devine, Clayesmore was built on the belief that education should nurture the whole person , not only the scholar, but the artist, the athlete, the leader and the friend too. That founding ethos still shapes school life today, from its learning-support tradition to a house system that mixes year groups and interests.
An all-through school, on one estate.
Reception to eighteen, full boarding and day, across sixty-two acres of Dorset countryside.
Programmes hosted at Clayesmore.
Clayesmore hosts two of our best-loved tracks , the flagship multi-school immersion and the entrepreneurship-focused Business Immersion track.
A look around the campus
Slide through the grounds, the boarding houses and the spaces students use every day.
Sixty-two acres, all of it used.
A country estate with a genuine sports centre, a theatre, and boarding houses a short walk from every lesson.
Boarding houses
Full and flexi boarding houses spread across the estate, each with its own house team, common rooms and a resident parent.
Science & classrooms
Purpose-built labs and teaching rooms serve Senior and Sixth Form, with small class sizes throughout.
Sports centre
Indoor swimming pool, sports hall, floodlit astro pitch and extensive grounds for rugby, football, hockey, netball and cricket.
Music, drama & art
A theatre, music school and art studios , performance is woven into the ordinary week here, never an afterthought.
Learning support
A long-established, specialist learning-support team , one big reason families from across the world choose Clayesmore.
Health & wellbeing
An on-site medical centre, school counselling and a pastoral structure built around knowing every single pupil by name.
Why families choose Clayesmore.
The differentiators parents mention most often after their very first campus visit.
A whole-person education
The founding idea from 1896, alive and well: the artist, the athlete and leader matter as much as the scholar.
Every pupil is known
Small cohorts and a strong house system mean visiting students quickly settle into school life within days, not weeks.
Sport, properly resourced
A full sports centre and pool on campus , our groups actually train, swim and play fixtures, not watch from the sidelines.
Dorset, then the coast
A countryside estate within reach of the Jurassic Coast, Salisbury and Bath , weekend excursions with real substance.
A walk through Clayesmore.
Real photography from Clayesmore itself is supplied by our partners and refreshed every term.
Questions, answered.
Ask us anything about Clayesmore.
Tell us a little about your child and what you’re looking for. We’ll respond within one working day with dates, options and the kind of honest advice you cannot get from a brochure.