Abberley Hall School was a coeducational preparatory day and boarding school with about 160 pupils. It was located between Worcester and Tenbury, near the village of Abberley, Worcestershire, England.
History
The school began in 1878 as the Dame School in Blackheath, Kent. In 1896, it became a private school and was named Lindisfarne. The school was moved to Abberley in 1916, and the property was purchased in 1921 by Gilbert Ashton, a former pupil of Lindisfarne, who took over as headmaster and renamed it Abberley Hall.[1][2] The school became a trust in 1958, and was managed by a board of governors, as a registered charity.[1] Pupils were drawn from a variety of backgrounds, including families and service personnel living and working abroad, professionals from the Birmingham and Worcester areas, and traditional farming families. The pre-prep and nursery served a more local area.[1] The school became part of the Malvern College Family of Schools in 2019. Its Articles of Association were updated in June 2019 giving Malvern College full control of the school's assets. Following the failed merger of The Downs Malvern with the Elms School, financial support from Malvern College to Abberley Hall was withdrawn and the school closed for the final time on the 1st July 2023.[3]
Pupils followed a curriculum that prepared them for entrance into public schools (independent schools), taking Common Entrance, Winchester Entrance or Scholarship exams. Class sizes were small, averaging 11 pupils. Most subjects had their own dedicated classrooms and there were two science laboratories and specialist facilities for computing, DT, music and PE. The majority of pupils continued their education at Malvern College, Shrewsbury School, King's Worcester, Cheltenham College, Rugby School and Malvern St James.[1] The school also provided for individual pupils with special needs including dyslexia or specific learning difficulties, and moderate learning difficulties.[9]
All pupils took part in the major sports; an Astroturf pitch provided opportunities for hockey, golf, croquet, riding, fishing, archery, shooting, ricochet and climbing. The school had an indoor swimming pool.[2]
International activities
The school ran regular trips to France, where the pupils spent time whilst at Abberley.[citation needed]
