Site of closed school to be used for education

The private Belmont School closed at the end of 2023

A Grade II listed former country house in the Surrey Hills is to be turned into a school catering specifically for neurodiverse children.

The private Belmont School in Holmbury St Mary, near Dorking, closed at the end of 2023 and the property went on the market for a guide price of £7m.

Property consultancy Knight Frank said the site had been sold on behalf of the administrators for the former Belmont School for an undisclosed sum to Cavendish Education, bringing its overall number of schools to 16.

Simon Coles, chief executive of Cavendish Education, said: “Our family of schools is dedicated to celebrating and nurturing neurodiverse students who think and learn differently."

The property has 14 buildings and more than 44 acres

He said: “The demand for more schools like ours is growing, and we are excited to open a specialist independent provision here."

The property, which includes 14 buildings and more than 44 acres with formal gardens and sports facilities, was built around 1880 as a country house.

It was requisitioned by the Army during World War Two but still contains period features including original William Morris wallpaper.

The Surrey Hills is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is home to beauty spots including the Devil's Punch Bowl, Leith Hill and Frensham Ponds.