Our History

The Foundation

During the summer of 2015, Dean Close School, an educational charity, purchased St John’s-on-the-Hill Preparatory School in Chepstow, and with it three nurseries, Tutshill (on the St John's site), St Arvans (Chepstow), and Celtic Springs (Newport). On 5 December 2015, a meeting took place of the Trustees, during which it was agreed that the name, Dean Close School, should be changed and The Dean Close Foundation was born.  Jonathan Lancashire, the then Headmaster of Dean Close School (seniors, ages 13-18), was appointed as the first Warden of the Foundation. In March 2016, he stepped down and Roger Jones assumed the role for an interim period before Emma Taylor, former Senior Mistress at DCS and Head of Christ College, Brecon, was hired in August 2017 as the new Warden.

Since then the Foundation has continued to grow with the acquisition of Treetop Nurseries in Lansdown and Hucclecote in 2017, and, during the summer of 2021, Airthrie Preparatory School on Christchurch Road joined the fold.

Whilst the Foundation has expanded during that time, its ethos has remained true to its Dean Close origins. The introduction of the Foundation values in September 2020 of showing contribution, courage and love and the ability to flourish, further enhanced the organisation's vision of what it means to be a part of the Dean Close Foundation. For the early history of the organisation please click on the DCS badge below.