Porthcawl is not reopening a school. It is reclaiming one. Clare House School Porthcawl marks a decisive new era for independent education in Wales that is community-led, not-for-profit and fit for the future.

Stewarding a legacy, creating the future

For more than 85 years , education has shaped lives on this Porthcawl campus. Founded in 1937, the school evolved with the decades. From welcoming evacuees during wartime, to expanding curriculum and opportunity through social change, to earning national recognition for its standards, the school has always evolved. Today, that story continues.

In February, St Clare’s Independent School Trust secured commitment to purchase a 106-year lease to steward the site for future generations. It was a deliberate act of custodianship, honouring what came before while creating a new educational provision.

Clare House School Porthcawl, opening in September 2026, represents a carefully planned new chapter offering a modern Welsh independent school that is inclusive and forward-looking.

The school will initially offer Early Years to Year 6 for children 3 to 11 years old. The long-term vision includes senior provision, ensuring continuity and ambition for families seeking stability in a rapidly changing world.

This is not a reinvention for reinvention’s sake. It is renewal with respect – an education influenced by history whilst confidently future-facing.

Clare House School Porthcawl exists because a community believe it should

When the future of independent education in Porthcawl was uncertain, parents and community leaders stepped forward. They recognised that a school is more than classrooms and curriculum; it is a place of memories, belonging and opportunity. The Trust was formed by professionals determined to protect educational provision in their town. There are no shareholders.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the Trust reinvests 100% of income directly into the school and the education experience. There are no dividends, no investors or distant owners – only a clear mission: education for children, not for profit.

This model embeds accountability into the community that created it. It also anchors the school firmly within the community it serves. Governance is undertaken by experts in education and professional services, with a shared belief in independent education that is rigorous, caring and sustainable.

In this sense, Clare House School Porthcawl is truly independent and strongly connected – a school built through collective responsibility and shared pride.

An identity and learning with purpose

While legacy explains where Clare House School Porthcawl has come from, identity defines where it is going. At its heart lies a clear vision: celebrating every child and inspiring them to thrive – from classroom to coast and beyond. This is not simply a line on a page. It is a commitment to knowing each child and providing education around meaningful experience. The school’s mission – to know every child and challenge them through rigorous learning while nurturing positive relationships – is lived through daily practice. Ambition, empathy, responsibility and respect guide interactions, expectations and culture. They are not decorative values. They develop children.

Learning itself is experiential. Rather than passively receiving information, children are actively engaged in their learning through exploring, questioning and creating. In Early Years, play-inspired and Reggio-influenced environments empower curiosity and independence. In Prep School, project-based, transdisciplinary learning allows children to connect ideas across subjects, and to the real world.

The Learner Profile distinctively describes the young people the school will nurture as curious, engaged, confident, reflective, resilient, open-minded, self-aware individuals and risk-takers. It provides a shared language for growth, guiding academic progress and character development.

Place matters here, too. Set within 11 acres and just minutes from the coastline, Clare House School Porthcawl is a Forest and Beach (FAB) school, where woodland and the seashore become extensions of the classroom. Nature becomes a third teacher, strengthening a learner’s resilience, wellbeing and perspective.

To learn more about Clare House School Porthcawl, visit www.clarehouseschool.org.