On the 14th May 1914, Leehurst Convent opened its doors for the first time with the purpose of educating Catholic girls in the tenets of their faith.
1953 brought a new era for the school when the Sisters of La Retraite arrived and it was no longer known as Leehurst Convent. For the pupils, the change brought continuity to their education, however the new sisters were more strict and they introduced different rules to the school.
In the 1960s a brown gym slip was introduced for the first 2 years of Senior School. Pleated skirts had to be worn from the 3rd year upwards.
By 1975, the nuns were allowed to venture out of the school grounds and were able to wear secular dress.
In 1996, another big change occurred for the all girls school- the boys arrived! 114 boys and 18 staff members from the Swan boys school, merged with La Retraite.
In 2007, Leehurst Swan became the school’s final name. Two years earlier, the Order of La Retraite had sold the freehold to the land and buildings to the school, severing the last connection with the nuns. The condition of the purchase was the name La Retraite was no longer used,…
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2010 marked the opening of the Walker Hall which was a great addition to the facilities. It is used every day for many different purposes.
In 2014, the Centenary Building was finally opened. Our new Prep building added 12 modern classrooms to the school, making room for its thriving class numbers.
Today, Leehurst Swan’s rich history still lives on through our staff, pupils and our grounds. If you are a former staff member or pupil and would like to join our Alumni Association, please email us (registrar@leehurstswan.org.uk) along with your memories of your time here.
