Leehurst Swan’s story stretches back more than 100 years. Since 1914, the school on Campbell Road has grown through several distinct chapters, from Leehurst Convent to La Retraite, and later the merger with The Swan School, to become the Leehurst Swan School of today. What has remained constant is a strong sense of community, care and education rooted in this site in Salisbury.
- Leehurst Swan School - a Centenary History by Jane Howells is available from Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Download a preview of the book here.
A school with deep roots in Salisbury
Leehurst began life as a substantial nineteenth-century house on Campbell Road before becoming a school. In 1914, Leehurst Convent opened its doors for the education of Catholic girls, run by the Sisters of Christian Education.
Over the decades, the school evolved with the times, but always remained a place shaped by learning, faith, service and community. The centenary history describes that sense of continuity clearly: although the school has changed greatly over the years, the vision of helping young people grow and preparing them for the future has remained.
Timeline
- 1914 Leehurst Convent opens on Campbell Road.
- 1953 The Sisters of La Retraite take over the school.
- 1988 The school becomes a charitable trust.
- 1996 The Swan School merges with La Retraite and becomes co-educational.
- 2007 The school becomes Leehurst Swan School.
- 2010 Walker Hall opens.
- 2014 The Centenary Building opens.
'Lechurst' in Campbell Road was built in the 1880s and first lived in by E. F. Pye-Smith, a solicitor who was Salisbury's mayor in 1895.
In the early twentieth century it was the home of the Farebrother family. Horace Lloyd Farebrother, a dentist, was living there in 1911 with his wife.
Leehurst Convent opened on 14 May 1914. The school was run by the Sisters of Christian Education and was created to educate girls in the Catholic faith. The Leehurst house itself, a substantial nineteenth-century family home, became the setting for the school’s earliest years and remains at the heart of the site today.
From the start, Leehurst was more than a building. It was a school community, with a strong sense of purpose, service and belonging. Over time, generations of pupils and staff helped shape its character, leaving a legacy that can still be felt across the school today.
- Read more about the Sisters of Christian Education
- The charity is still in operation; charity number 1177158.
In 1953, the school entered a new era when it was taken over by the Sisters of La Retraite. The name Leehurst Convent gradually gave way to La Retraite, beginning a fresh chapter while preserving continuity in school life.
These were years of change, but also of continuity. The school remained committed to educating young people with care and conviction, even as expectations, customs and school life evolved. The story of Leehurst is, in many ways, the story of education changing with the times while holding on to what matters most.
Alongside Leehurst’s story, another Salisbury school tradition was developing. In the early 1930s, Miss E. N. Swanton founded The Swan School for boys. It began in the city centre and later moved to Elm Grove.
That history became part of Leehurst’s own in 1996, when The Swan School merged with La Retraite and boys and staff moved to the Campbell Road site. The school took the name La Retraite Swan. This was a major moment in the school’s development and helped shape the all-through co-educational school families know today.
The school became co-educational in 1996, and in 2007 took the name Leehurst Swan School. That name reflects the joining together of the school’s two principal histories: Leehurst and Swan. It also marked the end of the school’s formal association with the Sisters of La Retraite, after the freehold of the land and buildings had been sold to the school two years earlier.
In 2014 we celebrated our 110th anniversary, with a huge turn-out of past pupils and staff joining our school families.
The school has continued to develop its site and facilities. Walker Hall opened in 2010, adding an important space used daily for a wide range of school activities. In 2014, the Centenary Building opened, adding 12 modern classrooms and marking 100 years of education at Leehurst.
Today, the main building stands within a site that combines older and newer parts of the school. The historic house remains central, alongside more recent additions that support the life of a modern school. The site itself reflects Leehurst Swan’s story: respectful of its past, but always looking ahead.
A living history
Leehurst Swan today is very different from the school that opened in 1914, but the sense of community has remained constant. Generations of pupils, staff and families have shaped the school, and that shared history is still part of daily life on the Campbell Road site.
Over the years, many former pupils and staff have kept in touch through alumni groups, reunions and informal networks. We would be delighted to continue strengthening those connections and to hear from anyone who was part of Leehurst Convent, La Retraite, Swan School or Leehurst Swan.
Whether you left recently or many decades ago, you remain part of the school’s story. If you would like to reconnect, share memories, or simply stay in touch, please email:
You may wish to include:
- your name (at school, if different)
- when you were at the school
- any memories, photos or updates you would like to share
We always enjoy hearing from former pupils, parents and staff, and keeping the Leehurst Swan community connected.