Boarding school gets fresh start under new operator

A former boarding school in Worcestershire is set to reopen as an educational establishment after being acquired by a school operator.

The former St Michael’s College, near Tenbury Wells, has been purchased by the newly-formed St Michael’s Abbey School, supported by the American-Chinese private educational institution Sias University.

Property consultancy Fisher German facilitated the sale on behalf of the owner.

The site includes the Grade II* listed main building, which served as a filming location for the 1986 TV movie The Worst Witch starring Diana Rigg and Tim Curry.

It also features 13 additional buildings, including a sports hall, boarding houses, and educational blocks, all situated on 22.76 acres.

The new owners plan to refurbish the site, aiming to open for the 2025/26 academic year and will offer secondary education from Year 9 onwards, as well as sixth form options for both UK and international students, with both day school and boarding facilities available.

Lily Colton, chief executive of St Michael’s Abbey School, said: “We are extremely pleased to work with Fisher German to purchase St Michael’s College. It is a very attractive site with an interesting history and a beautiful main building which will make a very nice learning environment for our students.

“We will be opening a high-quality private school open to both UK and international students and intend on making our fees affordable for those within the local community. The school has not been in use for a number of years, and we now have a significant amount of work to do to refurbish the site ahead of opening in September 2025.

“We aim to become a major employer in the area and will soon be engaging with the local community in order to fill a wide variety of vacancies at the school.”

Tom Pike, partner at Fisher German, led on the sale of the site. He said: “We are extremely pleased to complete on the sale of St Michael’s College. It is fantastic that the school is going to be given a new lease of life as an educational establishment to make good use of the property, particularly the Grade II* Listed St Michael’s College building. It will be an excellent asset for Tenbury Wells and the surrounding areas, providing high-quality schooling as well as a range of employment opportunities.”