22nd September 2025
Merger of Canford School and Dumpton School to form The Canford Schools Group Two highly successful schools in the South of England, Canford and Dumpton, are delighted to announce that they will merge to form The Canford Schools Group of charitable independent schools. Canford is a sought after boarding and day coeducational school on a beautiful 250-acre site near Wimborne in Dorset for pupils aged 13-18 years. It is currently a finalist for ‘Public School of the Year’ in the Tatler 2026 Awards, the Independent School Parent ‘Top School in the South of England 2025’ and is the number one ranked co-ed boarding and day school in the South West for top A Level and GCSE results in the Sunday Times Parent Power report 2025. In addition to excellence academically, parents also report exceptionally high satisfaction with the care and opportunities their children receive. The School was founded on Christian principles and welcomes pupils of all faiths and none, fostering a culture of Humble Ambition, Gracious Leadership, Courageous Attitude and Purposeful Engagement. Dumpton is a popular coeducational day prep school for pupils aged 2-13 years, three miles from Canford. A finalist in the last year’s Independent School of the Year ‘Coeducational School of the Year’ award, it also received the prestigious accolade of a ‘Significant Strength’ in its recent ISI inspection for the impact of its character education. Dumpton’s values of ‘Be Kind’ and ‘Aim High’ underpin an education where pupils are both nurtured and stretched to fulfil their potential. It has experienced continued growth in pupil numbers and record numbers of scholarships to senior schools in recent years. Canford and Dumpton share educational values, placing kindness and aspiration for every individual pupil at the heart of their vision. This like-minded educational approach has been the foundation for this merger.