AN INDEPENDENT school in Ringwood is slashing its fees in a bid to attract more students.

At a time when many independent schools are contemplating an annual rise in fees, most families at Moyles Court School in Ringwood will be paying an average of 15 per cent less next school year compared to the current costs.

Headmaster Mr Richard Milner-Smith said: “Independent education is sometimes thought of as exclusive, the preserve of the very rich only. Our aim is to overcome that prejudice and to convince many more parents that it is the right choice for their children.”

It’s part of a new twopart strategy on the part of the 200-pupil school.

As well as the fee reduction the school is introducing an expanded and subsidised ‘doorstep to school’ transport plan to ensure that no child within its catchment area is unable to get to school because of transport problems.

New parents of Reception Class children will pay £1,775 per term, compared with £2,029 this year while existing parents from the Nursery will pay only £1,500 per term.

In the senior school the average cut will be lower, reflecting the higher cost of secondary education, but new Year 7 parents will pay £3,620 per term, compared with £4,220 this year and existing parents will get an additional reduction making the termly fee just £3,500.

Fees for the GCSE years, 10 and 11, will be frozen at the current year’s level.

Simultaneously with the fee reductions the school’s transport network, currently comprising four bus routes, will be expanded to cover a wider area with six routes.

Moyles Court is a coeducational day and boarding school for pupils aged three to 16.