Horris Hill, is an independent day and boarding preparatory school for boys aged 4–13.[1] It is located in Hampshire in England, south of Newbury in Berkshire[2] and near the village of Newtown. The school was founded on its present site in 1888 by A. H. Evans, a master at Winchester College. It is located within an 85-acre estate.[3] Expats make up 15% of the total number of pupils at the school.[4]
Historic abuse claims (1960s - 90s)
In April 2021, Will Young opened up about his experience at prep school, claiming to have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "I've been thinking a lot about prep school, and wondering if any of those institutions will be brought to justice for the things that I saw happen... kids thrown against radiators. Other things I can’t talk about." Young also remembered drunk teachers "rolling around dormitories", one "you wouldn't go for a ride with", and teachers "looking at [students'] penises in the shower". He described feeling a sense of injustice, saying "I think I escaped – not that it didn't damage me."[5][6]
In October 2022, an appeal was launched for witnesses to alleged abuse by teachers at Horris Hill School in the years spanning the 1960s to the 1990s.
This action was taken in support of a group of former pupils who have instructed a solicitors' firm to represent them in their legal claim(s).
With regard to the allegations, "some of the [ex-pupils] say they were abused by one teacher while some say they were abused by a number of teachers. The teachers were allegedly able to abuse without any repercussions for decades and former pupils say they used their positions of trust to manipulate the boys and to silence them."[7]
Historic abuse settlements
In August 2024, The Times reported that "[a] charitable foundation that ran a boys’ prep school in Berkshire [i.e. Horris Hill] has apologised to seven former pupils and paid compensation after admitting to decades of abuse by two teachers."
The teachers were named as Rodney Allan, a former headmaster, and Michael Goldsworthy, a former boarding housemaster. Both were dead at the time of the admission.
The Times also reported that Allan had resigned from the headship at Horris Hill in 1985 after a parent complained about his conduct, but was cleared of the charges at the time.[8]
In a letter to one of the claimants, Alex Roe, chair of trustees of the Horris Hill Foundation, "wrote that the foundation offered its “sincere apologies ... for the abuse you suffered at the school and the harm it caused. [...] Schools are meant to be places of safety for children and it is a matter of profound regret to us that this was not the case for you, and that abuse took place within what we considered to be our school. We are so very sorry this happened and for the many years it has taken for this apology.”[9]
Dino Nocivelli, the lawyer acting for the claimants, said "the settlement of these cases is a positive conclusion for my clients. The disclosures of a significant number of former pupils of abuse at the school indicates that if these former teachers were still alive, that they would have been facing formidable criminal cases for childhood sexual abuse. My clients want these settlements to shine a light on not only the abuse that took place at Horris Hill School, but also at boarding schools across the country. They hope that their pursuit of this case will encourage others who have suffered abuse to know that they are not alone and that justice will prevail.”[10]
The allegations raised by Will Young relate to a period after Allen and Goldsworthy had left the school's staff. As of August 2024, the state of further actions against the school is unclear, however the Times reported that Forfar Education, Horris Hill's current owners, as saying "[we] have been informed by the former owners, the Horris Hill Trust, that there are no outstanding claims against the former owners of the school and that the seven claimants that did come forward have all been satisfied by the actions of the trust."[11]
