The school was opened in 1877 by the Reverend Clement Hales to prepare boys for a secondary school education. In 1890, the school moved to newly built premises costing £20,000 in the village of Newton-le-Willows but retained the name of Aysgarth School. The chapel was a new building too, but contained items from elsewhere, such as the pulpit which was originally from
Easby Abbey near
Richmond. Whilst the chapel on site is a listed building, the rest of the buildings remain unlisted due to a significant fire on site in 1933 which destroyed much of the school. The school is a preparatory school for selection to a range of private and independent schools across the United Kingdom and offers places to boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 13. Its independent status means that it is assessed by the
Independent Schools Inspectorate for reporting purposes rather than
Ofsted. The school has been described as one of the leading prep schools for boys and girls. Its admissions policy is non-selective. The school is one of many who allow pets into the class and Aysgarth School encourages Housemasters to allow their dogs into class. The school's ethos is based on Christian values and principles, and as such, boarders are expected to attend services in the chapel on site for church services. The school's motto is
Ex quercu non ex salice (Latin for
of oak, not of willow), and former pupils are known as Aysgarthians. ==Notable Aysgarthians==