Greenfields School in Sussex is set to provide accommodation, transport and supervision for children participating in Scientology training courses at the church’s nearby UK headquarters this summer, a leaked internal email suggests.
The independent school in Forest Row, Sussex has previously denied ties to the controversial church, whose UK headquarters is located just two miles away at Saint Hill, however a leaked email sent by a Scientology executive last week appears to confirm the school has agreed to host children enrolled on church courses over the summer period.
“This summer, Greenfields will accommodate students ages 11 to 17 at their facility so that they can be on course at Saint Hill,” the email states. Staff at the school “will look after them just like they do when they are at Greenfields boarding school, and during the week are under the supervision of Saint Hill Supervisors,” it continues.
Children can “stay as many weeks as they want during the summer holidays” and when not studying at Saint Hill, the school will organise outings, “fun things” and opportunities to “make new friends,” it says. School facilities including a tennis court and basketball court will also be made available to the students and “there is a lounge for movie nights, board games and table football. There are also quiet rooms for reading, etc.”
Students participating in the program will “study at Saint Hill Monday to Friday, and will be transported to and from Saint Hill and Greenfields using a Greenfields van” and weekend activities are to be organised by the school. “Saint Hill is paid for any Scientology services, the Refectory for meals throughout the week, and Greenfields provides meals on the weekend, accommodation, transport and outings,” it explains.
Photos we published from inside the school earlier this year reveal the boarding facilities are relatively modern with both single and bunk beds seen in shared dormitories. One room featured a framed photograph commemorating a visit made by celebrity Scientologist actor John Travolta in 1993, while pictures illustrating the school’s history had been edited to remove former teacher Mark Kent, who was jailed for child sex offences while working at the school.
Greenfields was founded in 1981 by senior Scientologist Margaret Hodkin, whose son Peter now represents the church as their UK solicitor. Although a separate legal entity, the school operates as part of Scientology’s ‘Applied Scholastics’ network and uses an educational model developed by L. Ron Hubbard known as ‘Study Technology’. In a statement to the London Evening Standard Greenfields described itself as “completely non-denominational” welcoming “children of all faiths,” though it is understood the majority of its students belong to Scientologist families. The school’s website makes no mention of Scientology.
Despite denying ties, Greenfields was advertised as providing “fully set up child care facilities” during last year’s gathering of Scientology’s membership body, the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) at Saint Hill. Now, a new email leaked to us over the weekend seems to support the suggestion Greenfields has a close and ongoing partnership with the Church, detailing an arrangement where children studying at Saint Hill over the summer will be housed and transported to the secluded Scientology compound by the school.
You can read the email in full below:
In order to facilitate the young generation coming to Saint Hill to study this summer, the following has been organized with Greenfields School:
Leaked email sent to Scientologists from an executive at Saint Hill
This summer, Greenfields will accommodate students ages 11 to 17 at their facility so that they can be on course at Saint Hill. Students will sleep in the Greenfields dormitory and use the Greenfields facilities. They will eat at Greenfields on the weekends.
They will study at Saint Hill, Monday to Friday, and will be transported to and from Saint Hill and Greenfields using a Greenfields van.
On the weekends, they will go on organized outings together, to do fun things, get outside and make new friends.
They will eat at Saint Hill during the week days (Refectory will need to be paid for their meals) and study on any course or do any service Monday to Friday. They could do SRD, Student Hat, Basics or the new Children’s Courses courses, etc.
Greenfields staff will look after them just like they do when they are at Greenfields boarding school, and during the week are under the supervision of Saint Hill Supervisors.
Saint Hill is paid for any Scientology services, the Refectory for meals throughout the week, and Greenfields provides meals on the weekend, accommodation, transport and outings!
Greenfields will charge a fee per week for this service. They can stay as many weeks as they want during the summer holidays.
Greenfields facilities include the following: tennis court, basketball court, lounge/games room, sports pitch, full boarding facilities, showers/bathrooms and private storage spaces. Rooms are shared between 2 and 8 children depending on the age and size of the room. Girls and boys sleep in opposite sides of the facility and come together in the communal areas. There is good wifi access. There is a kitchen where they can keep their own groceries and make their own additional snacks as need be if they wish.
There is a lounge for movie nights, board games and table football. There are also quiet rooms for reading, etc.
For any questions Greenfields related, contact Kerry Enright: [REDACTED]
For any questions Saint Hill services related, contact any Saint Hill Registrar or myself, Lavinia Dyer, Saint Hill D of T: [REDACTED]
Let’s get the word out to all parents with kids in this age bracket, and get them all scheduled to come here this summer. People book their plans months in advance, so they need to be booked to come to Saint Hill this summer, NOW!
(If they would want to do the Purif this summer or study also on the weekend as well, this can be arrange.)
Scientology recently announced a series of new courses aimed at children it calls ‘The Golden Age for the Next Generation’. The campaign targets Scientologist parents, encouraging them to introduce their kids to Scientology principles and get them started on the ‘Bridge to Total Freedom.’ The training camp taking place at Saint Hill this summer is understood to be part of the church’s efforts to recruit children, with facilities provided by Greenfields offering a childcare solution for working parents during the summer holidays.
The arrangement also comes at a financially challenging time for the fee-paying school, after it lost the ability to sponsor overseas student visas in 2024. In a statement, a UK Visas & Immigration spokesperson told us “if an institution is found to not meet the standards required of a Sponsor, compliance action will be taken, up to and including revocation where appropriate.” Data published on the gov.uk website suggests overseas students accounted for up to two thirds of the school’s annual income.
In the same year, an inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) flagged several concerns about the school’s safeguarding and administration practices. Although these concerns were addressed ahead of a subsequent inspection in December 2024, it is understood Greenfields had lost a quarter of its students by the start of the following academic year, leading to the school seeking financial support from parents.
A spokesperson for East Sussex County Council told us: “Following the report from the ISI, the Local Authority followed up these concerns with the school and were satisfied that all appropriate actions were being taken to address the safeguarding concerns. The ISI confirmed this view in their follow up visit in December 2024.
“As with all educational establishments, the school is responsible for reducing any risks with regards to preventing and responding to extremism and radicalisation. The Local Authority’s training offer and guidance documents support schools in fulfilling these duties.”
In a landmark 1986 High Court case, Mr. Justice Latey said “it is plain that the Church exercises a strong influence if not indeed control” over Greenfields School, explaining “Scientology as such is not taught as a subject. But all the ambience [sic] is of Scientology” and noted “the School pays money annually to Scientology.”
He warned “The objective of Scientology is to capture the child and its mind.”
Forty years after Latey’s ruling the church continues to place emphasis on engaging younger generations through its renewed youth programs, while Greenfields School remains part of the infrastructure supporting those activities.. largely away from the public spotlight and seemingly free from government scrutiny.
