Two private schools in south London, Park Hill Preparatory School and Bishop Challoner School, will close at the end of the academic year due to declining pupil numbers and the introduction of VAT on school fees by the Labour government. A legal challenge against this policy was dismissed by the High Court, which emphasized the need for private school parents to contribute to state education. Parents and trustees have expressed heartbreak and concern for the impact of these closures on their close-knit communities.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the board of trustees at Bishop Challoner confirmed on Thursday the Catholic independent school for children aged three to 18 would close on 4 July. The school, which opened in 1950, stated it had been 'an incredibly difficult decision' to close but it had to be made due to the 'increasingly challenging environment for schools'.
Amanda, whose 18-year-old son Barney is in Year 13 at Bishop Challoner, told BBC London the news was 'heartbreaking' and came as a 'complete shock'. 'I feel very much aware of this huge community of people who are being affected: members of staff, support staff, students and parents,' she said.
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