Top independent school goes into administration

Bodiam Manor School, an independent day school for boys and girls aged three to 13 years, announced to parents and staff on Wednesday August 11 that it was going into administration.

The sudden closure, after more than 50 years, has been blamed on a falling number of children on the school roll.

Director of Bodiam Manor School, Lindsay Badenoch, said: "It is with very great regret and sadness that I have taken the decision to close Bodiam Manor School with immediate effect.

"Despite every effort, numbers in the school have fallen, with just one hundred children on roll for the beginning of next year.

"This is very far below the number at which the school is a sustainable, self-supporting entity and there is no possibility of the school meeting its financial commitments, now and in the next academic year."

She added: "I am painfully aware of the shock this news is for everyone concerned, not least the children and staff.

"We will be working with local schools to help children find suitable alternatives.

"This is very much the priority at this stage, along with helping staff to find alternative employment."

At the end of last week, Bodiam Manor School was involved in talks with Buckswood School in a bid to save it from closure.

Buckswood, based at Guestling, was considering taking on the troubled school, but was ultimately unable to do so.

Richard Lawless, responsible for PR and admissions at Buckswood, said: "We turned round and said 'what can we do to help out?' and as a result we looked at taking it on.

"We were interested, but in the end it was not possible."

Buckswood has vowed to do what it can to help Bodiam Manor, and has already offered places to some children and a job to form tutor and maths teacher, Mr Kennedy.

Other schools have been rallying round to help Bodiam Manor pupils and their parents.

Geoffrey Whitehead, acting head of Vinehall School in Robertsbridge, said: "We have had many parents coming round the school in the last week.

"They are very concerned and upset and we are trying our hardest to help them out.

"Some of them will take up places at Vinehall and we have asked them to look around and consider all the options and we will give them as much help as we can because of the difficult situation."

He added: "We are very concerned for them and want to make sure we can help them to come to the best arrangement for the children's future.

"That's the important thing, that they find the right school for their child."

A member of staff left Vinehall at the end of the summer term to take up a position at Bodiam Manor in September, but now she has no job as Vinehall has no vacancies available.

Roger Clark, headmaster at Battle Abbey School, said: "We are all extremely shocked and saddened to hear about Bodiam Manor School's demise.

"Our sympathies must go not only to the parents, children and families but to the staff as well.

"We have been trying to help wherever we can in finding former Bodiam Manor pupils places at Battle Abbey School."

Former headmaster Stephen Flutter stepped down just before the school broke up for Christmas, after 35 years at Bodiam Manor, handing over the reigns to Graeme Owton.

The school has provided children with education for more than 50 years.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the school site now Bodiam Manor has closed.