Eastbourne school not reopening to pupils at present

The head of an Eastbourne school, scheduled to shut permanently at the end June, says it will not be opening its doors to pupils this week.
Roedean Moira House School (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-201203-092934008Roedean Moira House School (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-201203-092934008
Roedean Moira House School (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-201203-092934008

Roedean Moira House, an independent day and boarding school in Upper Carlisle Road in Meads, closed along with other schools in March at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The school is closing permanently due to a cash crisis at the end of the summer term.

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But this week, headteacher Andrew Wood said the school hadn’t opened on June 1 for children in nursery, reception and years 1 and 6 and the school and governors will continue to review the decision each week.

Mr Wood said, “At the moment there are insufficient number of parents willing to send their children back because they are so satisfied with the on-line teaching and learning being provided by the school.

“The current maximum in any class would be three and it is felt that this would confuse and upset the girls further.

“Years 10 and 12 are already receiving tremendous support for their studies with many ‘live face to face’ lessons being delivered by our online timetable. The overwhelming desire from our happy parents is to keep going as we are until such a time when government allow more year groups to return to school.

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“All girls, parents and staff want to be able to return in some capacity to celebrate the end of term and year when it is safe to do so.”

News broke on March 20 that staff were at risk of redundancy after it was announced the school would have to close for good.

The school said in a statement at the time that despite being saved by the Roedean School group in 2017, it has remained difficult to sustain itself with ‘declining numbers’.

It said, “The school has exhausted all available avenues to try to find an alternative to closing, but current revenue levels mean that we face financial losses that we cannot sustain.

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“We have received several bids from investors which we have pursued as far as possible, but these have not led to a solution that we are able to accept.

“Our partnership with Roedean has enabled us to secure the funding to meet all running and closure costs to allow Roedean Moira House to operate until the end of the Summer Term, thereby creating an ordered, solvent wind down.”

In March the chair of governors Andrew Pianca released the news in a letter sent out to parents and staff.

He said, “Our legal advisors tell us it is the only route available to us. We will do our very best to care for the pupils, staff and parents of our community in the coming days and weeks.

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“The headmaster and his team of senior staff will meet individually with parents to discuss how to ensure their daughters make the best possible transition to the right future school.”

Roedean Moira House is a private school for girls which has been a part of Eastbourne since 1888.

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