Fosse Bank School in Tonbridge, Kent has announced it is due to close down later this month after a planned sell-off fell through, KentLive reports.
The independent day school for two to 11-year-olds, set in 28 acres of parkland, will close on March 24. The school has 28 staff and had 90 pupils last year.
The news comes after the The Independent Schools Inspectorate visited Fosse Bank last June, following a request by the Department for Education. The “progress and monitoring visit” found not all legal regulations for independent schools were being met. These included in areas of safeguarding, and leadership and management.
The MP for the area, Tom Tugendhat, said on social media that the closure was “a very sad day for many families”.
In 2020, the website Muddy Stilettos described the school as a “hidden gem” with an excellent pupil-teacher ratio.
Parents’ group The Fosse Association said in a statement: “All the parents have been devastated by the news we received on Tuesday that the school will close in three weeks.
“It is a unique school with a family feel which we will miss terribly. We would like to thank all the support and teaching staff for making Fosse Bank a remarkable place to send our children.”
Fosse Bank was promoting itself as a viable school destination as recently as last week.
The acting head, Shiralee Davies, who has stepped in since the ISI inspection, told KentLive: “Fosse Bank School is to close on March 24 following the withdrawal of interest from an intended buyer. The school was established in Tonbridge in 1866 and relocated to its current site in Hildenborough in 2004. It has been struggling to cope with falling pupil numbers for some time.
“Our intention was to do everything possible to ensure the continuation of Fosse Bank School with the new owners. We are all devastated that we have failed to do this.”
