A historic Gloucestershire independent school has announced it will close this summer, becoming the latest casualty of mounting financial pressures across the private education sector.
The decision will force hundreds of pupils to find new schools and adds to growing concerns over the future of fee-paying education in England.
Rendcomb College has said it will permanently close this summer after more than 100 years in operation.
The school, which opened in 1920 and teaches both day pupils and boarders, blamed ongoing financial pressures facing private schools, along with falling pupil numbers.
Around 380 children will now need to find places at other schools.
The Good Schools Guide has previously described the establishment as “idyllic”.
Notable former pupils include David Tyler, the ex-Sainsbury’s chairman, retired jockey Richard Dunwoody, and historian David Vaisey.
The closure comes amid a wave of school shutdowns, with more than 100 independent institutions forced to cease operations since Labour introduced 20 per cent VAT on fees at the start of last year.
The closure comes amid a wave of school shutdown
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GETTY
Shadow education minister Saqib Bhatti condemned the policy, telling The Telegraph: “Labour’s schools tax is an ideological attack on aspiration and on people who work hard to be able to invest in their children’s education.”
He added: “Every time a school is forced to close thanks to this tax, it means more children’s lives disrupted and more pressure on the state sector.”
Palmers Green High, a girls’ school in north London, also began consulting on potential closure earlier this week.
A statement on the school’s website confirmed the decision was reached only after exhausting every alternative avenue, including potential mergers and additional funding sources.
Labour introduced a 20 per cent VAT charge on private school fees last year | GETTY
“The staff and governors have done everything to make Rendcomb College an excellent school, and its closure is highly unfortunate but sadly unavoidable,” the spokesman said.
The school acknowledged the gravity of the situation, describing it as “a very sad decision”.
Attention will now turn to supporting the 380 affected pupils in securing places at other institutions, while also assisting teaching and administrative staff in finding employment elsewhere.
Local councillor Paul Hodgkinson expressed surprise at the announcement, warning it would have far-reaching consequences for the surrounding area.
“Lots of the homes in the village are owned by school staff, so it’s going to have a real impact on the wider community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Christian San José, headmaster at Wycliffe College in nearby Stonehouse, has extended a lifeline to displaced families, confirming his school can accommodate Rendcomb pupils across all year groups.