Prestigious Sunderland independent school to close

“Despite Sunderland High School’s reputation as an excellent school, the economic reality is that current and projected pupil numbers do not demonstrate sufficient demand for places to make the school financially viable in the future. It has therefore reluctantly been decided that the school will close at the end of the academic year.

“This is a very sad decision to have taken and follows the exploration of every other feasible option over several years including mergers, academisation and acquiring other schools in the area.

“Over the last five years, UCST has needed to subsidise the school’s finances significantly. Alongside this, the school has made strenuous efforts to cut costs without negatively impacting on the quality of education provided and to reverse the decline in numbers. Substantial savings have been made but the school will still make a six figure loss this year and is expected to do so again next year. In addition, in order to maintain the school’s facilities and estate, substantial capital investment is required.

“We have reached the point at which any further cost savings would now directly impact on the quality of education on offer. In that context, UCST cannot justify continuing a long-term subsidy of the school. The school has been run incredibly well and efficiently. It is just a case of falling demand for independent school places in the area meaning that it is no longer viable to run this school without seriously compromising the education that its pupils receive.

“Our focus now will be on helping pupils find appropriate alternative provision and assisting our highly professional and dedicated staff to find posts elsewhere. The school will remain open until the end of the academic year and we will be doing everything possible to help everyone affected negotiate the way ahead as easily as possible”.

We have reached the point at which any further cost savings would now directly impact on the quality of education on offer. In that context, we cannot justify continuing a long-term subsidy of the school. As a charity, our only source of funds is from our other schools and ultimately fee-paying parents there. While we are very prepared to invest in schools for as long as there is a realistic prospect of them breaking even, we cannot justify doing so when there is no longer that prospect.

I deeply regret that we have had to take this decision, which I know will come as a shock and considerable disappointment to parents, pupils and staff. It has become necessary because we have explored all other avenues for keeping the school open without success.

Once we concluded that all other options had been exhausted, we wanted to give everyone as much notice as possible so that over the coming weeks and months we provide any assistance we can to ease the transition for pupils into other schools and staff into new jobs.