A popular school will close its doors after 143 years after it observed a drop in the number of full-fee-paying pupils. Belmont School is an independent school near Dorking, Surrey, with about 200 places for a mixture of day pupils and boarders.
The abrupt closure announcement last week on Tuesday left numerous children and parents at Belmont School, a fee-paying institution near Dorking, Surrey, in a state of devastation.
The 143-year-old school, where annual fees can reach as high as £21,840, caused alarm on November 30 by unexpectedly revealing the possibility of permanent closure.
Just 12 days later, the closure was confirmed, and Friday marked the final day of operation for the school.
Rosanna Oliver-Black, whose three children go to Belmont – including her eldest daughter in Year 11 – told MailOnline: “The kids are devastated. My girl was in tears. As a parent you just want to shelter them from all this but you can’t. The GCSE pupils are in shock and they’re scared.”
Mrs Oliver-Black said her eldest daughter was now in education ‘limbo’, without a school to go to in the new year. She added: “There’s a plan underfoot but it’s all very rushed. There was a discussion about repeating Year 11 but the resounding decision was that that cannot happen.
“The headmaster has been amazing. He really has. He is trying to put plans in place where somehow the Year 11s can stay together… We don’t know exactly what these plans look like.”
Marc Broughton, head of Belmont School, said: “It’s with a heavy heart that we have contacted the parent body yesterday to confirm the closure of Belmont School on the 15th of December.
“We have worked tirelessly to exhaust all avenues to find an answer to this situation, but the governing body, Save Belmont team and school leaders have sadly been unable to come up with a viable solution.”
Chair of governors Andrew Baker said: “Sadly, we have not been able to find a solution to save Belmont School. The rescue plan that was actioned by the Belmont community to try to save the school was a clear demonstration of the incredible spirit and community within the Belmont family and we are indebted to the efforts of so many.”
In 2019 the school decided to extend its age range and the school buildings in an attempt to remain financially viable and now has pupils aged between three and 16. The school was founded in Blackheath, south-east London, in 1880 and moved to the current site between Dorking and Guildford in 1957.
