St Margaret's School in Exeter looks set to close
St Margaret's School in Exeter is set to close. Rumours began circulating this week and, we are told, the devastating news was delivered to staff yesterday afternoon.
A source has told The Exeter Daily that low admissions have forced the decision.
A Facebook page has been set up in an attempt to save the school and by midnight, last night it had been liked by 273 people.
In addition, Twitter was busy last night with parents of children at St Margarets, who were apparently told the news today in a letter, wondering what the future will hold. One person said their child had been crying all night.
In April last year, the independent school announced it was to close its sixth form.
Parents were informed that there would be no Year 12 intake in September.
The school said that the decision was "part of a strategic vision for educational provision within Exeter" enabling a focus on providing education from pupils aged three to 16.
And in June parents were informed that headteacher Sheila Cooper would not be returning to the post following a period of sick leave.
The current headteacher is Lee Bergin who joined as deputy head teacher in 2012 but stepped up to the top job after Mrs Cooper left.
In his welcome on the school's website Mr Bergin says: "Our small class sizes and family feel allow all pupils to discover ways of learning that suit their needs…
"It is a school where expectations are high, beginning with how we treat each other and our environment, to standards of appearance and then to always striving to achieve the very best."
The Facebook page says:
St Margaret's has announced it will be closing at the end of the academic year.
But this group was made for a reason and I don't think we should sit by and let this happen.
The reason given is that, due to low admissions, next year there will not be enough pupils to make the running of the school financially viable. This we can all respect. It seems like there is nothing to be done; the school simply can't carry on.
But this group was created for a reason. We believe St Margaret's School is a really special place and want to do all that we can to save it, for the current pupils and for the pupils to come.
So guys, we need ideas. How can we help this time? Where does the heart of the problem lie and how can we tackle that? And how can we raise the funds and support needed to keep this school going?
* If you are a St Margaret's teacher, pupil or parent you can register on The Exeter Daily to post your own story. Just login, then click 'Add Story' and follow the instructions.
