Parents have initiated a fundraising campaign to rescue a private school in southeast London that is set to shut down at the end of the academic year.
Two weeks ago, the Board of Trustees for Bishop Challoner School announced that this Catholic independent institution, catering to children aged three to 18, would close its doors this summer.
The announcement caught many parents at the Bromley school by surprise, prompting them to rally together to create a fundraiser aiming to raise £400,000 to keep the school operational.
The school’s decision to close has been attributed to factors such as the government’s increase in VAT and the escalating cost of living, according to Local Democracy Reporting Services.
Over one-third of the students enrolled at Bishop Challoner are children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Stacey, whose five-year-old son Paddy is a new student at the school, has deep ties to the institution; he attended Bishop Challoner himself, met his wife there, and his mother worked at the school for a time, occasionally assisting even now.
He remarked, “It’s like a 35-year legacy.”
Stacey described his son’s reaction to the closure news as “distraught” and “heartbroken.”
Commenting on the fundraiser, he noted, “It’s challenging because people have a certain idea of what Bishop Challoner represents. It’s quite different from a typical independent fee-paying school.”
“Parents are forgoing other expenses to enroll their children here. It’s a small independent school that provides so much more than expected.”
During the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s visit to the school in 2024, it was noted that 94 out of 271 students were categorized as having SEND.
There are significant concerns regarding the capacity of alternative educational provisions within the borough to accommodate such a high number of students.
One anonymous parent shared that her autistic son experienced a decline into depression after news of the closure.
She commended Bishop Challoner for helping her son become more socially confident after he struggled with severe anxiety due to the Covid lockdowns.
“They are incredibly patient with him, and the staff go above and beyond. It truly is a wonderful school,” she stated.
Starting from January 1, 2025, private school tuition can be subjected to a 20% VAT charge in the UK, meaning that both educational and boarding services will no longer be exempt. This change will significantly affect the costs for parents.
Since the closure announcement on June 12, Bishop Challoner has not provided any further public statements.
