Farlington - rumours of closure

[Surreyfoxmum]

Another mum told me today that Farlington will close by September because another local large boarding school is attracting a number of their students. Has anyone else heard this? With children at the school this is a real worry and I don’t know what to do.

Sorry I have only just seen your post. My daughter is also at the school. I haven’t heard anything about this but then again we are quite new so don’t really hear rumours. Have you heard anything more since October?

Name changed as I don't want to be linked to my other posts🙂 - I have two children who have recently joined Farlington - before making the decision to start, we asked for reassurance regarding the financial status of the school, strength of numbers, etc. We were pleased to learn that it is in a strong position, numbers are very stable, with growth across many year groups. I would suggest speaking to the Head directly as he is very open to discussion and I'm sure would put your mind at rest that the school is not due to close. It's such a lovely school, and my two absolutely love it!

I do hope you are right. I know of a number of children in my dc’s year (yr7) that have gone for taster / assessment days elsewhere. Just worried that they’ll be left in a very small year group which will restrict the opportunities they have.

Are there any further updates on Farlington? We went for a visit and quite liked it and one of my children knows others there already. But the school felt tired and we were told the the swimming pool is no longer used. We were not shown it on the tour but someone else told me the water has gone green as it has not been used for so long. We don’t need/want a school with a swimming pool but don’t want to move to another school that is having financial worries.

Of it is.... and i hope its not, dont get sucked into the asset strippers that are the Bridewell Foundation in return for 'financial stability'. Longacre naively did and have subsequently been shut and Bridewell are in the process of liquidating their assets for their own benefit.

Did you speak with the Head when you were on your tour?
Parents have just received a letter outlining investment plans over Easter to upgrade parts of the school. They’ve also had to add another classroom during the holidays, as Year 3 has now been split into two classes due to an increase in numbers. I think this is a good indication that Farlington is stable financially.
The pool is indeed out of use — it’s currently empty of water. Sadly, it’s just not viable these days. The cost of renovation, upkeep and insurance for something that would only be used for a few weeks of the year (and often during the summer holidays) can’t really be justified.