Redcliffe Garden School shut down

[Toots12345]

Redcliffe Gardens has just stated it will close this year. Just found out as my DS at Cameron Vale and parents started turning up today from Redcliffe wanting a place there.

It seems parents have been pushed to the Hampshire school (which is further away and owned by some giant private equity firm and also failing!) as they are paying a fee for every pupil they receive.

Crazy how naive Goldphin and Latymer are (owners of Redcliffe) to think that parents won't see through that. Pretty shady the whole tie up and close down. Presumably they sell off their pupils and then make a few million selling off the property!

Anyone else have any other info here?

Dukes is owned by the Universities Superannuation Scheme which pays all Uni pensions in the UK. It's a 90bn organisation and so spending half a billion on schools fairly small fry.

As an outsider it also makes me wonder if these schools are just money making machines who put that first & kids education second. Then close when not enough money made from enough parents paying big feees

@Marchsnowstorms that's exactly what they are. They are for profit. There's very few family owned preps with charitable status left in London.

@makinghay11 I read the USS as USA. You've taught me something this morning. I had no idea. Thank you! Very interesting

It's similar to all the student accommodation and other businesses run by these types of organisation. All glossy brochures & promises but ruthless. Parents being profited from at great expense

@Marchsnowstorms Some of the accomodation is so bad too. Mould ridden, leaks everywhere for hundreds a week.

Yep I agree. Universities rely on private providers who are a law to themselves & make big profit.
With regard to Dukes schools it really feels like smoke & mirrors once you start to look at it. Parents feel they are buying best education and fat cats lapping it up

Not such thing as a family/private owned prep with charitable status. They are either families (normally very rich ones) who own privately or charities

@makinghay11 sorry I meant the small preps that are charities and were set up as such, they're very rare. Even the family ones, I still think those are so different to the ones owned by companies like Dukes.

@Marchsnowstorms Yh. Tbf to Dukes, they are providing a much sought after service and some of the schools are good. Much depends on the SLT of each individual school. For profit isn't always bad, but I do think the lines get blurred when you're in a school struggling to get bums on seats. Esp around areas like SEN, I don't think you're getting the impartial advice you would get at a state school. Profit margins in schools are getting smaller so there's more pressure.

@Dodgeitornot yes I agree tbf. I guess it's just that harsh reality that if numbers drop or profits, they can just close

@Marchsnowstorms yup, which is also happening in state schools, recently primaries in Camden.

Blimey. Not so in my northern city!

@Marchsnowstorms https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/fourth-primary-school-to-close-down-in-pupil-shortage-crisis#:~:text=A%20FOURTH%20primary%20school%20is,30%20due%20to%20falling%20rolls.

www.kentonline.co.uk/tonbridge/news/school-to-close-in-three-weeks-283074/

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/private-school-trafford-close-due-26498542

www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23310446.campaign-launched-keep-abberley-hall-school-closing/

www.fulhamsw6.com/#!pages/fulhamsw6:info:ldrsschools001

I think the prep sector has been hit hard by so many factors. The decline in Common Entrance meant they lost their USP - no need for a classical curriculum with lots of Latin, Greek, History, Science, when nowadays they’re mostly examined on English & Maths which are taught at every primary school. Simultaneously the move from a 13+ emphasis to 11+ makes Y7 and Y8 at prep hard to fill.

Then there’s the growth of junior schools attached to senior schools. Why go to a separate prep when you can join Habs, UCS, St Paul’s Boys, City Juniors, Highgate, Latymer (etc) at 7+ and get a guaranteed or smoothed run up into the seniors?

So the independent preps became vulnerable and got snapped up by purchasers like Dukes, who can then close them down at will if it suits their business to do so (as they did to Lyndhurst House in Hampstead).

Odd for G&L to have got involved with this one. Not a good look for them now.

G&L has very odd governance

Simon Davies who just pushed out the last Chair has no education experience at all and runs a Hedge Fund. Surprise surprise his wife has a hereditary board seat (also no relevant schools experience) as she is an heir of the Godolphin family. She no doubt got him on the Board and now you have a husband and wife team with no relevant experience running one of the top girls schools in the world. Guess what they go on a acquisition spree thinking it is all easy using charity status try to start a school empire (where they get millions in real estate for free for G&L) get given Redcliffe and boom it blows up as they don't have a clue. How come this seems normal?

This thread is a massive eye opener

Does anyone know is it just Falcons Boys prep in Richmond closing (which has always been a tricky site plus surrounded by excellent state primaries) or Falcons girls in Putney too?

@makinghay11 Really interesting. Sounds like too many hungry apprentice cooks in the kitchen.

As someone who has experienced a prep school closure last year, exact same time announcing just before the Easter break saying the summer term will be the last term. Funny thing was there was no mention when dc started in Sept and happy to take them on 2 terms before. It was very stressful for the parents trying to find new schools who would take them on quite late and young kids who would need to resettle. Some went to state schools and most to different private schools around the area. I remember a parent mentioning about Redcliffe and her child going there so I wonder if she went there in the end to experience yet another closure.

@puretit I think at that point I'd genuinely give up on the independent sector. I really hope they didn't move to Redcliffe

What is your problem with The Hampshire School @Toots12345 ?? You spend so much time criticising it on different threads. Here you're criticising it because it's had "3 heads in 3 years" and yet Cameron Vale which you promote so much has had 3 heads in 2 and a half years!! 🤔

@HerMummy1989 i think you are onto something re comments from @Toots12345. Seems to have a very vested interest in promoting Cameron Vale!!! But whenever called out on it never replies but then continues to criticise other preps on other threads. Perhaps CV are also at risk and toots is using these threads as a marketing tool! Come on toots tell us why CV has had 3 heads in 2.5 years if you know so much about CV.

Hi as we are looking at Cameron Vale I emailed the school and checked with the parent who recommended it to us (met via a friend of a friend)

There seems to be some confusion @Toodlepip2023 and @HerMummy1989:

According to the school the last Head joined in lockdown in 2020 and left at half term this term 2023. I have also checked this with the that parent (there since pre lockdown) who confirmed this.

So that's one head in 3 years - very different story to one head every 9 months!!!???

Where has the 3 heads in 2.5 years come from? if @Toodlepip2023 and @HerMummy1989 can let me know that would be great as it's a bit odd to have such different stories. Thanks