The beloved Our Lady’s Abingdon (OLA), a private school in Oxfordshire, has shocked the town with plans to close its doors after 160 years. The charter school was struggling with just 368 kids enrolled at that point. It mentioned “a range of economic pressures,” including the introduction of VAT on private school fees, as the most significant reasons behind this surprising decision. The closure puts families in a difficult position as they are forced to find other educational options within the community.
The board of governors promised to support families in finding new school placements while the Local Authority was intending to consult families on the closure in Oxfordshire. The education department’s decision to end the program with little notice left many parents feeling blindsided and confused. Eamon Devlin is a parent with one child already enrolled and another about to begin this September. He even went so far as to call the closure of the school a shock, a layoff surprise. To make matters worse, Meyer underscored that staff turnover has been rampant in recent years. At no point did OLA ever suggest that its future was in jeopardy.
In its last financial accounts filed in August 2023, OLA acknowledged facing “challenges” and “material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on [its] ability to continue as a going concern.” This has created even more suspicion and distrust among parents and staff as to the transparency of the schools leadership.
Devlin lambasted the leadership of the school for their failure to communicate. “When the notice was issued, we had no offer of help from the school,” he said. He expressed frustration over the absence of information from the governors, stating, “it seems like the people responsible for running the school have dropped off the face of the earth.”
Debbie Watson, a regional organizer at the teachers’ union NASUWT, voiced her concerns about the school’s management. She stated that OLA had not been forthcoming with their union and described the closure as a “betrayal of trust and confused children when [the] school was seen as a predictable, trusted, nurturing environment.” Watson underscored that former employees were placed in a “desperate” position following the notice.
“We are very disappointed that the school has not been transparent and open with us,” – Debbie Watson.
Watson told us that teachers were just recently forced to receive less generous pension benefits. Governors said this was needed to protect the school’s future.
While families look forward to another academic year, students from OLA will be starting at another private school this September. For parents, the abrupt turn of events has tasked parents with understanding their new options and opportunities, in a solution under development.
