Private schools hit by the credit crunch - six close, dozens struggle

At least six private schools are closing and dozens more are struggling as the credit crunch drives away up to 30,000 feepaying pupils, it emerged yesterday.

A 137-year-old girls' school is among the victims of the economic downturn which has seen applications to some of the country's most prominent schools tumble.

Analysts warn independent schools face a 5 per cent drop in pupil numbers as hardpressed parents begin to shy away from fees which have risen 40 per cent over five years.

Schools closing this term include the long- established senior schools Wentworth College, in Dorset, Wispers School in Surrey and La Sagesse in Newcastle.

Three preparatory schools are also known to be closing  -  Westbrook House in Kent, Sandhurst School in Worthing and Dorchester Preparatory in Dorset.

Even the most prestigious schools are feeling the impact and receiving fewer applicants. One elite girls' school is said to be lowering its academic requirements to keep up numbers.

And figures obtained by the Good Schools Guide show that 80 independent schools have seen a drop in pupil num-Sue Fieldman, the Guide's regional editor, said she anticipated 'considerably' more closures and mergers in the next year.

She said: 'This is the beginning of worse to come. No school is immune from the credit crunch and they certainly have to be aware that parents are suffering financially and they have to make appropriate arrangements to help them.

'The schools are being attacked on two fronts. First they have their own rising costs such as teachers' salaries and maintenance of the buildings and they have parents who can't afford to meet these costs any more. Schools can't keep putting inflation-busting fee rises on the parents as they just can't afford it.'

Shut: The 'outstanding' Wentworth College in Bournemouth

The registrar of one prominent school, who wished to remain unnamed to prevent pupil numbers dropping further, said: 'Schools have been accepting pupils further down the food chain than in previous years.

'Some would only take girls at the higher end of the exam results but this year I know they have taken further down.

'A lot of schools would be saying they're fully booked and there's no room in previous years, but schools are still taking pupils in now.'

Experts urged schools to limit fee rises and cut spending on lavish facilities to stay afloat.

Gavin Humphries, an analyst with MTM consulting, said: 'There is always "churn" in schools year on year and a few closing is not necessarily a harbinger of doom.

'But I can see this continuing. There could be a 5 per cent drop in pupil numbers  -  it could be quite a bad scenario.'

Schools serving younger pupils and those in areas heavily populated by workers in financial services are likely to be worst affected, he warned.

'If people have less to spend they are more likely to postpone independent education,' he added.

At Wentworth, founded in 1871, the 'current economic climate, linked with a short-term fall in pupil numbers' was being blamed for the decision to call in receivers.

A similar explanation was given at Westbrook House in Folkestone. A spokesman said: 'With the circumstances we have at the moment people are watching their budget and it has been difficult to recruit new children to the school.