Families whose children suddenly found themselves without a school place following the collapse into administration of St Lawrence College in Ramsgate last week are being urged to contact Dover College.
Dover College head Phil Tattersall-King says families have already attended the site and there is space for those who feel the college would be a good fit.
Mr Tattersall-King says the proposed merger between the two colleges – announced in February but then ditched just weeks later following parent and student protests – “made good sense” but the reasons and benefits were not “communicated clearly enough.”
St Lawrence College shut with immediate effect on April 8 apart from for students in Years 11 and 13 who will stay until exams are completed. The college had some 500 students.
Sadly 166 employees have been made redundant, with 44 kept on to support exam-year students.
Mr Tattersall-King said: “I felt very taken aback by the sudden nature of it. Had more work been done to clearly outline why that route (merger) was being taken, things might have been different. I was very surprised that they made that decision without another viable plan.
“It is also a huge shame for those who lost jobs and for the community. The local MP (in an interview) said the government was looking after the 94% of children (at state school) but this forgets the school was a community, including everyone on site from contractors, everyone in catering preparing meals.”
Mr Tattersall-King said the independent school sector is finding it difficult to operate with ‘the sudden imposition’ of VAT on school fees, increases in national insurance and minimum wage rates and loss of business rates relief.
He added: “We surely live in an economy where people can choose to spend their money on cars or houses or education for their children.
“For so many children independent schools offer a niche – we are fantastic at working with SEND needs and are well kitted out for this, not every school can do that.”
Mr Tattersall-King said he believes the merger through Repton Schools could have secured a future for St Lawrence College but now, despite no time for planning, there would be room for students at Dover College.
He added: “There are also other wonderful schools in Kent. It has to be the right school for the child.
“All the families that have been coming across have been seeing how our teachers really love working with the children.
“We are keen on kindness and that’s what many of those students need right now.”
Visits to Dover College can be arranged via email at [email protected] or calling 01304 205969 to book an appointment.
So more housing, no infrastructure, deep joy
Nice advert for dover college.
Struggling to pay minimum wage to the maintenance staff.
Struggling to pay business rates arent alot of business ?
Having to pay VAT just like other business.
Paying higher NI just like other business.
As someone who worked at dover college under the previous head master the place was a train crash.
Staff sacked so the previous head could bring in his mates. He spent money like it was going out of fashion, but not really much to improve the school.
Any parent looking to send their kids there take a proper look round. Not just the areas the school want to show you ! It was all fur coat and no knickers.
The place might have improved in the last few years.
Nail on head. A lot of these private schools are style over content. They’ve for years dodged tax and made a select few plenty of money.
Always makes me chuckle how certain sections defend them to the hilt
Not Impressed – and what knowledge do you have? Never mind, you keep collecting your benefits!
The same as SLC then!
“We surely live in an economy where people can choose to spend their money on cars or houses or education for their children.”
We do, and you’d pay VAT on a car, and duty on a house…
All valid comments regarding VAT and “style over content “etc. As long as the same commentators don’t complain of over crowding in state schools next term. Can’t have it both ways.
Mr Tattersall-King’s comments are focussed on the pupils. What about the staff – there would not have been jobs for all of them, evn if it were realistic for people on minimum wage or zero hours contacts to make the long journey there and back. The closure strikes me as an act of petty revenge because the merger plans were thwarted.
It’s all just an excuse to sell off the property and land to developers for exclusive residential and ridiculous over priced dwellings, only the children will suffer, imagine the anxiety and stress it is causing to each individual having to fit in esle where, it’s a real heartache for everyone, students- teachers- maintenence teams and don’t forget the suppliers and local economy will all suffer, only a few will gain but hundreds affected for the rest of there lives all down to very very poor expenditure management and very bad financial management and to much power in one person’s hands,we all know that depth is a way of life it’s just how you manage it over time, it seems a common practice in these diffrent times when someone takes over a lead position over a substantial historical business at first it’s all smiles and hello’s but behind your back they know what there thinking, it can still operate in depth just like the rest of us do , just make it work with the correct changes.its a dessertion of responsibilities.