A message to parents from the headteacher of St Lawrence College in Ramsgate says the school’s merger with Dover College is “far preferable to the alternative of the school closure due to the financial position in which the College finds itself.”
This week the merger with Dover College and the closure of the Ramsgate site at the end of the summer term was announced to parents.
The co-educational day and boarding school for youngsters aged three to 18 has been a fixture in Thanet since 1879.
The merger affects some 500 students and more than 200 staff at the Ramsgate site.
The new school at the Dover College grounds will open in September.
The merged school will be under the umbrella of the Repton Family of Schools, which currently educates over 10,000 pupils globally.
In a message to parents in response to an organised protest at the site scheduled for 3.30pm this afternoon (February 27) Head of College Matthew Brown, said an in-person meeting with parents was being arranged for March 5 in a bid to make sure pupils aren’t ‘disrupted.’
He also tells parents they will receive a letter today providing ‘further context.’
Explaining the reasoning for the merger, Mr Brown says: “The decision of the St Lawrence College Governing Body to merge with Dover College will preserve the name, values and ethos of our school into the future, as well as preserve jobs for our staff.
“This is clearly far preferable to the alternative of school closure due to the financial position in which the College finds itself.
“The merger will also ensure that our College is able to continue to deliver education on site for the rest of this academic year, which might not have been the case otherwise.”
A fact sheet for parents says: “We hope a significant number (of St Lawrence pupils) will join the newly formed St Lawrence Dover College.
“Future proceeds from the development of St Lawrence College will be invested in the facilities and wider infrastructure of St Lawrence Dover College, which will set it apart from other independent schools both locally and across the South East.”
According to Charity Commission filings (up to August 2024) the college deficit for the year ended 31st August 2024 was £1,327,353 (2023: deficit of £1,294,213).
The deficit includes non-cash depreciation charges of £984,358 (2023: (2023: £975,687).
Accounts say that although cash at bank did fall in the year, this was as a result of the decision to spend £439k on new fixed assets, notably the completion of the lower school development and solar panels.
The College’s trading subsidiary, St Lawrence College Enterprises, generated a contribution of £32,336 for the year ended 31st August 2024 (2023: £5,058) which was donated to the College.
The government introduction of 20% VAT on private school fees from January 2025, the removal of charitable business rates relief from April 2025 and increased National Insurance contributions, have affected many independent schools.
In 2018 St Lawrence College opened a new £6 million science, art and design technology centre, at the heart of the main senior school campus.
In 2024, the school carried out phase 2 of a £1.2m investment project to transform the Hamblen Block into a new nursery and Pre-Prep home with new classrooms and secure play areas.
The Junior School started the 2023-24 academic year having completed Phase 1 of the project, introducing five state-of-the-art classrooms and Learning Resource Centre, the Attenborough Attic.
However, last year staff at the college were informed of proposals to make 20+ redundancies at the school.
Many parents are asking when the merger decision was first proposed and why there was no parent consultation prior to the announcement. They are also questioning whether the move to the smaller Dover College site is prompted by the development value of the land in Ramsgate.
Today’s protest outside the school grounds at 3.30pm is still set to go ahead.
The financial position in which the school finds itself? Like it’s just woken up and realised there’s a problem? More like failure of senior management to effectively respond to a clearly worsening situation and go ahead with high cost projects regardless
Barney asks apr24, Brighton announcement + no SLC annoucement jul24, TES job post sep24, new guy announces jan25, handover apr25. Blows up feb26.
No business background in SMT?
Spend spend spend…oh no money left?
He looks ,I’m alright Jack bloke,not losing his job, most likely getting a big pay rise
Other private schools are available, not least in Canterbury.I suspect interviews are now on going at those educational establishments.If you want parents to transfer their offspring to Dover, you would do it in a less bone headed way.
An irrecoverable amount ?
? Not an irrecoverable amount
No, but you’d have to be confident that you have sufficient income to do so. The sector is under pressure, vat , loss of charitable status, bussiness rate changes, pupil numbers falling etc. Plus of course a challenging political headwind.
You’d be brave to think the place had a guaranteed future. Decent jobs gone and the loss of another of thanets bits of history and excellence.
Appears to be a final decision, next thing of interest will be the proposed redevelopment plans.
More like 7 Million apparently ! – redact my previous erroneous statement.
Big corporate treatment of its customers and staff ( commodities)now in full swing
Well maintained , superb facilities of SLC sacrificed to fund a poorly maintained building with scant facilities with the promise of future improvements -jam tomorrow , ? £ will be absorbed elsewhere
Close St Lawrence Junior or Senior School – put in ice / furlough until debt sorted ?
Grew too quickly. No cash reserve. Bursar with no real commercial experience.Accident waiting to happen.
Very sad.
Ramsgate MP quiet on this subject! Not heard one word of support or otherwise!