Silence over future of private school site as owner branded ‘shockingly inept’

The future of a group of buildings that were home to the stricken Ockbrook School in Derbyshire remain shrouded in mystery after the owners and administrators brought in to wind down the school both remain silent.

Ockbrook School, one of the UK’s oldest private boarding schools, revealed it was closing last month after trustees said they were unable to find any financial backers to keep it open.

The school was founded in 1799 by the Moravian Church as a girls’ school. It became fully co-educational in 2017. Admission fees were £3,360 a term for primary school-aged children, rising to £4,435 for those in years 7-9 and £4,565 for years 10-13.

Some 100 staff were made redundant after the school announced to parents that it wouldn’t be reopening in 2021.

Administrators from London-based Moore Kingston Smith & Partners have been called in.

TheBusinessDesk.com has repeatedly try to contact both the Moravian Church and Kingston Smith & Partners, but neither have replied with a statement on the future of the school buildings.

Angry stakeholders in the school have contacted us about the situation leading to the school closing.

One called the handling of the situation “shockingly inept”. He told us: “Some 250 students plus staff were given four weeks notice on June 9th to find a new school or a new job. There have been Shockingly inept communication from a small cohort of Moravian Union trustees who stood behind a decision claiming everything possible had been done to save this wonderful institution in the face of financial difficulties. But they never reached out to parents, staff, supporters of the school to explore the potential of a rescue plan. If they had then this would not be the outcome and instead kids from 3-18 wouldn’t be facing unplanned unexpected new school starts in four weeks with friendship groups split, syllabus changes, prospects harmed plus some students not able to find a place so facing home schooling.

“The staff have been treated equally badly, a new head recruited only earlier this year.

“This has been devastating for so many and this after all these kids have had to process the last 16 months. Those involved including the advisors should hang their heads in shame. This school could have been turned around but the ‘Christian’ cohort running it never wanted that.”

A statement on the school’s website says: “Ockbrook School has ceased trading and is now closed. The company was placed into administration on 28th July 2021 and Ryan Davies and Ian Robert of Moore Kingston Smith & Partners were appointed joint administrators on the same date. The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the administrators who act as agents of the company and without personal liability.”

The school didn’t allow children to pick up their A-Level and GCSE results last week because of “a number of reasons which include staffing, health and safety, and insurance cover, among others”.

The school said that results were posted to students by letter and email.