Parents and pupils 'devastated' as school closes

Pupils and parents at a school that has shut for possibly the final time have told the BBC of their "devastation" as efforts continue to try to secure its future.

A bid to save the 133-year-old Malvern St James School in Malvern has the backing of town councillors, after parents said an investor had been secured to take on the school from September.

Owner Galaxy Global Education announced in April the school, founded in 1893, would close at the end of the summer term due to financial challenges, leaving nearly 200 pupils looking for a new school.

"It's like a second home, and now it's gone," said Year 12 student Isla, 17.

She added she felt "pretty sad" and was now facing the "complicated" prospect of finding somewhere to complete her A-level courses, which she is part way through.

Her mum Hannah said the school had been part of the family's life for about 14 years.

The teachers had been "phenomenal", Hannah added, particularly given they themselves did not have any certainty about their own future.

"They haven't wavered once in their care for our children," she said, adding that some members of staff also had children at the school.

Another student, Jack, said there had been a "state of shock" since the news broke

"You can tell no-one really wanted to go, no-one really wanted to leave. It was just sort of a situation we've been thrown into in the last three weeks and no-one really knows what to do," he said.

He feared many schools were either full or not accepting new students and said it was worrying when trying to plan how he might complete his A-levels.

His mum Jo said that although people thought of it as a "big, independent, quite posh school," her experience was that it had been like "a big family, and a big hug" adding that is was "just a wonderful place to be".

She said she had been trying to get her son into other schools - including state schools - but that they were either full, did not do the same courses he was studying, or he was unable to join part-way through an A-level course.

Meanwhile, Zoe Upson, whose daughter is in Year 9, said there had been "many tears from parents, staff, children and older students of the school as well," on the final day of term.

"It could have been totally avoided had original offers been accepted by the Galaxy Global Group, saving all of this heartache and misery, frankly, for everybody," she said.

"The general feeling is just absolute devastation.

Galaxy Global Education previously said it would give "serious consideration" to all proposals but confirmed the school would close at the end of the school year.

"Our priority throughout this process has been the welfare and educational continuity of our pupils, and we are pleased that the overwhelming majority of families have now secured destination schools for September," it said.

"We understand the strength of feeling within the community and appreciate the efforts made by those seeking alternative solutions."

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