Kids Leaving School

National School Transfer has been helping schools who are in potential difficulty or may be facing closure in the future, to review their position thoroughly and to help them to produce an optimum solution taking into account all of the stakeholders involved.

Whilst we are in no way implying that your school is in difficulty, we are addressing this letter to all proprietors and bursars to make them aware of the help and support we can offer should your school ever face the prospect of closure.

We hear, with a seemingly remorseless regularity, about the closure of schools in the Independent Sector. This has unfortunate consequences on several levels; the loss of jobs, the loss of personal trust of staff, parents and pupils all of which tarnish the reputation of the Independent Sector. What is equally frustrating is that when we at National School Transfer get to hear about these closures it is too late to implement a survival strategy which could have resulted in a positive outcome if it had been explored in time.

More recently there has been a tendency among school proprietors or governing bodies to “hang in there” in the hope that the financial pain that permeates the Independent Sector today, will affect other schools before theirs; that their survival is predicated upon others failing – and this may be true. But it also may NOT be true.

We can help

In many cases of school closure, we feel confident that had we been contacted:

  • We could have successfully sourced a buyer for the school.
  • We could have explored the possibility of finding a different Senior Management Team who may have been able to succeed where the current one has failed. (Sometimes the analysis of prospects is overly pessimistic and a new SMT can breathe life into the seemingly hopeless cause).
  • We could have saved the jobs, retained the trust of parents and pupils alike and protected the reputation of the Independent School Sector.

We have examples over the past few months where the SMT of two schools facing difficult circumstances DID seek our help and a new owner was found in each case, saving the schools from closure (details of these can be disclosed to parties with a genuine interest in the subject).

We ask you to ensure that, if you experience problems with trading then you consider the option of a sale before you consider the closure of the school. Please contact National School Transfer.

With best wishes,

Pat Carter