St Lawrence College, which had capacity for 500 children from age three to 18 including around 175 boarders, went into administration on Wednesday. Pupil numbers at the school had been in decline, and its management explained it had battled against significant financial pressures in recent years. The specific financial pressures beyond declining enrollment and policy changes have not been detailed, nor has the exact number of students enrolled at the time of closure been confirmed.
Labour introduced VAT on school fees and removed business-rates relief for private schools, effective from 2025. Up until last year, private schools were exempted from the 20 percent VAT levy and benefited from an 80 percent business-rates relief due to their charitable status. Rachel Reeves announced the removal of VAT exemption and business-rates relief for private schools in her Autumn 2024 Budget.
This is an incredibly sad day for everyone connected with St Lawrence College.
The school explored options including a strategic review and discussions with potential partners and acquirers, but no viable way forward was found. Plans for a merger with Dover College were scrapped after a huge backlash last month. The details of the potential partners and acquirers discussed, as well as the reasons for the backlash against the Dover College merger, remain unclear.
Specialists from business advisory firm FRP have been called in as administrators of St Lawrence College. A skeleton staff of 44 teachers and support workers has been kept on to support examination-year pupils, and students in Years 11 and 13 will still be able to sit their GCSEs, BTECs, and A-levels.
This school has been at the heart of the Ramsgate community, and generations of pupils have benefited from the dedication of our staff and the strength of our community.
The college is working with other local schools and the local authority to help families secure alternative places for their children. The administrators are supporting laid-off staff with claims to the Redundancy Payments Service. What alternative school placements are being arranged for non-examination-year students has not been specified.
According to Daily Mail - News, Lord Craig Mackinlay described the closure of St Lawrence College as an absolute tragedy. He also attributed it to Labour's policies of VAT and business rates on education.
We explored every possible option to secure the school's future, and I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to find a way forward.
Graham Carter, the Governors' chairman, said in an official statement that it was an incredibly sad day for everyone connected with St Lawrence College. He noted the school had been at the heart of the Ramsgate community and that generations of pupils had benefited from staff dedication. Carter added that every possible option had been explored to secure the school's future and thanked those who worked to find a way forward. He concluded that while this was not the desired outcome, the focus was now on supporting examination-year pupils, helping families find new school places, and ensuring colleagues received support.
While this is not the outcome we wanted, our focus now is on supporting our examination-year pupils to complete their studies, helping families find new school places, and ensuring our colleagues receive the support they deserve.
An absolute tragedy.
Gone on the back of Labour policies of VAT and business rates on education.