PARENTS at a closure-threatened Sheffield school are holding an emergency meeting tonight to discuss possible options for keeping it open.
Brantwood Independent School for Girls in Nether Edge is set to close its doors after 108 years on Friday, after financial support was withdrawn by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The bank maintains the decision to close with only nine days' notice was taken purely by the governors.
The meeting at the school begins at 7pm and parents are hopeful potential investors may attend with a view to putting together a rescue package.
Pupils meanwhile have sent more than 100 emails and a petition to Hallam MP Nick Clegg asking for his help.
Brantwood has 128 pupils who must otherwise find alternative schools after half term. The 30 staff face redundancy.
"There has been huge support for the school since we heard about the decision to shut late on Thursday," said a parent who is organising the meeting.
"We are hoping that as many parents as possible come along to prove that Brantwood may still have a future."
Governors had been in discussions behind the scenes with RBS for six months after the effects of the recession undermined its viability.
RBS foreclosed on a loan to Brantwood after a new valuation of the school and its grounds was judged to be insufficient to provide sufficient collateral.
Chair of governors John Boyington said many of the parents were very concerned and a group had been formed to look at the chances of a rescue package.
He said: "This is not a governors' initiative, although we do support what the parents are trying to do.
"While not trying to sound a negative tone, we are well aware of the challenge they are facing. They will need to come up with a viable financial model before the school is effectively forced into liquidation - and they only have this week to do it. It is a big ask.
"Parents will need to meet the accountants to fully understand the finances and there has also been talk of them becoming shareholders.
"They have been incensed by the bank's current valuation of the school, but another issue is what their objective is. All our recent conversations with RBS have been about keeping the school open until the end of the current academic year, but not in the longer term.
"It would be a very, very difficult task to keep Brantwood open full time."
Pupils Rebecca Wright, aged 14, and Isza Tindall, 15, said they had 80 names on their petition which had been collected in just 24 hours.
Rebecca said: "Pupils, parents, teachers and past pupils have all signed and we are meeting Nick Clegg at his surgery. He will also have 100 emails in his in-box when he opens it today.
We don't think it can be legal to close a school with so little warning.
"It has been a big shock and all the pupils are very angry."
Staff have been working hard to find new school places and a roadshow was being held at Brantwood today with representatives from Sheffield High School, Westbourne and Ashdell, as well as council advisers who will have information about available places in the state sector.
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