Barlborough Hall: Sheffield prep 'committed to help children who now have no school' after shock closure
A Sheffield prep school says it will do “all we can to help” following the shock closure of two local independent schools.
As many as 600 local children now have no school to go to in September following the shock closure of Mount St Mary’s College and Barlborough Hall in Spinkhill.
The independent Catholic institute, which together offer both day and boarding school for children aged 3 to 18, said despite “generous loans” worth £3m in recent years, it has “no realistic path” to solve its debt problems and last night (July 30) entered administration.
It has left hundreds of households in the region with less than a month to find new school places for their children in time for September.
Today, a headteacher of Sheffield’s private Mylnhurst Prepatory School, Michael Hibbert, said his faculty would do “all it can” to offer places and asked parents to get in contact.
Mr Hibbert wrote on his LinkedIn profile today: “Our thoughts are with every child, family, and member of staff affected by the sudden closure of Barlborough Hall Prep and Mount St Mary’s after 183 years. Today is a desperately sad day in the history of independent Catholic education locally.
“As a preparatory school in the Catholic tradition, for children aged 3-11, with close ties to both BHS and the Mount, we are committed to doing all we can to help those children of Barlborough Hall who now have no school to go to.
“We have limited places available in some of our year groups for a September 2025 start. Please get in touch.”
In a lengthy and emotional statement on the school’s website’s, Mount St Mary’s and Barlborough Hall’s chair of Governors Shaun Whyman said troubles began in 2015, and seemed to treat “the addition of VAT on school fees and the removal of business rates relief for independent schools” as the final nail in the coffin.
The Star understands a staff meeting was held today.
The Star has contacted the National Education Union for comment.