Mount St Mary Barlborough Hall: Parents in race to find places for children as £400,000 fundraiser falls short
Parents say they “do not have the luxury” of waiting to see if a pair of private schools can be saved given the new academic year starts in just four weeks.
Mount St Mary’s College and Barlborough Hall School shocked their communities last week when chair of governors Shaun Whyman revealed they were loaded with debts they had “no realistic path” to solve and were closing their doors immediately.
However, a last-ditch effort to “save” the twinned independent Catholic schools was mounted this week - in the form of a GoFundMe campaign asking for £1m.
The campaign raised an astonishing £300,000 in less than 24 hours, which by its own claim is enough to solve the immediate problem of paying both staff and HMRC.
However, the campaign has now closed, with a final figure of £416,000.
An update posted by organiser Jessica Penny on August 6 reads: “The deadline for our GoFundMe campaign has now passed. Despite the tremendous efforts and generosity from our community, we did not reach our fundraising goal. As a result, all donations will be refunded today.
“While this particular campaign has concluded, our commitment to the cause remains strong. We are actively exploring alternative options and next steps. “
The campaign was launched by a ‘Parents Action Team’ and seemingly supported by the schools themselves by hosting a link to it on their own website.
However, the campaign also irritated a number of households as further problems at the private schools come to light.
The Star has been unable to reach MSM or Barlborough Hall for comment since the announcement on July 30.
Parents unhappy with lack of communication over campaign
Despite the staggering amount of money offered to the GoFundMe campaign, parents and The Star’s readers voiced their annoyance over the uncertainty it created for families.
A Rotherham couple, who asked not to be named, told The Star they were preparing to send their autistic boy to start in Year 4 at Barlborough this September after “scraping” the money together to afford the private fees.
The boy’s father said: “It was the best SEND offering we could find and we were very excited.
“We went out and got his uniform fitted literally the day before the announcement - that could be £300 down the drain now.
“It’s a huge disruption. Barlborough Hall seemed perfect for him - the ethos and care seemed perfect. Now, we’ve been searching hard for somewhere else he can go now. It’s been a shock.”
Meeting with parents on Monday
The couple said they attended a meeting at the school on Monday (August 4) but felt they came away with “no answers.”
The father said: “The governors were not there, they were having their own meeting in another room somewhere.
“I don’t know the names of the staff who led the meeting. There were maybe 200 people there. There was no bickering or anything, but many of us felt the answers we got as parents ‘came from the heart’ and a place of emotion, rather than facts or as a solid plan.”
The couple spoke to The Star while the GoFundMe campaign was still active.
“I’ve seen the GoFundMe and, for us as a family, we’re certainly not in a position to donate,” said the father.
“I wish them good luck but we can’t afford to wait and see. We don’t have the luxury. And I don’t know how the school can plan for how many pupils they will even have in September when we are all now racing to find our children other schools.
“It’s tough. It would be a shame for it to fall to the wayside.”
Deadline on GoFundMe page ‘extended’
While active, the GoFundMe campaign was shared by the official Mount St Mary’s Facebook page, with the words: “The deadline has been extended! Please share and donate if you can.”
The crowdfunding page originally set a deadline of 5pm on August 5. Now that this has passed, an update was posted on August 6 saying all money will be refunded.
Meanwhile, company accounts show MSM has been running at a loss for as many as 15 years, draining its available funds from £16.8m in 2009 to £3.2m in 2023.
This is despite £3m in loans on “very generous terms” from the Jesuits of Britain that the school now appears unable to repay. The society published a statement about its involvement this week, saying they were “deeply saddened” at the closure.
It reads: “The Jesuits ran the schools for many years before transferring governance to a new charitable trust with its own independent board of governors in 2006.
“At that time, the Jesuits gifted the land, buildings and financial investments valued at £10.4 million to the new trust, along with an additional £7.1 million to support a sustainable future for the schools.
“Unfortunately, since 2015, the schools have faced persistent financial difficulties. Throughout this period, we have accompanied them closely, providing over £3 million in loans on concessional terms, allowing repayment deferrals, and releasing property to enable sales. Despite the commitment and hard work of many, the schools have continued to operate at a loss.”
‘Unmet standards’ in last school inspection
Mount St Mary’s latest report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate noted that the college was not up to code on its safeguarding measures.
In the unannounced visit in April 2025, the ISI found MSM’s safeguarding procedures at the boarding school were not prompt or detailed enough, writing: “...leaders do not ensure that safeguarding procedures are implemented effectively. They do not ensure that all staff understand that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility throughout the school and the boarding facilities.
“Leaders do not consistently promote the physical and emotional wellbeing of the pupils.”
Criticisms
Together, the mounting problems faced by Mount St Mary’s and Barlborough Hall has led to many parents and readers of The Star criticising the school, the fundraising campaign and the position it has put pupils in.
One highly critical reader, John Dye, wrote on The Star’s Facebook page: “I find it utterly unconscionable for this school to be asking the very people who have paid expensive school fees to help foot the bill of the school’s mismanagement and financial incompetence.
“The school needs to close end of. It’s been in financial difficulties for the best part of 10 years.
“How is getting a million quid by midnight tonight [August 5] going to solve the issue if £3m isn’t enough?
“It’s absolute insanity to think anything meaningful will come of donations. The current amount of over 300k would be wiped out paying staff wages and the like.”
Another, Rachel Pieterse, wrote: “It's sad for all the pupils and staff, as there is not enough school places in local government funded schools or other private schools plus those teachers needing jobs for September who also have families to support.
“Unfortunately, it has been mismanaged. Staff and parents were unaware but are trying their best to save the school and make a change.
“Not everyone who attends a private school is wealthy and elite there are children there on scholarships and many whose parents save and make it there choice to give their children the best education.
“I understand people think ‘why should we bail them out’ But what about all those parents who pay their tax and put in to a system which funds education but also pay school fees?”
The Star has been unable to contact either schools or several members of its board of governors since the announcement on July 30.