A grammar school says it may have to close its boarding facility where it has become financially unviable and to stop the same happening to the day school.

The global Coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures have contributed to a "perfect storm" of monetary issues at Sir Roger Manwood's School in Sandwich.

It means the allocated eight boarder spaces out of the 150 overall spaces for Year 7s might be open to local children only in the next academic year.

Efforts have been made to contact the school but in a letter to parents, management outlined four reasons why the boarding facility may have to close in August, prompting a six week consultation by the governing body.

The reasons are:

• Major work is needed on both boarding houses to bring them up to the required standard which would use up reserves.

• A pandemic related deficit from the reduction in boarders and the resulting lack of fees paid from summer 2020 would mean the boarding tariff would have to rise significantly in future years to pay off that deficit.

• Continued social distancing would reduce the numbers of boarders to between 22 and 30 resulting in another in year loss from lack of fees.

• Changes in the new Immigration Act effective from January will mean boarders from the European Union must have parents living in the UK. Such students make up approximately a third of the school's boarders.

The letter to parents dated today (Tuesday) said: "Despite efforts over many years to increase the number of boarders with UK passports, that number has not risen, and indeed has reduced. The resulting reduction in the number of boarders would again mean that fees would have to rise". This is in addition to the rise to cover the Covid-19 deficit.

The letter continues: "Due to the perfect storm of all of the above, governors have taken the view that boarding at Sir Roger Manwood’s School can no longer be viewed as a going concern past this August, and so that its financial issues do not lead to the same happening in the day school, they are consulting on the proposal to close it.

"Governors profoundly regret having to propose such a course of action. Unfortunately, no other option addresses the scale of the difficulty facing boarding.

"...so that its financial issues do not lead to the same happening in the day school, governers are consulting on the proposal to close it"

"The School is mindful, too, of the impact this proposal might have on the boarders currently on roll. However, governors have had to weigh this concern carefully against the need to maintain financial stability of the School as a whole.

"Should the Department for Education grant approval for the closure, support and guidance would be provided throughout this process to current boarders, their families and boarding staff. "

Sir Roger Manwood's in Manwood Road, Sandwich is a selective, mixed, five form entry, 11 to 18 school.

The school was judged Outstanding in all categories by Ofsted in 2012, including its boarding provision in 2018.

All applicants offered a place from September 2020 would be contacted to discuss alternative arrangements. Current Year 10 and Year 12 boarders, who are part way through their GCSE and A Level courses, will be offered a boarding place at the Duke of York’s School in Dover whilst continuing to be day students at Sir Roger Manwood’s. They would be transported to and from the school each day so they can continue their studies.

As the current Determined Admission Arrangements allocate 8 Year 7 places to boarders (with any number not taken being ‘returned’ to local admissions), the school is also consulting on a proposed change to its admission arrangements. This change would result in the full allocation of the Year 7 planned admission number of 150 places going to local children.

If you would like to comment on either of these proposals - the proposal to close boarding and/or the proposal to change the admissions arrangements so that all 150 Year 7 places go to local pupils as from

September 2020, please either email your comments to head@srms.kent.sch.uk or post them to Sir Roger Manwood’s School, Manwood Road, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9JX, marking each for the attention of the Clerk to Governors.

Both consultations will run for six weeks, starting from Monday, June 1 and closing at midnight on Sunday, July 12.

The Duke of York's Royal Military School in Dover has been contacted about the prospect of it opening up its boarding house to pupils of Sir Roger Manwood's.

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