Independent school confirms closure

An independent school in Worcestershire has confirmed it is to close.

Parents said they were upset when closure plans for Malvern St James School were first revealed, but were then told on Tuesday a formal decision was yet to be made and a consultation was ongoing.

However, owner Galaxy Global has now said the school will shut after the summer term, although staff will be employed until the end of August through A level and GCSE results days.

Financial challenges had contributed to the "extremely difficult" decision, it said, leaving nearly 200 students looking for a new school.

The school, which caters for three to 18-year-olds as a day or boarding school, was taken over by The Galaxy Global Education Group in February 2025.

It has said the financial issues were caused in part by the government's introduction of VAT on school fees in 2025 to pay for more state school teachers in England.

It has also seen a sharp decline in pupil numbers in recent years, staff said.

However, parents established a group to try to find a buyer for the school with the help of a private investor.

Two bids were rejected, the group said, adding that they believed it could remain open with "the right management team in there, with the right decisions being made and the right opportunities being given to it".

Parents said they were devastated by the closure which left students wondering what their options were.

"As a family we are devastated that this is closing. Where we go from here now, we don't know," parent Jo Tolley said last week about the closure plans.

Malvern St James is made up from five schools, all of which began in the late 19th Century and were merged together over the decades since, its website stated.

After taking on the school last year, Galaxy Global said it planned to continue the school's legacy and ethos but announced in April that it would be closing.

In a statement the school said the last day of teaching would be 6 July but it would be "honouring its commitments through the summer".

A thorough review has been carried out and the school said the decision "reflected the school's long-term financial challenges, and the absence of a viable solution capable of securing a sustainable future".

It had considered all proposals and expressions of interest it received, but "no proposal was identified that provided sufficient certainty to secure the school's future on a sustainable basis".

Families had been helped to secure places at alternative schools, and "the overwhelming majority of pupils now have a destination for September".

"We recognise that this is an upsetting time for pupils, parents, staff and alumni. Our priority continues to be supporting the school community and ensuring that the final weeks of term are a fitting celebration of all that Malvern St James has meant to generations of students and families."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.