Teachers at Durham High School have described the school’s sudden closure as “devastating”, saying staff were told just hours before the 142-year-old independent school shut for the final time. Staff, pupils and parents gathered outside the school on Friday, where members of the NASUWT and the National Education Union (NEU) staged a protest following Wednesday’s announcement that the school would close the following day.
Teachers and pupils held placards reading: “Over 300 lives changed forever. Cruel, callous, cold” and “Goodbye 142 years. One day’s notice”.
One day’s notice
One teacher, who asked not to be named, said staff had feared the closure for some time but were left shocked by how quickly it happened.
“We kind of knew deep down that it was going to happen,” they said.
“They strung us along for weeks and weeks, but none of us knew until 4pm on Wednesday that the school would be closing the next day. That’s the point at which we actually found out.”
Galaxy Global Education (GGE), which owns the school, insisted it had done everything possible to save the school. ”The suggestion that this decision was taken lightly, or without every effort being made to avoid it, is simply wrong,” a spokesperson said.
Uncertainty
The closure has left hundreds of pupils needing to find new schools before September, while teachers and support staff face uncertainty over their jobs.
The teacher urged ministers to act to prevent similar closures elsewhere.
“What’s happening to private schools is wrong; what’s happening to these children’s education for the sake of their profit is wrong,” they said.
“Steps need to be taken to stop this from happening to other kids, teachers and members of staff.”
“Like a family”
Staff and pupils were in tears on Thursday afternoon as the school marked the end of term for the final time.
The emotional impact of the closure was clear as staff gathered outside the school for what many described as an impromptu farewell.
“I felt dehydrated at the end of the day because I was crying so much,” the teacher said.
“To see the love that these children feel for this school. Unless you’ve worked here or unless you’ve been here, you don’t know what it’s like.
“I’ve taught in lots of different schools, and you come here, and it’s just totally different. The teachers and the staff care so much for the students. Not just for the exam grades they’re going to get but for the person they are going to be as they leave this school and go out into the world.
“They will go to other schools, but they won’t get anywhere near what Durham High School does for them.”
Staff described the relationship between teachers and pupils as being “like a family”, with many becoming emotional as they reflected on the school’s final day.
Asked what lay ahead, one long-serving teacher admitted the future remained uncertain.
“I really don’t know what I’m going to do next,” they said.
The closure was announced after the school’s owners said attempts to secure a financially viable future had failed, bringing an end to more than 140 years of education in Durham.
Durham High School’s website has now been shut down with a goodbye statement posted in its place. Trade unions have said they will continue supporting affected staff, while parents are working to secure new school places for their children before the start of the new academic year.
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