An Abingdon independent school that entered liquidation after 165 years is anticipated to come onto the market within the coming months.
Our Lady’s Abingdon, a private educational establishment on Radley Road established in 1860, was compelled to cease operations indefinitely due to financial pressures, according to its governors, who informed parents through correspondence in August.
The Statement of Affairs filed with Companies House indicated that Our Lady’s Abingdon Trustees Ltd had built up liabilities of £1,555,596 payable to 121 company creditors, and has entered into liquidation.
Subsequent to the closure announcement, families were compelled to urgently secure placements for approximately 300 students at alternative institutions, encompassing both state and independent schools throughout the county.
It has now come to light that the school premises and grounds are anticipated to be divested, potentially generating several million pounds.
The premises are expected to be sold during the summer period by the proprietors, the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy, headquartered in Leeds.
A representative stated earlier this month that over the previous six months, following the handover of the site from the liquidator, they had been working diligently to both clear and secure the Our Lady’s Abingdon site, as well as reflect on how best the site could be used moving forward. The representative added that meetings were ongoing about the site’s future, taking into account their obligations as a charity, and that they were hopeful to be in a position to share more information in the early part of the summer.
In November, Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran corresponded with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, pressing the Department for Education to intensify efforts to support families impacted by unexpected school closures.
At that juncture, she noted that students, families and teachers were shocked by the sudden closure of Our Lady’s Abingdon over the summer holidays. She said she witnessed the anguish it inflicted upon learners and guardians, particularly those sitting their GCSE and A-Level examinations. She expressed gratitude for Oxfordshire County Council’s prompt response given the challenging circumstances and their success in securing educational placements for students. She emphasised that going forwards, there must be earlier dialogue between the local authorities and schools to ensure that pupils and parents interests are the number one priority.
Responding to information that the school grounds are anticipated to be listed for sale in the near future, Ms Moran commented that the closure of Our Lady’s Abingdon was a genuine setback for the community. She said she would welcome it wholeheartedly if the premises continued operating as an educational establishment to enhance and broaden educational provision in the area.
The Institute of Our Lady of Mercy, a Catholic congregation of nuns based in Leeds, indicated last year its intention to identify a charitable purpose for the land and structures.
The representative stated at that time that their hope was that, when the time was right, they could find a use for this site that enabled them to meet their charitable obligations for their beneficiaries.
It now appears the institute will dispose of the school buildings, though it has declined to elaborate at this stage.
Established in 1860 by the Sisters of Mercy, OLA functioned as a small independent day school catering to students aged seven through 18.
The United Kingdom-based business ownership and governance of OLA transitioned to the newly created Our Lady’s Abingdon Trustees Limited in 2007.
To enable the premises to remain operational for the school, the institute established a 99-year lease agreement with the limited company on terms designed to protect the long-term prospects of Catholic education at that location.
Beyond the lease arrangement, the order’s sole connection with OLA was the presence of a Sister on the governing board until 2022.