Closure of Upper Norwood school will mean debt-stricken Croydon council inherits another £2million cash drain

By Tara O’Connor, local democracy reporter

Croydon Council will be handed £2.5 million worth of debt when a Catholic girls’ school closes its doors for good.

Virgo Fidelis Convent School in Upper Norwood will close from August this year.

The majority of the buildings are unfit for purpose according to the council and Year 10 pupils are currently being taught at St Mary’s Catholic High School as a result.

While girls currently in Years 8 and 9 will be offered places at other schools, Year 10s will be enrolled as St Mary’s pupils for Year 11, remaining in a single-sex location away from the rest of the school.

It will be the second school in 12 months to close for good, following St Andrew’s which closed last summer after a falling number of pupils.

The school has a projected deficit of £2.5 million by the end of August 2021.

The director of education at Croydon Council said it is in regular contact with the school to keep the cost down and is also seeking legal advice in relation to this.

At a cabinet meeting last week, cabinet member for education, councillor Alisa Flemming, acknowledged that the closure will mean education for some children will be impacted.

Girls who are at the school may be offered places at the two other girls’ schools in Croydon, Coloma and Norbury Manor.

Ms Davis added: “Moving children is never the easy option, we worked very hard with the Archdiocese of Southwark in coming to this difficult decision and we will ensure those families are able to move swiftly and promptly.”

The school is funded by the council, as a voluntary-aided school the Archdiocese of Southwark contributes to running costs and has influence over how the school is run.

When the school closes, the buildings will remain with the Trustees of Our Lady of Fidelity Established at Upper Norwood, which will look to maintain the historic buildings where possible.