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'Closed’ school puzzle

Eve Dugdale
28/ 5/2008

BEWILDERED teachers and pupils arrived for a normal day at an Ashton school to be told it was closing down immediately.

But on Tuesday, owner of the business Joan Spours told the Advertiser that the school is not closing down and the situation arose following an ‘internal dispute’.

And pupils were being dropped off as normal on the day.

Staff and children were left in tears at Grafton House Preparatory school on Friday as parents frantically tried to find alternative childcare.

Mrs Spours said she contacted as many parents as she could over the weekend to tell them not to worry.

She said: "It was an internal matter that got out of hand. It’s resolved, we’re here, we’re open and we continue to be open."

Mrs Spours told our sister paper the Manchester Evening News that the Warrington Street, Ashton school was ‘financially sound’ and refused to explain the internal issue.

However, on Friday, headteacher Christine Colgan issued a statement saying the staff were ‘devastated’.

She said she had been told the business was closed.

"Staff are devastated. The staff love the school and we love our children. We’re very saddened this has happened."

Including babies, the school looks after 106 children and has 20 members of staff.

Mrs Colgan added: "We have very dedicated teachers and nursery staff who have put everything in to this school."

The school opened in 1991 and an Ofsted report from last year revealed the annual fees for day pupils was £2,850.

On Friday, one parent said she had already been speaking to the council regarding care for her seven-year-old daughter.

"We can’t start the process until after the holidays though, I don’t know what’s going to happen," she said. It is understood that at least one parent has found another temporary school for their child.

Bosses from Tameside Local Education Authority were contacting the school on Tuesday. Councillor Ged Cooney said: "Neither myself or Tameside's director of education were informed. We will be contacting the school to find out exactly what has gone on."