Queen Margaret's School, York: Former North Yorkshire private school put up for sale for £5 million weeks after closing
A FORMER private school in North Yorkshire has been put up for sale weeks after closing its doors to pupils for the last time, with a guide price of £5m.
Queen Margaret’s School for Girls, based in Escrick, York, which was founded in 1901, shut at the end of the summer term on July 5.
A statement from the board of directors said it had been “unable to withstand mounting financial pressures” following the introduction of VAT on school fees.
Sanderson Weatherall, which is acting on behalf of the joint administrators at FRP Advisory, is selling the freehold property, which is set in around 39 acres of mature landscaped grounds and woodland.
The site, which is adjacent to the Escrick Park Estate, includes a Grade II* Listed former country house and a variety of buildings, including classroom and dormitory blocks.
The extensive sports facilities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sports hall/gymnasium, a floodlit astroturf pitch, as well as squash and tennis courts.
Neil Bestwick, Partner in the Asset Advisory and Recovery division of Sanderson Weatherall, said they were exploring “the potential for a resurrected education-based use”.
However they are also expecting to see expressions of interest for alternative uses, including residential, leisure and care, subject to planning and other consents.
The news of St Margaret’s closure came on the same day a group of pupils, parents and headteachers lost a legal challenge over the imposition of VAT on school fees.
Meanwhile Fulneck School, in Pudsey, is also in the hands of administrators, while Moorlands School, in Leeds, will shut for good in December. For further information email [email protected] or ring 0113 221 6000.