Avon House Preparatory School in Woodford Green, Essex, has permanently closed after collapsing into administration, leaving parents to find alternative schooling for their children with little time before the new term begins.
School confirms closure despite efforts
The independent preparatory school, which charged up to £18,000 a year, confirmed this week that it will not reopen for the 2026/27 academic year. In an email to parents dated August 4, the school's bursar said: "Despite every effort to secure a sustainable future for the school, including exploring opportunities for investment, merger and sale, it has not been possible to find a financially viable way forward."
The school, which educated children from age three to Year 6, had been operating on its current site since 1965, having moved there as Essex House Preparatory School before becoming Avon House.
Administrators appointed
Formal confirmation of the financial failure came on 7 August when the High Court appointed administrators. Avon House School Limited was placed into administration under court number CR-2026-006083. Joint administrators Philip James Watkins and Philip Lewis Armstrong of FRP Advisory Trading Limited took control of the company.
Fees for the coming year had been set at around £13,700 for nursery and between £17,000 and £17,895 for Years 5 and 6. Parents who had already paid substantial sums now face the sudden loss of their children's school places.
Impact on families
Parents of the school's remaining pupils were still absorbing the news this week. Many had expected their children to return in September and now face the urgent task of finding alternative places at other local schools, both independent and state.
The closure ends more than 60 years of continuous operation on the Woodford Green site and removes one of the area's long-standing private preparatory options. Local authorities and other independent schools in the area are expected to come under pressure as parents seek last-minute places.
