An 80-year-old independent school in Surrey is set to close for good at the end of the summer term.
Longacre School, located in Hullbrook Lane in Shamley Green, is a co-educational day school for children aged two to 11.
The school, which started after its founder, Ursula Fairfax-Cholmeley, evacuated her Chelsea nursery during the Blitz, has been operating at Shamley Green since 1946.
Over the decades, the school expanded its buildings and facilities, including a new sports hall in 2015 and a £1.5 million kitchen and dining room in 2017.
Following a short consultation period, the Bridewell Royal Hospital Foundation, which took over as the school’s proprietor in January 2025, confirmed the closure on March 24.
The likely final day of teaching is July 2.
The closure follows a drop in pupil numbers from 277 in 2022 to around 212 in the 2025–26 academic year, alongside wider economic pressures including the introduction of 20 per cent VAT on school fees in January 2025 and rising operating costs.
Jeremy Hunt MP, whose constituency covers Shamley Green, posted on social media: “I am incredibly saddened that the closure of Longacre School has been confirmed to parents following a short consultation period.
“Founded in 1946, Longacre has been a cherished part of the Shamley Green community for generations - not only as a major local employer, but as a school that has given many children a wonderful start in life.
“Its contribution to village life and to families across our area cannot be overstated.”
Jane Austin, councillor for Eastern Villages ward, added that she had “been working behind the scenes on this very sad news”.
Longacre was rated highly in its most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection in June 2025, with all standards met, and academic and personal development rated excellent in the 2022 inspection.
The school had merged with the Bridewell Royal Hospital Foundation in January 2025 in a strategic move to strengthen resilience, but this was not sufficient to keep the school open.
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