Parson Mead School
| Parsons Mead School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
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Ottways Lane Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2PE  United Kingdom
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| Coordinates | 51°18′22″N 0°18′22″W / 51.306°N 0.306°WCoordinates: 51°18′22″N 0°18′22″W / 51.306°N 0.306°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, girls, day and boarding |
| Motto | Success Through Excellence |
| Established | 1897 |
| Closed | 7 July 2006 |
| Affiliation | Church of England |
Parsons Mead School was a private girls school founded by Jessie Elliston in Ashtead, Surrey, England.
Former governess Jessie Elliston (1858–1942) established a school in 1897 to prepare the daughters of gentlemen for home life. The school quickly outgrew its accommodations in Woodfield Lane and moved to a site in Ottways Lane in 1904, taking the name Parsons Mead from the new location's history as a meadow owned by the local clergy.
As the school grew, the 1850s school house was extended and new buildings added. The school's focus changed from offering domestic and art courses to the full range of subjects including science and maths. In 1957, the school ceased to be privately owned and was made an educational trust.
In July 2005, all but two of the Parson's Mead Educational Trust resigned and were replaced by directors of the Vernon Educational Trust (operators of Danes Hill School in Oxshott), a change that was later said to be part of a rescue plan, with the alternative being to sell the school to a private firm. The rescue plan was not successful and Parsons Mead closed on July 7, 2006, a month after the announcement of its closure. The school's new trustees said they were unable to keep Parsons Mead going after the number of pupils fell below the break-even point.
Parents asked the Charity Commission to begin an inquiry in June 2006, accusing the trust of running down Parsons Mead so that its assets could be used for another school. The accusation was denied by a spokesperson for the Parsons Mead Educational Trust. The Charity Commission issued a response on 17 November 2006, stating "There do not appear to be any issues that merit the opening of an Inquiry or further investigation".
The Chairwoman of Parsons Mead Trust was former Conservative education minister Dame Angela Rumbold, who said that the remaining assets would be put in a trust to provide financial help to local families seeking independent education for their children.
The Vernon Educational Trust and the Parsons Mead Educational Trust were formally merged in August 2006. The Vernon Educational Trust therefore took ownership of the Parson's Mead School site, along with £2.2 million in liabilities. The Vernon Educational Trust sold the site to Oracle Homes Residential Ltd in August 2007 for £16 million under section 36 of the Charities Act. There was press speculation over whether Danes Hill School would benefit from the sale.
Demolition of Parsons Mead School commenced in September 2009 - the site had been sold on from Oracle Homes to Bewley Homes.
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