John Whitgift Foundation has now completed the sale of much of the Old Palace senior site. From September the site will be home to a special educational needs school run by Serenity Education Group Ltd.
The sale of the site follows the closure of Old Palace school, which was announced in September 2023 but deferred by two years to enable students taking public exams in 2025 to complete them at Old Palace.
The Foundation is under a duty to follow guidance from property advisors in terms of achieving reasonable value from any sale of property. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Foundation’s education covenant.
John Whitgift Foundation is in advanced negotiations with an educational charity around the sale of the remainder of the site.
Chief Executive Roisha Hughes commented ‘The decision made in September 2023 to close Old Palace school was a particularly difficult one. As the school finally closed its doors to pupils earlier this summer, completing this sale will allow a new use of the site for educational purposes. We wish Serenity Education Group Ltd all the best with their new venture.’
Notes to editors:
- The sale has completed on the following sections of the former Old Palace senior site: The Great Hall, Old Palace, Science Block and Cathedral Building.
- The purchaser is Curwen Group, a private entity, which is leasing the site to Serenity Education Group Ltd for the purposes of running a special needs school.
- The guide price for this part of the Old Palace senior site was £6m (and for the whole site £7m). The sale was achieved at a lower figure (£4.7m) but one which Knight Frank were able to recommend as achieving good value for the charity.
- In order to ensure the heritage elements of the site are suitably protected, the Foundation made an application for enhanced listing to Historic England which was approved earlier this year.
- The Foundation has also negotiated with Curwen Group that there will be access to the property for alumnae, for Croydon Minster and the Friends of Old Palace, and use of the chapel.
- Serenity School will be opening to pupils in September 2025.
