School saved under new name (From Western Telegraph)

School saved under new name

A PRIVATE Pembrokeshire primary school which closed in July with depleted pupil numbers is to re-open next month under a new name.

The lower school at Haylett Grange School, Haverfordwest, is to be leased to two local couples and will be known as Redhill Preparatory School.

A deal has been struck between the new owners and Peter and Meryl Lovegrove and Drs Vipul and Reka Vipulendran.

The Lovegroves and the Vipulendrans were on the verge of buying temporary alternative accommodation in Haverfordwest for a new school when the owners offered them the lease on part of the Haylett Grange site.

Redhill Preparatory School will open in the original classrooms on September 6th, while the owner will live in the main house.

Up to 20 pupils already have their names on the school role and many of Hayletts former staff have been offered jobs at Redhill.

Meryl Lovegrove, a former mathematics and science teacher at Haylett Grange, will head the new school as its principal.

Her husband, Peter, says refurbishment work will be carried out before the school is re-equipped.

We are delighted that this opportunity has arisen and are very grateful to the new owners of Haylett Grange for approaching us, he says.

The lower school has ample space for the new school to establish itself and grow.

He admits it is a major financial undertaking but says the directors would not draw salaries from the new business in the near future.

Haylett Grange was one of only three private schools in Pembrokeshire. It was set up 45 years ago but, after a change ownership two years ago, the pupil role fell from 120 to 40.

The new school will offer Montessori nursery education from the age of two and primary education for four to 11-year-olds. The school will provide a blend of both traditional and modern methods of teaching, says Mr Lovegrove.