Christ the King College has announced that it is no longer able to use the Sixth Form building on site due to an ongoing legal battle.
The college was successful in defending a substantial claim for damages by the building’s owner earlier this year. However, since the judgement was made in May, legal proceedings asking for leave of appeal against the court’s decision has been started.
In 2013, the governing body of Christ the King College entered into a 15-year hire contract with BOSHire for its modular sixth form building that cost more than £650,000 a year to service — or more than £10 million in total.
In 2016, the council issued a financial notice of concern to the school, deciding it could not allow it to build up additional debt. Subsequently, the school was unable to meet the financial terms of the contract resulting in the contractor issuing legal proceedings against the school and the council.
The judge in the case, Mr Justice Foxton, ruled the school had entered into the contract in such a way that it was ultra vires — meaning it had no legal authority to enter into the contract — and, as a consequence, the contract had no legal effect.
With the building not in the ownership of the college nor the local authority, the management team at Christ the King have been left with no option but to no longer use the building.
Matt Quinn, Executive Headteacher, says that it is not the news the school wanted at the end of term, especially as the Sixth Form is one of the many strengths of the school and is a key pillar to the college’s ethos.
Christ the King say they are confident that they can continue to provide all the courses that are currently being offered. However, some element of teaching may be done remotely in the future and this could last for up to a year. However, the majority of lessons will take place face-to-face in the new main building.
It is hoped that the situation will be resolved before the end of the Summer holiday but the school says they must remain realistic about the situation.
Honesty this school has been a let down from start to finish and my child wanted to go to the sixth form brilliant!!
Very badly run school now. Shame as used to be good, but those days seem to be gone. Shocking amount of ill behaviour from students and with weak top people can’t trying PC modern methods of discipline likely to get ever worse imo.
Have you ever heard of anything more ridiculous than this situation? It will probably go on longer than Jarndyce v. Jarndyce, and when it’s eventually resolved it will probably need so many repairs that the only option will be demolition.