Rockboro school in Cork will 'not open this September' after drop in pupil numbers
It is one of Ireland’s only fee-paying primary schools and has provided education at a cost of €5,000 per child per year.
Cork city's Rockboro NS has confirmed to parents that it will not be reopening this September to current and incoming students after a “drop in enrollment following the covid period.”
It is one of Ireland’s only fee-paying primary schools and has provided education at a cost of €5,000 per child per year. It is independent of the State or any religious organization and relies entirely on school fees and donations.
The school was founded in 1969 and is owned by the Rockboro School Association.
It comes following the request from Rockboro's owners to the Department of Education to take over the school amid concerns for its future due to falling student numbers. It was understood that enrollment had also been paused for the upcoming academic year.
A spokesperson for the school had earlier denied reports that the school was set to close but an email sent to parents and guardians on Friday morning confirmed that the school will “not open this September.”
The Rockboro School Association Committee said the school will instead take a pause to “restructure, remodel, and recruit following the drop in enrollment following the covid period.”
The committee said the pause was needed due to “low enrollment numbers and high costs associated with running an independent school.”
According to the statement, the pause will “enable Rockboro to restructure its supports, finances, and recruitment model and ensure long-term viability.”
It also said that plans are being developed on how the school will look after the pause but it will “continue to provide education facilities to children.”
Pupil numbers have fallen steadily in recent years, and it is understood that there were fewer than 20 pupils enrolled before the announcement of the closure.
Documents from the Charities Regulator showed the school posted a surplus of just over €27,000 in 2018 with an income of almost €565,000. 2019 showed a surplus of just over €9,600 with an income of just over €491,000. However, it lost almost €33,000 in the year ending August 2020.
In May, the school issued a letter to parents of former Rockboro pupils seeking financial assistance.
The school has boasted class sizes of 10 and below, and offered a curriculum focused on STEM subjects with dedicated teachers for certain subjects, as well as weekly tennis and swimming lessons, music, drama, and debating.
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