The majority of staff at Durham High School have “regrettably” been made redundant, as administrators were appointed to oversee the closure of the 142-year-old school.
Durham High School closed on July 2 with about 24 hours' notice, leaving hundreds of pupils, parents and staff needing to make alternative arrangements before the new academic year.
A small number of staff have been retained to help support pupils and families and oversee the wind-down of the school's affairs.
Affected staff are being helped to access payments through the Government's Redundancy Payments Service (RPS).
Accountancy firm FRP Advisory partners Philip Watkins and Mark Hodgett were appointed joint administrators of Durham Education Limited, which operates the school, on Monday (July 6).
Founded in 1884, the school had served generations of families in the region before closing its doors last week.
Philip Watkins, joint administrator and partner at FRP, said: "Durham High School's position reflects the pressures facing independent schools across the UK.
"Our role now is to manage a wind-down of the school's affairs."
Before the appointment of administrators, the National Education Union (NEU) warned staff they were unlikely to receive their full contractual notice pay through payroll because of the school's financial position.
Instead, employees were told they would probably need to submit claims through the Government's Redundancy Payments Service, which is subject to statutory limits.
The school's owner, Galaxy Global Education (GGE), said the decision to close followed "significant and sustained financial challenges", including falling pupil numbers, rising employment costs and wider pressures on the independent school sector, including the introduction of VAT on private school fees.
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The company said "no single factor was responsible", adding that the combination of financial pressures meant the school was "no longer financially sustainable".
The closure prompted an emotional protest outside the school on Friday, where teachers and pupils held placards reading: "Over 300 lives changed forever. Cruel, callous, cold" and "Goodbye 142 years. One day's notice".
Trade unions have said they will continue supporting affected employees, while parents have been working to secure new school places for their children ahead of the start of the next academic year.
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