School 'looks to brighter future'

The head teacher and the two backers met parents on Saturday

One of the businessmen who stepped in to save an independent school in Sussex that went into administration has said it will be run differently in future.

Mike Holland said he and John Summers both had children at Newlands and saw it as crucial to keep the school open.

Between them, they put up £2.5m to secure the outside annexe buildings.

Mr Holland said Newlands was still controlled by administrators but the school was looking to a brighter future and "things would be different".

The school is due to reopen on Monday.

In an interview with BBC South East Today, Mr Holland said: "I have a son at Newlands.

"It has been absolutely marvellous for him.

"He has really flourished over the years and I was devastated to learn Newlands would close."

We couldn't possibly have lived with ourselves if we hadn't jumped in with assistance Mike Holland

He said his business partner Mr Summers had two children at the school and felt "exactly the same".

Mr Holland said: "We just felt we couldn't allow this to happen.

"It was absolutely crucial to us we kept this going - we couldn't possibly have lived with ourselves if we hadn't jumped in with assistance."

He said questions about the past running of the business should be addressed to the administrators who were "still very much in control of Newlands School".

Meeting held

But he said: "We have managed to secure the outside annexe premises at the moment and we are working with the administrators towards a brighter future.

"We hope and expect to be going back into Newlands School proper in the fullness of time."

Pupils were left without school places and staff faced redundancy when Newlands School, in Seaford, suddenly announced its closure on 3 April.

A meeting was held on Saturday to inform parents about the rescue package.

The closure, because of financial problems, initially left more than 400 children without a school place to go back to after the Easter holidays.

Schools and colleges around the South East offered emergency places and some pupils have already started elsewhere.