AN HISTORIC school is shutting down just three years after joining an established group of private schools.

Roedean Moira House in Upper Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, was acquired by the Roedean group of schools in 2017 but will now close due to a falling number of pupils and “ financial losses that we cannot sustain”.

The Roedean group also runs Roedean school in Brighton, a £40,000-a-year private school for girls.

Roedean Moira House will close at the end of the current academic year, leaving its 312 pupils looking for a new school.

The school accepts children from nursery age until 18.

It has been running in Eastbourne for more than 130 years and costs £11,530-a-term for Year 13 pupils who are “full boarding”.

In a statement, the institution said that “everyone has been committed to developing the provision and providing an outstanding education for the girls” and “we have seen great improvements in the facilities, additional co-curricular opportunity and excellent academic results”.

But it revealed it was “difficult to sustain the school with declining numbers”.

It is only able to stay open until the end of the summer term after securing funding from Roedean, allowing it to meet “all running and closure costs”.

This will allow the school to have an “ordered, solvent wind down”.

Andrew Pianca, chairman of governors at Roedean Moira House, said: “It is with great sadness and regret that we have taken the difficult decision to close Roedean Moira House.

“Our legal advisors tell us it is the only route available to us.

“We will do our very best to care for the pupils, staff and parents of our community in the coming days and weeks.

“The headmaster and his team of senior staff will meet individually with parents to discuss how to ensure their daughters make the best possible transition to the right future school.”

Roedean Moira House, formerly known as Moira House School, was set up in Surrey in 1875 by painter Charles Ingham before moving to Eastbourne in 1888.

The school site is set within 15 acres of grounds.

Costs range from £3,225-a-term for Reception age children who are not boarding at the school, up to £11,530-a-term for boarding Year 13 pupils.

The future of the school is now unknown.

A spokesman said: “We have received several bids from investors which we have pursued as far as possible, but these have not led to a solution that we are able to accept.”