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Beaulieu has faced a tumultuous couple of years, culminating in the recent news that the all-girls private school was on course to become insolvent at the end of last year. Express looks back on the challenges the longstanding and beloved independent school has faced...
Financial documents obtained after requests dating back more than a year have shown how the convent school recorded a loss of more than £379,000 in 2022, and had forecast a loss of £1.2m for 2023.
And an internal ‘Finance Update’ document published in June 2023 warned: “Without funding the school will become insolvent in the autumn – debt or grant money MUST be raised.”
But financial woes are just one part of a larger set of challenges facing the Roman Catholic institution...
Beaulieu came under public scrutiny following the shock departure of "much-loved" Head of School Andrea Firby.
She was described by parents as "a stalwart of the Beaulieu community".
Pictured: Andrea Firby had been "the face of Beaulieu" for over a decade.
The school's senior management stressed that the popular member of staff took voluntary redundancy as part of a process to streamline senior management, but were subject to widespread rumours and speculation, and fierce criticism on social media from parents – some of whom vowed to keep their children off school in protest.
As a result, the school implemented "additional security measures" on the first day of term in cause any physical protest took place.
The NASUWT teaching union issued a strongly-worded statement warning that it had no confidence in Beaulieu’s management structure, and voiced concerns over the "unusually high" staff turnover and an "increasingly difficult" working environment at the school.
The union also questioned why a school of Beaulieu’s size needed both a CEO and a COO.
A petition was launched calling for the reinstatement of Mrs Firby and a 'Vote of No Confidence in Beaulieu Management' – including then-headteacher and CEO Chris Beirne, and then-COO Pippa Davidson-Coleshill.
The petition gained over 1,000 signatures.
Beaulieu headteacher Chris Beirne stepped down "with immediate effect" amid a controversial restructuring of the school’s senior management.
Mr Beirne, who was due to retire at the end of 2024, was asked to continue helping with "less visible" elements of the school’s management and teach a "limited number" of religious education lessons.
Secondary deputy head Paul Robinson took on the role in an acting capacity.
A committee of Beaulieu parents said that their "trust and confidence" in the school had been "eroded" and called for an independent review.
"Many parents now feel that any assurances provided by the current governance team are unlikely to repair that trust and confidence, and only an
independent review of recent events and governance procedures can do so," they said.
"The remit of the committee is to seek an independent review of the school's governance, specifically looking at the board of trustees and their duties of independent oversight and control of the school."
A meeting was arranged for Beaulieu parents who were concerned about the senior leadership changes.
Chair of Trustees, Bernadette Cooper admitted to parents that "the situation over Christmas was not handled well and communication was unclear".
"We are sorry for the justifiable distress and uncertainty felt by parents, students and staff," she said. "Trustees are committed to ensure that, moving forward, senior leaders are held sufficiently accountable and that the Trustees remain actively involved in the leadership of the School."
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Sister Geraldine added that she was also "deeply sorry" for the Board’s failure to provide "sufficient reassurance and information at this difficult time".
She explained that, over the past six months, it had become "increasingly clear" that "all was not well" at Beaulieu.
In her speech to parents, Sister Geraldine said that despite "lengthy reports and feedback on all aspects of school life, too much was taken at face value and not sufficiently challenged".
She admitted: "We recognise that we have not held senior leaders sufficiently accountable."
An Independent Jersey Schools Review Framework report of the convent school was conducted in November 2022 and made public in January.
Among it's findings were observations that some Beaulieu staff had been "over-generous" in their self-assessment, and that recent changes in senior leadership and poor communication had led to "a lack of accountability and a dip in educational standards".
A survey found staff to be "loyal" to the school, but some staff members "expressed anxiety about leadership, communication, their workload and falling morale".
A follow-up report published in May 2023 found that the school was taking "effective action" to remedy the problems outlined in the Independent Jersey Schools Review Framework report – including prioritising improving communication with parents, developing a new strategic vision for the school for the next 18 months, and transforming their record keeping systems in relation to the checks that are made on staff.
The full follow-up report can be read HERE.
The Chief Operating Officer of Beaulieu handed in her letter of resignation just 18 months after taking on the controversial new role.
A letter announcing the resignation of Pippa Davidson-Coleshill confirmed that she would serve her notice period on gardening leave, stating that "all her responsibilities have been delegated to other members of staff on an interim basis, with immediate effect".
In the letter sent to parents on Friday shared with Express, trustee Chris Walters described the former COO as "an invaluable member of our community" who played a "key role in steering the school through a period of transition over the last 18 months".
Mrs Davidson-Coleshill was appointed to the newly-created COO role in June 2022.
Former Beaulieu headteacher Chris Beirne retired after 17 years – nine months after stepping down into the "less visible" role of executive director amid criticism of senior leadership at the school.
The Trustees and Directors of Beaulieu Convent School and Mr Beirne issued a joint statement describing his "17 years of dedicated service" and his "unwavering focus" on learning and education.
The school also confirmed that Paul Robinson would continue as Acting Headteacher until September 2024, when Matthew Burke would take over as permanent Headteacher.
The school announced six new additions to its Board of Governors.
The six new school governors were named as Stephen Reilly, Andrew Christon, Vicki Charlesworth, Moyra Journeaux, Peter Field and Patrick Lynch.
It was also confirmed that Terry Le Sueur had stepped down as Director of Beaulieu Convent School Limited.
The school said that, from the former Board, Sister Geraldine Tisdall and Canon Dominic Golding would remain both governors and trustees.
Bernadette Cooper and Chris Walters also remained as trustees, and it was confirmed that they would serve as governors for the duration of their terms of office to "ensure a comprehensive handover of governance to the new Board".
Pictured: In a message sent to parents, the six new governors described themselves as "committed to Beaulieu and to securing the best outcomes for your children".
In a statement, Beaulieu said: "As a school, we are very excited to welcome our new governors as we enter into a new and very positive chapter for Beaulieu in 2024."
An Overarching Agreement registered in Jersey's Royal Court on 5 July 2024 showed that the Government agreed to provide a guarantee to NatWest for the school’s overdraft facility – up to the sum of £2.5m.
This means that, if Beaulieu Convent School Limited can't pay the overdraft, the Government will reimburse the bank up to the £2.5m limit.
However, the agreement also featured a separate guarantee from Saint Meen Properties Limited, the company with responsibility for the freehold property and buildings of Beaulieu, which takes its name from the Saint-Méen-le-Grand in Brittany, the home of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who founded the school in 1937. It requires Saint Meen to reimburse the Government if it is required to cover Beaulieu Convent School Limited's overdraft.
Both Beaulieu Convent School Limited and Saint Meen Properties Limited are beneficially owned by Beaulieu Convent School Trust – the trustees of which are considered to be the common controlling parties of both companies.
In the 2022 financial statements, Beaulieu described the increased overdraft facility as the "first phase of a return to financial stability".
Matthew Burke took over as Beaulieu's permanent Headteacher at the start of the 2024/25 academic year.
He had been Headmaster of St Edward's in Cheltenham before joining Beaulieu, and had previously served as Deputy Head at De La Salle.
A 15-year lease agreement between Saint Meen Properties Limited, Beaulieu Convent School Limited, and the Public of Jersey passed through the Royal Court.
Saint Meen has leased the entire Beaulieu Convent School complex – including the primary school, secondary school, and sports pitches – to the public for a nominal rent of £15 annually, who are in turn sub-leasing it to Beaulieu for £1 per year.
The school is responsible for maintaining the buildings and grounds, ensuring insurance, and complying with planning laws.
Treasury Minister Elaine Millar described the lease as a "precautionary measure to ensure the good work of Beaulieu could continue without disruption, should the school face financial disruption".
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