Worcester schools merge with local legal support

Two Worcestershire schools have merged, supported by the legal expertise of Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ specialist education lawyers.

Acting for RGS Worcester, senior legal counsel Kate Hickey led the team on the merger which brings Dodderhill independent girls’ school into the RGS family of schools.

RGS includes two prep schools, RGS The Grange and RGS Springfield, for children aged 2-11 years as well as the senior school in the centre of Worcester for 11-18 year olds. Dodderhill will stay on its current site at Droitwich Spa.

RGS Worcester is one of the oldest schools in the country, having been founded originally in 685 – it has been on its current site since 1868.

Kate said: “We were delighted to be able to use our experience and expertise in the sector to act for RGS on this deal. There are specific issues relevant to schools merging which we frequently advise on, which means that our clients avoid l pitfalls and challenges in negotiation. This means that they can focus on developing their schools for the benefit of pupils and parents.

“The two schools are an excellent fit and the merger went very smoothly for that reason – we have been working with RGS for several years and this is an exciting development for them.”

Mr Ian Roberts, Director of Finance and Operations at RGS, said: “This is a great opportunity for both schools to work together and the process was greatly helped by the HCR team’s experience and skill; they are real experts in the education sector enabling them to anticipate what might arise and make sure we were prepared for it.”