Parents say their children have been 'robbed', while teachers were left in 'floods of tears' after they were told a private school was closing within 30 minutes of receiving an email with the shocking news.
King's House Moorlands in Luton told parents an 'unsustainable financial burden' had led to the permanent closure of the secondary school, which was only opened five years ago.
Parents were sent an email on Thursday, February 26, at 4.30pm telling them the school would be closing for good at 5pm, with only the nursery and early years provision continuing.
The email sent to parents, which has been shared with the Daily Mail, said: 'A challenging economic backdrop and tax pressures on independent schools has seen numbers fall up and down the country.
'In our case, a growing number of parents have, over the past few months, struggled to pay fees.
'The amount owing to the school has therefore grown over this period, all of which has placed an unsustainable financial burden on King's House Moorlands.'
Almost 200 children have now been left without a school place, but the situation is all the more acute for those in Year 11, who had been looking forward to becoming the school's first cohort of pupils to complete their GCSE exams in May.
One parent of a Year 11 pupil, who wished to remain anonymous, said everyone was 'absolutely shocked' by the news, while the children have been left 'traumatised' by the sudden end to their schooling.
She claimed many parents had been left confused by the school's financial situation given that 'most, if not all' parents had paid their fees up-front for the term or in full for the academic year.
Fees for the school in 2024/25 were set at £2,500 for each term or £7,500 annually, plus VAT.
The concerned mother added that 'only a few days ago', parents of children in another year group had been encouraged to pay £500 each for a residential trip.
She had also been asked to pay a fee for the GCSE examinations her daughter is due to take in May.
Many now believe that money will not be returned, and neither will they receive a refund on their school fees.
Teachers and staff have also been left unpaid with uncertainty as to whether they will receive their salaries.
In a follow-up email sent on Friday, the board of King's House Moorlands informed parents that the school will be opened as a GCSE examination centre so that the children can take their exams this summer.
However parents are being asked to contribute further finances for this.
'As the school is no longer operating as a going concern, there will be a charge to cover the cost of teachers giving their time to supervise and administer the examinations,' the email, seen by Daily Mail, stated.
The school is a part of King's House Moorlands School Group, which also includes a prep school and nursery, and is run by husband-and-wife team Alia and Dr Andrew Cook.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Dr Cook has spent 'four decades dedicated to the education and encouragement of children in their formative years'.
Just six weeks ago, on January 26, parents were sent an email informing them that Dr Cook was unexpectedly taking early retirement from his role as chief executive.
Records on Companies House however show that within three weeks of stepping down, the Cooks had registered themselves as directors of a new company, The Manor School Ltd. No other documents have yet been filed for it.
The parent, describing the school as 'close knit', said: 'Everybody was absolutely shocked by this news. We didn't see it coming.
'My daughter has been absolutely devastated and has been unable to sleep. She sent me a message at 5 in the morning saying, "Mum, I can't sleep, I can't process it. This can't be happening."
'The teachers have been absolutely amazing teachers who went above and beyond for the children, not just for our year, but for all the years.
'They had been setting up booster sessions after school for the children, free of charge, so that they could get the best education ahead of their GCSEs.
'Parents are panicking and the children are crying. They are just so traumatised by it.
'They were just preparing to sit their exams and finish their Year 11, but now that's all been taken away from them. They have been robbed.'
With just a few months to go until their exams, the parent said she will likely have to become home-based for her work and home school her daughter until May.
'It's not an option for us to now move her to another school,' she said.
A day after the distressing news, the parent went back to the school to collect her daughter's belongings from her locker. Executive headteacher Jade Christie was seen 'in floods of tears'.
'She didn't even know', the parent added.
A spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said: 'We are very concerned by the sudden closure of Kings House Moorlands Independent School.
'Losing a school place at short notice is deeply unsettling, and we understand this news will cause uncertainty and distress for pupils, parents, carers and staff.
'While the council does not have a legal duty to secure alternative school places from an independent school, we are concerned that young people have abruptly been left with no education, so are working closely with and pressing the school to make sure parents are fully informed about their options and understand how the in‑year admissions process works.
'Our immediate priority is to help guide parents and carers through the process in applying for a new school place as quickly and smoothly as possible so that children can continue their education with minimal disruption.
'The council's School Admissions Team is working closely with local state-funded schools to identify available places.
'Parents will need to apply in line with the council's established in-year admissions process.'
'We are also mindful of the impact on teaching and non-teaching staff facing redundancy. The council has written to headteachers across Luton to make them aware of the situation and share information about suitable vacancies.'
'This is a challenging and uncertain time for everyone affected, and we are committed to providing clear, compassionate support and guidance to help every pupil return to stable, high-quality education as quickly as possible.'
David Mingay, branch secretary of the National Education Union told local newspaper Luton Today: 'The school must have known for some time that it was in a difficult financial position, and to suddenly close with no notice is completely unacceptable.
'This sudden closure now leaves nearly 200 pupils without a school place and may staff out of a job, with no clarity abut whether they will be paid for the work they had already undertaken.'
He added: '[Families] have been left dealing with uncertainty and distress at very short notice.'
Daily Mail has contacted Kings House Moorlands Independent School for comment.