It would appear that the school is very likely to be saved. A group of parents are putting together a plan to restructure and there will be announcements this week. In 7 days it appears that a complete turnaround is on the cards. I hope The Times runs a good news story should it turn out positive.

Russell, Bournemouth, Dorset

As another former pupil from the 80's, I too look back on my days there with great fondness. I am very upset to hear that it may close, especially if it is doing well. I am sure that if an emergency fund was set up, and as many old girls contacted as possible, the money could be raised very quickly.

Lisa Williams, Petite Martinique, Grenada

A pupil in the 70s and 80s, I'm grateful to the staff and the school. I wish all the best to the current staff and parents - I hope Wentworth will continue.

Catherine, New Malden, United Kingdom

Thank goodness both Miss D bourne and Miss Lamb are not arround to see the closure, a very sad time, I hope Lyoyds TSB sleep at night, no warning, just closure.

Brenda Hayes

brenda Hayes, stratford on avon, warwickshire

As a 1970's pupil of WMM, I am devastated by this news. The Old School has always been there, like a watchful parent. It would be such a shame to lose this . They say that God squeezes but doesn't throttle. After surviving wars, surely Wentworth can hurdle this new crisis...

Charlie Hurst, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Senior management must be blamed. Some senior members of staff ran the school like a private club. Catering only for there own whims.
The Ofsted is bogus. An ISA school can request a copy prior to release and promise to make changes to the school before the report goes 'public.'
Shame on the board

Jannie Van Hys, Poole,

As an ex pupil from 35ish years ago, I am very disappointed to hear the news. It is easy to blame the governers or the bank or whoever. Regardless of who is at fault, it is sad and unfortunate. Its another part of our heritate that has now disappeared.
Gaynor - South Devon

Gaynor Brooks, Totnes, UK

As a former pupil of Wentworth, I am devastated. Wentworth was fantastic, providing a very high quality of education. Parents at Wentworth were never the most affluent - hence the difficulty in procuring a rescue plan. I pray that some resolution can be found, but fear that it is too late.

Rebecca Day, Bath,

Take your kids out and send them to Shebbear College as I have. It's excellent and financially sound!!

L Thompson, Okehampton, England

im a pupil there and i think the bank should give the school time but i think the school may go anyway : (

Micha, bournemouth, uk

I am very shocked,having just found out this news today. I am an ex-pupil and spent 5 years there. The school was always very supportive and I feel lucky to have benefitted from a fantastic education.

I feel very sorry for the pupils, parents and staff and wish them al the best for the future.

sophie walker, london,

Lloyds TSB must give Wentworth 2 months.

As an old girl I know Wentworth is not perfect but it provided a stable friendly environment & good education for pupils alot of whose fathers were soldiers and sailors in Northern Ireland & the Falklands and today who will be in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Melissa, Teignmouth,

Nothing to do with a falling school population; Talbot Heath Girls School, which is just down the road from Wentworth, is brimming over with pupils!

Senior Management and the Governors have a lot to answer for.

Arthur, London,

Unfortunately, banks are under pressure to retrench lending and 'relationships' mean nothing - Dr Norton, I do admire your 'math' but you need to get out more :=) There will be alot more of this for small schools I fear! Eric, Harrogate you clearly don't understand directors' personal liability.

Ex-Governor of an ind. prep school, Hassocks,

I live across the road from Wentworth school. Right now it's stuffed full of language students, and there's a line of cars parked up the road as people attend the governor/parent meeting. I feel sorry for the pupils, their parents and the staff who now face weeks of uncertainty.

kath, Southbourne,

As a Lloyds TSB shareholder, I am delighted that the bank has wisely decided not to put good money after bad when the school had clearly failed in its strategy to go co-educational.

Mark Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,

Time for a revolution. Bash a bank executive (pretty much anywhere in the world) today! Nothing but greedy thieves.

Germ, melbourne , australia

Why did the school not simply ignore the bank, continue in business and make Lloyds TSB wait? The banks are responsible for their own failures - we must stop jumping through hoops for them. Make them face up to their errors by making them whistle for their money.

eric campbell, harrogate, uk

More of a reflection on the Lloyds management than Wentworth. It was a fine school. Both my daughters attended and did well there.

David, Poole,

The real reason -
"is based in a mansion in a prime location, yards from the beach, near the affluent Sandbanks peninsula".

Kerching! - enough said.

GeoffC, St Albans,

Maybe the bank has struck a blow for increased civilisation of state schools, which is sorely needed.

Jim Guest, G. Manchester,

I was really sorry to hear about the closure of Wentworth College. My two daughters were students there and both have very happy memories of their time at the school. The staff were truly dedicated, always ready to go the "extra mile" for their girls. To Miss Coe and all the staff "Good Luck".

I. A. Smith , Dearham,Cumbria, UK

This Government will be hugging itself with joy - they love to hear about the middle-classes in trouble - and as for education, they're probably urging the banks to foreclose on more private schools.

I feel sorry for the children and their parents - just 6 weeks before the Autumn term begins.

Martin, London,

I find the comment that 'Sources said that the loan, from one of the high street banks that recently announced problems, was called in late last week and that the school had no way of paying the full amount at once. ' must be a bit embaressing for Lloyds TSB who were referred to in the article.

Pat Carter, Tilsted, Wilts

I'm surprised the governors can't find a white knight, or more likely a lady, to save a highly respected, long established girls school. They must have a few illustrious old girls who could assist in a cash raising operation - £750k is not an enormous sum to raise before the end of the summer.

Andy, London, UK

I amshocked that this is happening!! As a former pupil I am very sad that a school, that did so much to shape my personality and give me a wealth of confidence in my adult life is closing. Shame on Lloyds, many young girls and boys will miss out on the outstanding education Wentworth has to offer.

Hannah , Cardiff,

...appears the directors [governors] had bad financial advice [presumably from their accountants, harrisons] to sign up for an 'on demand' loan facility. Do the math - if the school is breaking even & sitting on an £10M+ asset base with a facility of 'only' £0.75M. doesn't quite add-up to me...

dr norton, wimborne, uk

...and so starts the begging of the recession!

Andrew, you honestly think this is a short-term credit crunch? Because the bank obviously doesn't or it wouldn't be calling in loans would it?

Wake up please, for our children’s sake!

This isn't a little "hiccup", it's an engineered collape!

Andrew Towell, Hartlepool, England, UK

I feel very sorry Indeed for the pupils and staff concerned at this school. My Daughter attends a prep school where the fees are also £10K PA. The Fees have risen by 50% over the last 6 yrs. However Governers must start to accept that parents can not keep maintaining these yr on yr increases.WAKE UP

Gary, Telford, UK

Wentworth College and similar institutions need to look more at getting foreign capital and at associations with similar institutions overseas to get the financing that they need. There are many countries which have more respect for British public schools than Lloyds does.

Mehul Kamdar, Des Plaines, IL, USA

Ok, blame the bank, but what were the governors doing? By my maths, they massively over-borrowed for their cash flow based on the numbers and annual fees. Whilst the article says 'suddenly called a loan in', in my experience, the banks do normally try to have dialogue first!

Jim, Poole, UK

...Wentworth really is an exceptional school with a fine all inclusive education tradition with talented, committed & caring staff. Seems to me it's been let down somewhere by management &/or it's bank. Perhaps the parents possessed the necessary skills & resources to save Wentworth, had they known!

david, wimborne, uk

This is in part the result of the bogus dogma of small class sizes. I would have been much happier to have been taught in a class of 200 if my teaches had been outstanding, which only very few are. Instead I was in small classes with dreadful teachers, driven by fear of the future for motivation.

Greg Lorriman, Leatherhead, UK

Shame on Lloyds TSB. If any is needed, this is a reminder of how banks treat their customers. The government should NOT bail out the banks by one penny.

Alison, Edinburgh, UK

I hope Lloyds TSB feel proud of themselves - a school graded as "outstanding" by Ofsted will no longer educate those one whom our long-term future depends, because of a short-term credit crunch. Short-sightedness has never been more aptly demonstrated.

Andrew, Hamilton, NZ