The future of the famous Pope’s Villa building in Twickenham was uncertain today after it emerged the school housed there will move out next year.

St James’ Senior Boys School, in Cross Deep, is to merge with and move to St David’s School, in Ashford, Middlesex, in September 2010.

Governors of the Independent Education Association Ltd (IEAL), the charity which manages the school, and St James’ headteacher, David Boddy, must now agree what to do with the Twickenham site, which was once home to 18th century English poet Alexander Pope.

Both said they hoped the site, where teaching has taken place since 1919, would remain as a school.

Mr Boddy said: We are not going to leave Twickenham behind completely. We are in discussion with other local schools with regards to leasing the premises.

“Our hope is that it remains a school.”

Anthony Beckles Willson, who runs tours of Pope’s Grotto – an underground retreat used by Pope that can only be accessed through the school or St Catherine’s School nearby – admitted he was “taken aback” by the news.

“My particular interest is what will happen to Pope’s Grotto,” he said.

“We shall have to wait and see.”

Although he acknowledged the logic behind a move to a larger site, in Church Road, he expressed concern that it could derail restoration plans to help restore the Grotto, which he claimed the owners of St James’ were helping fund.

Deputy chairman of IEAL and an old boy of St James, Aatif Hassan, and Mr Boddy, said the move was the best way forward for the school as it has outgrown its current premises.

Parents of children at St David’s, which Mr Hassan said had been “experiencing financial difficulty”, were told over Easter the school would be closing at the end of this academic year.

Now, the IEAL will continue junior school education for both boys and girls in Ashford, after the proposal was accepted on May 22.

The junior boys at Ashford will have the opportunity of transferring directly to St James’ Senior Boys in year 6 while junior girls at Ashford will get the chance to enter St James’ Senior Girls in Olympia for entry at year 7.

Senior girls will be offered the opportunity to transfer to St James’ Senior Girls School in Olympia or to St Catherine’s School in Twickenham.

A Richmond Council spokesman said it was too early to tell if it would have any involvement in the Twickenham site once classes are relocated but added officers would consider “any options” to provide more school places.

A meeting of all existing and prospective parents of St James’ Senior Boys will be held at Pope’s Villa on Saturday, June 6, at 12pm.

  • Will you or your child be affected by the move? Tell us what you think by calling Ian Mason on 020 8744 4262 or pst your commernt below.