A SOUTHAMPTON school has fallen into administration months after it was slammed by watchdogs and closed due to coronavirus fears.

Governors from St Mary's Independent School in Bitterne Park have announced that they have made the decision to place the school into administration.

The school, which achieved a rating of 'Inadequate' in its most recent Ofsted report, said that the schools financial position has been "significantly impacted" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to appoint Begbies Traynor as Administrators was made following "deliberations and discussions" regarding the financial sustainability of the school.

The future of the school is not yet certain but governors are hoping to ensure that the school will remain open "until at least the end of the current half term".

A spokesperson from the school said: "It is hoped that the school will be able to find a solution to continue until the end of the current academic year, and beyond.

"Governors remain hopeful that through Administration, a solution can be found to enable St Mary’s to continue to provide an excellent education for its pupils."

It comes after the school was slammed by Ofsted after an inspection in December after children complain about bullying and said they felt "disheartened".

School bosses hit back at the report and claimed that the inspection process was "flawed".

St Mary's then raised a formal complaint over the damning inspection.

The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as ‘Inadequate’, as was the leadership and management of the school under headteacher Claire Charlemagne.

With annual fees between £8,085 and £10,506, there are 242 students aged between three-years-old and 16-years-old.

Following this, the school was evacuated in February when pupils were put in isolation over Coronavirus fears.

Parents rushed their children away from the premises on February 10 after students at the school were struck down with symptoms similar to the virus.

The school was closed for a deep clean.