The owners of an historic boarding school near Haslemere which closed last autumn have been urged to put pupils before pounds by its MP.

Greg Stafford MP wants “clarity” from United Learning as concerns build about the future of The Royal School site.

The sprawling site with a rich history and naval links that stretch back to 1840 went on the market for a cool £8million early this year with Knight Frank.

Many residents have written to Mr Stafford as they want the historic school and site – which closed in August 2025 due to financial difficulties and low enrolment – to be retained for educational use.

But with developers unlikely to be put off by its hefty pricetag, there are concerns it will be snapped up for housing with Mr Stafford seeking assurances.

He strongly believes the facility can still play an educational role with the Tory calling on UL to prioritise a sale and identify “a suitable future” for the site.

He wrote: “My priority is to see the site retained for educational use, with a particular focus on addressing the growing need for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and specialist education.

“I am therefore calling on UL to prioritise a sale that secures the site’s continued educational use.

“If there is no immediate viable option, I would urge you to work proactively with prospective buyers, education providers and other relevant partners to explore how the site could be brought back into educational use.”

Mr Stafford said any development on the site has to take into account the needs of the community and have a positive impact on local residents.

He added: “A housing-only development would be an unacceptable use of such an established educational site, particularly given the concerns that already exist locally about traffic and the wider impact of development.”