Update on Marle Hall

As you may have seen already, the decision has been taken that Marle Hall, the County Council’s residential facility for outdoor education activities, will cease operating and close on a permanent basis in October.   

This is not a decision that the Council has taken lightly. Marle Hall has been a much-loved and valued facility over the last 50 years, and it has delivered a range of activities that have enhanced social skills and personal development of many residents in Warwickshire and beyond. 

However, Marle Hall exists within an open and competitive market, with schools able to choose from around 50 other providers within a three-hour radius of Warwickshire. Over the last 7 years it has been consistently under-utilised and the cost of running the service has not been met by the income it has generated. If it continued to operate, the significant amount of investment needed would mean it would continue to make unsustainable losses. 

We appreciate the timing of the decision, which took place over the summer break, was not ideal. We can assure you that this was solely because it was dependent on various formal governance processes which concluded at the end of July. We have been in contact with schools with an existing booking and support has been offered to them with the practicalities of finding an alternative provider.   

More information on the decision and outdoor education for Warwickshire schools can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/marlehallfaqs