Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College

History

Opening

Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa School opened its doors in October of 1993, inheriting a site with a rich past; it occupied the premises of the former Buckhurst Hill County High School for Boys, which itself had been established just in front of the former RAF Chigwell. A barrage balloon launching site active during World War II, operational from 1938 until its sale in 1964. Today, subtle remnants of this wartime history remain, hinting to the site’s former use.

Initial Success

The early years of Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa School were a period of significant growth and achievement, rapidly establishing itself as a vital center for the Sikh community in Chigwell and the surrounding areas. With annual fees set around £6,000, the school provided not only academic instruction but also served as a focal point for religious and cultural life, regularly hosting events like the annual Sikh Gurmat camps, drawing the community together. Footage of one such school performance can be viewed here. . This burgeoning success was formally recognized in 2012, when Ofsted awarded the school its highest possible rating of “Outstanding” across all categories. Parents echoed this sentiment, praising the school’s transformative impact; one parent remarked, “My son has really gained confidence… they have changed his future.” Opened with the ambition of housing 550 students, the school seemed to be on track for a bright academic future.

Downfall

However, despite the early successes, between 2017 and 2019, a series of Ofsted inspections unveiled serious shortcomings, casting a shadow over its future. Concerns ranged from pupil reports of faulty seatbelts and reckless driving on school buses to parent anxieties about the overall safety of the school premises. Inspectors uncovered alarming deficiencies in fire safety measures: a lack of fire extinguishers, misleading signage directing to blocked exits, and fire doors propped open, compromising security. Risk assessments, too, were found to be inadequate, sometimes failing to even identify the activities being undertaken. This accumulation of failings as well as a failure in leadership and maintenance of the building culminated in an “Inadequate” rating, leaving the school with an uncertain future.

However, the school made a determined effort to address the identified issues leading to significant improvements, culminating in a “Good” rating from Ofsted in 2020. Yet, even this renewed success could not overcome the school’s fatal problem: a drastic decline in enrollment. The student population had plummeted from 291 in 2019 to a mere 124 by the time of closure. This sharp drop, undoubtedly influenced by the preceding years of negative publicity, crippled the school’s financial viability. Leading to the college closing it’s doors in October of 2033, ending its thirty-year presence in Chigwell.

Future

The closure marked the end of a chapter, but not the end of the site role as a learning facility. Plans are now underway to transform the location into a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school as well as affordable housing in an attempt to serve the local area in a meaningful way.

Explore

With a significant shoulder operation looming, I was on the hunt for one last location. After some research I managed to come across the school, which seemed to be the ideal location with its proximity and recent closure. After some online reconnaissance, we’d pinpointed a likely entry point and set off. Arriving at the site, we were immediately struck by the lack of security and the school’s surprisingly isolated setting. The building itself was impressive, its facade grand and a beautifully oxidised copper spire reaching skyward.

A tight squeeze later, we were inside, and pleasantly surprised. The school was remarkably pristine; computers sat idle on desks, textbooks lay open as if awaiting students. In contrast to many abandoned sites this one had escaped significant vandalism or graffiti, a welcome change. We began our exploration on the ground floor, conveniently finding a map to guide us. We moved through kitchens, numerous classrooms, a recreation room, head offices, and, most strikingly, a Gurdwara. The rooms varied in condition, but the vast majority were surprisingly intact; some were even pristine, with electricity and water still functioning throughout the building. The kitchen, still stocked with long-expired food, gave the eerie impression that the cooks had vanished mid-service, leaving pots and pans scattered on counters. In the recreation room, a working grand piano lay (which we made best use of), alongside a pool table and an impressive collection of costumes. In stark contrast, the headmaster’s office appeared to have been the target of some belated student revenge – ransacked, with the desk raided and the small room crammed with junk. Throughout the school, we encountered religious items left behind; in a gesture of respect, we carefully placed any holy books we found on the highest point in each room.

The upper floor housed more classrooms, offices, and staff rooms, along with the creative arts department, including a workshop and art studios. Oddly, this top floor also contained a small, self-contained apartment – complete with a bed, kitchen, and bath – perhaps intended for an overnight caretaker. Aside from the mysterious apartment, the top floor was more of the same. After a thorough sweep of the main building, satisfied that we’d seen everything, we calmly exited through a fire door, emerging onto the school’s sports grounds.

The sports hall, housed in a steel structure resembling a warehouse, was surprisingly still fully equipped. Now realising that security was unlikely to be an issue, we couldn’t resist the opportunity. We cleared some debris, repositioned the goals, and enjoyed an impromptu game of football. As the sun set and the temperature dropped, we knew it was time to depart. After a final circuit of the exterior buildings for some photos, we exited the way we’d come, ending the evening with a well-deserved Domino’s.

Photos

Starting with a few exterior shots, featuring the grand copper spire…