Tony Roper had no descendants and in the early 1950s, as he became more elderly, he sought a successor as owner and headmaster from among the parents of children at the school.
However, financial issues escalated, resulting in the sale of the site to a property developer and the eventual closure of the school, despite the last-minute desperate attempt to raise funds from old boys.
A yearbook called The Red Book provided a summary of annual sports and academic achievements, photos, stories and news, from and for parents and old boys.
About 150 pupils were divided into four “houses” for termly competition purposes in academics and sports: Athenians (red), Spartans (green), Ropers (yellow), and Herberts (blue).
For sporting events such as football, rugby, and cricket the boys won colours - a special tie and, in the summer, a striped blazer.