Nineteen of the 25 staff at St Peter's School, an independent school for children aged three to 11 at Burgess Hill, will lose their jobs when all but the nursery department closes on July 11.

Hugh Stevens, headmaster since 1997, says that although the economic downturn has affected pupil numbers, his biggest struggle has been the deluge of paperwork and orders from central government.

Mr Stevens said: "Pupil numbers are relatively low, owing to a combination of demographic and economic factors, and finances have been tight for a number of years. With the national economic outlook so poor, there is no reason to expect things to get better any time soon. We have therefore taken the decision to stop now, while we can still do so with some dignity."

Full report in this week's Mid Sussex Times, now on sale