SHOCKED ex-pupils of a Suffolk private school have expressed their sadness at its sudden closure.

Governors for Amberfield School in Nacton, near Ipswich, announced on Wednesday that the site, which opened in 1927, was to close for good on Friday , just two days later, and go into liquidation.

Despite efforts to keep the school going by a campaigning group of parents, there was insufficient time for them to enable the site to reopen after it closed for half term.

Parents and pupils have been leaving touching messages on the school’s Facebook page over the past five days.

One pupil said: “Although I’ve only been at Amberfield for just over a year I feel I have been there all my life – it was my life.

“The outstanding teachers have taught me so much and I have made many amazing friends for life. Wherever I go I will always be an Amberfield girl.”

Another added: “I have made so may great friends here and those friends are the ones that I will never ever forget.

“I have been taught by some amazing teachers too, who have let me achieve things I couldn’t before.”

Another posted: “I hope all the teachers and pupils find somewhere new and that they are happy there.

“Amberfield is the only school I’ve ever been to. Eleven years I’ve been there and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

One parent said: “My daughter would be back at Amberfield in a heartbeat if I thought for one moment it was secure and I know of others who feel the same way.

“Amberfield was unique and there needs to be somewhere like that in Ipswich. No other school has come close to Amberfield and any other school she may go to will always be second best.”

Efforts by a group of parents are ongoing to see the school reopen next year, possibly for the start of the 2012/13 school year.

The main problem, according to campaigner Mark Brown, would be ensuring that enough girls would return to the school after spending time away at other schools over the coming months.

He said one option could be to make the revived Amberfield school completely co-ed in order to make it more financially viable.

Mr Brown said: “Even if we save Amberfield and get it together, is it going to be an economically viable prospect to run a school? It’s starting a school from scratch.

“There is a need in the area for that school and if it was up and running and properly financed and properly run and there, in place next September with a term’s notice beforehand, there would be some pupils who would come back.”