Built in 1868 as a Roman Catholic seminary it became a ballet school before being bought by four men on behalf of the Jameatul-Uloum-al Islameyah in 1993. The grand building had 100 rooms and is set within 54 acres of grounds. In September 2006 up to 100 anti-terror cops searched the school's buildings and grounds, but no arrests were made. Sussex Police held a cordon around the site for 24 days in an operation that cost more than one million pounds. On 9th Febuary 2007 The department for Education and Skills closed down the school as it continued to fail to meet the standards which all independant schools must meet under the education act 2002under the education act 2002.