Parents 'heartbroken' as school announces closure

Parents have been told a 90-year-old independent prep school will close later this year due to the "prevailing economic environment".

Fairfield PNEU School for 2-11 year olds, in Backwell, near Bristol, released a statement on Tuesday stating the school will close in August 2025.

The statement said it has become "increasingly difficult" for both the school and parents to afford rising costs.

The Department for Education said: "On average, around 50 mainstream private schools typically close each year" and added this was for a "range of reasons".

Ryan Davies, the chair of governors, said they know how difficult this will be for "parents, pupils and loyal staff".

Caroline Turner-Inskip's 9-year-old son goes to the school, she said: "He absolutely loves it - it's a wonderful school. The main thing I took away from this is how much he loves to be there."

She said a lot of parents are "feeling pretty heartbroken".

"I think the initial reaction was one of shock and frankly panic when you're told your child isn't going to have a school to go to," she added.

She explained that the school has "immediately gone into action" to help find places for pupils, but she said "there aren't many places available. I think it's going to take a lot of work".

The school thanked all those involved in the school and apologised to those affected, citing various reasons for closing, including declining birth rates in their catchment area, cost of living increases and the removal of business rates relief.

The statement said: "Increases to the national living wage, higher national insurance contributions and the introduction of VAT on school fees have combined to leave the school in a financially unsustainable position."

It added that it "will be unwavering" in supporting staff, pupils and families and "ensure a smooth transition for all pupils to new schools in September".

There was controversy when tax breaks were ended for private schools, with the government saying it would raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30 to help fund public services, "including supporting the 94% of children in state schools to achieve and thrive".

A Department for Education spokesperson added: "On average, around 50 mainstream private schools typically close each year. This is due to a range of reasons, including financial struggles and school standards issues."

The spokesperson added that local authorities and schools usually support families in these instances and that the department is "confident in local state schools' ability to accommodate new pupils".

However, Ms Turner-Inskip said "it would be easy to get political about it" but the school had blamed several things and parents were most concerned about finding another place in time for September.

"It's just a real sadness. A school that's been around for 90 years is coming to an end," she added.

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