Private school to shut after 270 years of teaching

A private school has announced its imminent closure after more than 270 years of teaching.

Fulneck School in Pudsey, Leeds, which dates back to 1753, blamed "a continued decline in enrolment, combined with rising operational costs" for the decision.

The day and boarding school which provides education for children aged between three and 18 is set to shut after the academic year ends, prompting uncertainty amongst pupils and parents.

Tom Spikings, whose seven-year-old daughter attends Fulneck, said: "The whole school is like a family and we're just devastated."

In a statement, the school said it was with "deep regret" that it would close on 8 July.

"Despite the dedicated efforts of the school and trustees to sustain pupil numbers, a continued decline in enrolment, combined with rising operational costs, has made it increasingly challenging to maintain financial viability," Fulneck said.

Founded by the Moravian church, Fulneck is one of a number of independent schools to announce closure since the government's VAT on tuition fees came into effect.

In a statement, the government said: "Fulneck School have been clear they have had a sustained decline in pupil numbers since 2012.

"Local authorities and schools commonly support children and parents in these circumstances, we are confident in local state schools' ability to accommodate new pupils."

The school is situated within the Leeds West and Pudsey constituency of chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has been approached for comment.

Mr Spikings, 37, who lives in Pudsey, said his daughter Abigail had thrived since joining in nursery.

"As parents, we have been trying hard to raise funds and awareness for the school but the knock-on effect with changes to employment taxes and VAT has made the school unsustainable," he said.

"We're very much a hard-working family who have made sacrifices to send Abigail to an independent school and while we're looking at other options of where we can send her, it might be the case that other privates schools are unaffordable."

The closure also affected his mother and step-father, he said, who have worked at the school for more than 20 years.

"They're both very sad," Mr Spikings said.

"They met at the school and in their minds they would be there until retirement but now they're going to start looking for other jobs."

Tony Singh, whose two children attend Fulneck, said he was "extremely saddened" by the news.

"It's such a shame that a school that has performed so well for pupils and staff is no longer going to be there," he said.

"At the minute we don't have the answers as to where our children will go and I'm sure the next couple of months are going to be an emotional time for everyone."

He added: "This school is at the foundation of the community - it has been here for hundreds of years so to see it close is such a huge loss for the wider area too."

Shireen Gould said her children were both "very upset" at the news, adding: "It's thrown us into turmoil, we don't know what to do next.

"We knew with Covid we had lost boarders, so financially it had been more difficult, but we didn't think it would happen."

Ms Gould said parents now faced a "race for places" at other schools.

Former pupil Callum Gamble, who attended Fulneck from 2008-2015, said he "felt safe from day one" at the school.

He said its closure would be "such a loss to autistic children and their parents".

Mr Gamble, who was diagnosed as autistic aged eight, praised the support he received at Fulneck, with its facilities and small class sizes.

He said he "really felt for" neurodivergent children now facing joining new schools, adding: "It's such a shame."

Councillor Simon Seary, Leeds City Council's Conservative representative for the Pudsey ward, said he had been contacted by many concerned families.

"It's so close to the end of the school year so parents haven't got long to find new placements," he said.

"It's very raw in the community at the minute and we've got to support families through this process."

A spokesperson for the school said: "Following a comprehensive strategic review and the exploration of all possible alternatives, the trustees have made the difficult decision to plan for the school's closure.

"We understand that this announcement will be distressing for our pupils, parents, staff, and the wider school community."

The statement said teaching would continue until the end of the school year and pupils would complete "public and internal examinations as intended".

They added: "We are also committed to ensure a smooth transition for all affected and will offer support to our pupils, parents, and staff throughout this process."

Leeds City Council said it would provide "full support" for those looking to apply to state-funded schools and said it would be working directly with families of pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans to find alternative placements.

A government spokesperson said: "Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8bn a year by 2029/30 to help fund public services, including supporting the 94% of children in state schools to achieve and thrive.

"On average, around 50 mainstream private schools typically close each year due to a range of reasons, including financial struggles and falling pupil enrolments."

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