By John Baron
A Conservative peer has criticised the Government’s “cruel policies” over the closure of three independent schools in Yorkshire – including Fulneck.
Lord Caine was speaking after the oldest independent prep school in Leeds, Moorlands, announced its closure after 127 years.
Earlier this month 125-year-old Queen Margaret’s in York announced it will close on 5 July – three days before Fulneck School in Pudsey shuts on July 8.
Fulneck School, which dates back to 1753, had suffered from falling pupil numbers for a number of years.
Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Caine said: “All three cited increased running costs with both Moorlands and Queen Margaret’s specifically referring to VAT, increased national insurance and pension contributions and the removal of business rates relief as reasons for closure.”
He asked Education Minister and former Home Secretary Baroness Smith of Malvern: “Like me, you were educated in the state sector, but will you now apologise to governors, staff, parents and above all students in many fine schools across the country facing closure for the damage, disruption and distress being caused by this Government’s cruel policies?”
Responding, Baroness Smith conceded that “every closure of a school is sad”.
In a statement, the Government said: “Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30 to help fund public services, including supporting the 94 per cent of children in state schools to achieve and thrive.
“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.”
Lord Caine first raised closure concerns in March.
A spokesperson for Fulneck School said at the time: “Fulneck has been impacted by a constant decline in the number of students for several years, which was compounded by the pandemic resulting in an unsustainable decline in students.
“The decline in student numbers has been combined with a rise in costs beyond our control, which has made the school financially unviable.”
Fulneck teachers in pay dispute
Meanwhile members of teachers’ union NASUWT at Fulneck School in Pudsey have declared an industrial dispute amid fears they would not be paid for the school’s last half term of operation.
The union claims that when teachers returned after May half term they were informed that the school could no longer afford to pay them, but they must continue working until the closure.
The union claims staff who leave before the end of the school year have been threatened with the loss of a further five weeks of pay.
Tim Toepritz, National Executive Member for Leeds, said: “Teachers at Fulneck School have undergone a collective trauma. They have spent the last term supporting panicking pupils through exams and school transitions, all the while franticly searching for new roles themselves. On top of that, they now face unpaid bills over the summer.
“But Fulneck teachers are strong, and they won’t go down without a fight. The school needs to abide by its church’s mission statement and pay up.”
The school says the unions is ‘not technically correct’ and that staff would be paid up until 8 July, with a spokesperson for the school’s trustees adding that they remained committed to a “regular and open” dialogue with staff and a “fair and transparent process”.
It claims the percentage calculated by the NASUWT did not reflect the entitlements for staff through redundancy and notice pay, which would be processed through the government’s Redundancy Payment Service and triggered following the school’s planned liquidation.
A Trustee spokesperson said: “As widely reported, we announced in March the intention to close the school and our priority has been to ensure a fair and transparent process for everyone affected during this challenging time.
“The Trustees have provided ongoing support throughout the school’s operation and closure process. Communication channels remain open for staff to raise concerns, and the Trustees are committed to ensuring that all legal obligations are met.
“No further comments can be made while the formal consultation process is ongoing.
“We remain committed to maintain regular and open dialogue with all our staff and will continue to provide updates as required on an individual basis to those affected.”
Fulneck had been impacted by a constant decline in the number of students for several years, which was compounded by the pandemic resulting in a severe decline in students. The school was also hit with rising costs and had received ‘extensive’ financial support from the Moravian Church.
Update: This article was updated at 11.22am on 30 June to include the full statement from the trustees.
Private schools all over the coutry have been putting up their fees for many years, for various reasons, yet the parents have been willing to pay these increases. Fulneck’s description of their problems is probably more honest than most, its disingenuous of these organisations to put all the blame for their closures on very recent government events.