A private school in West Yorkshire is to close at the end of the autumn term, blaming VAT on fees and rising budgets for its “unsustainable position”.
Moorlands School in Leeds will close on 31 December, 127 years after it opened in 1898.
According to a statement from the school, the decision to close was agreed by trustees on Wednesday “in the face of increasingly difficult economic conditions that are impacting many independent schools and show little sign of abating”.
The Department for Education 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.”
The school said its decision “followed a period of careful reflection and a thorough review of the school’s financial viability”.
It added: “VAT on school fees, alongside a decline in enquiries and registrations, the withdrawal of charitable relief on business rates, increases in Employer National Insurance contributions, the limited ability of a small school to reduce fixed costs, and the rising budgets required for the upkeep of the school site and buildings, have sadly all contributed to an unsustainable financial position.”
‘End of an era’
The prep school, which is part of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust, educates children aged two to 11.
The statement added the decision was not a reflection of the school’s staff or governing body, and teachers would continue to ensure education and activities continued uninterrupted.
It said: “Moorlands has been a special place of learning, growth, and community. The history, character, and culture of the school have shaped generations of pupils.
“While this marks the end of an era, the values and memories created here will remain with all those who have been part of its story.”
In a letter to parents, the school said it was “committed to working closely with each family to help secure the best possible next steps for their children”.
Parents would receive a letter from Brontë House, a primary school also run by the trust, about the possibility of school places for Moorlands pupils.
