£40,000-a-year boarding school in Rachel Reeves’ constituency is forced to close after becoming ‘financially unviable’_nhy
A private school in Rachel Reeves‘ constituency that has been running for almost three centuries has been forced to close after becoming ‘financially unviable’.
The historic Fulneck School – in the Chancellor’s constituency of Pudsey, west Yorkshire – made the announcement last night with pupils and parents being left in limbo of where to send their children for the next academic year.
The decision to shut the site has left many parents and former pupils ‘heartbroken’ – with many placing blame on Labour‘s decision earlier this year to hike VAT on private schools.
Becca Piper said: ‘Rachel Reeves – anything that can be done? This school was an absolute lifeline to those failed by the state sector provision in your constituency.’
‘I’m deeply saddened by this,’ Daniel Barnett added. ‘Do we have the immensely incompetent ideologically driven Labour government taxation on private school fees to thank for this?’
Another said hearing about the closure of the school that has been running since 1753 was ‘like hearing someone you loved had died’.
In its statement announcing the closure of both the day and boarding school, officials said the closure was blamed on ‘a continued decline in enrolment, combined with rising operational costs, has made it increasingly challenging to maintain financial viability’.
After the letter was sent out to parents, Pudsey Councillor Simon Seary said: ‘We are absolutely shocked and devastated to hear the news that Fulneck School will be closing at the end of this academic year.
The historic Fulneck School (pictured) has been running for three centuries but will now close after becoming ‘financially unviable’
The school, which is situated in Rachel Reeves’ (pictured) constituency of Pudsey, made the announcement last night
‘This is an incredibly sad day for the pupils, staff, and wider school community who have made Fulneck such a special place for generations. With over 250 years of history coming to an end, this loss will be deeply felt by so many.
‘Students are losing their school, dedicated staff face uncertainty, and families now have to navigate difficult transitions. My thoughts are with everyone affected during this incredibly difficult time.’
The school, where pupil numbers have been declining since 2012, said a schools fair will be set up for parents and pupils to find alternative arrangements.
Plans to clobber private schools with VAT at 20 per cent and scrap the 80 per cent relief private schools receive on business rates were one of the clear goals of Labour’s election manifesto.
Labour has defended the decision claiming the money from the tax will pay for 6,500 more teachers and other improvements for state schools but its figures have been widely disputed.
Yet since the tax was introduced in January and since then an average of two schools a week have closed.
And earlier this month, a Labour minister Torsten Bell accepted that around 100 schools will likely close as a result of the hated tax raid on fees.
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) welcomed Mr Bell’s admission but said Ministers were still underestimating the impact of Labour policy on school closures.
The Independent Schools Bursars Association has forecast that 286 private schools could close, 11 per cent of Britain’s 2,600 total.
Just this week, the incoming Chair of the Headmaster and Headmistresses conference (HMC) Philip Britton hit out at the Government’s ‘destructive approach to independent education’.
Local councillor Simon Seary (pictured) said those at the council were ‘shocked and devastated’ to learn of the school’s closure
Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) is said to be spending hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees defending her controversial VAT on school fees policy
Speaking at the event, which leaders from some of the most-well known private schools such as Eton and Westminster attend, he said: ‘History will look back on this term as a moment of an unnecessarily destructive approach to independent education which in the end will be a detriment to all pupils.
‘During the last months great schools across the country have focused on the best interests of their pupils against enormous and damaging change introduced hastily and carelessly.
‘We have been working with HM Revenue and Customs to introduce VAT processes they are not ready for and whose implementation to the required timescale was unfair and unrealistic – yet as it is what must be done, we have done it.’
He added that the Government’s ‘narrow mindedness’ was stopping the UK from ‘benefiting as much as the rest of the world from the strength of its own independent school sector’.
Meanwhile Ms Reeves is said to be spending hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees defending her controversial VAT on school fees policy after parents opposing the education task crowdfunded enough money to a landmark case to the High Court.
It comes amid a tricky week for the Chancellor who has come under fire for accepting expensive freebie tickets to Sabrina Carpenter’s concert earlier this month, while announcing that she will be cutting running costs to Whitehall by 15 per cent.
The slash to £2.2 billion of the civil service budget could result in the loss of up to 15,000 jobs.
When probed on her decision to accept the £600 seats in a corporate box at the O2, Ms Reeves told the BBC: ‘I do now have security which means it’s not as easy as it would’ve been in the past to just sit in a concert, although that would probably be a lot easier for everyone concerned.’
Asked if she paid for the tickets, she replied: ‘Obviously I’ll declare the value of them, but they weren’t tickets that you were able to buy.’
The revelation risks sparking renewed anger after the Prime Minister and several members of his Cabinet were called out for accepting lavish freebies, including clothes and concert tickets.
Ms Reeves at the time vowed not to accept any clothing as Chancellor after it was revealed she had taken £7,500 for outfits while in opposition.
Sir Keir Starmer, who received £32,000 for clothes from Labour donor Lord Alli, had to pay back thousands of pounds in gifts, including tickets to see Taylor Swift.
