Heartbreak as class dismissed for final time at historic Fulneck

Heartbroken parents in Leeds have spoken of their disappointment as one of the city's oldest private schools closes its doors for the final time.

- by James Connolly

Fulneck School in Pudsey was founded in 1753 and has welcomed the likes of Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith and suffragist Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy through its doors.

But an “unsustainable decline in students” exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and combined with a rise in VAT costs at national level made it “financially unviable”, the school said as it announced its closure in March.

Since then, Fulneck has faced a wave of criticism about how the closure has been managed, with accusations that it failing to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs (SEN), cancelled end-of-year events and confusion over refunds.

The school says a service was held to mark the closure of the school and that staff have communicated regularly with parents, adding that pupils with SEN have had their “needs met in accordance with their plans”, and insisting that “there are no outstanding financial commitments to families”.