Latest news with #PhilipHardy
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Lack of transparency' over Wakefield Independent School closure
An independent school which has confirmed its imminent closure has been criticised by parents for "a lack of transparency" over the decision to a letter to families, Wakefield Independent School said that following a period of consultation it would close "with profound regret" on 3 July, blaming VAT on school fees, falling pupil numbers and other "financial pressures".Helen Purdy, whose 14-year-old son Leon is a pupil, said the news was a shock and parents should have been informed the letter, the school owner and chairman of the board of directors, Philip Hardy, said it had "explored all possible avenues to mitigate the impact" of the changes. Mrs Purdy said: "You can't fault the teachers and staff but the way it's been managed has been terrible. We had no idea this was coming. "There's been no communication really from the school since this happened and we feel like we've just been left by ourselves to figure out what to do next."Mrs Purdy said Leon had thrived at the school but it was disappointing his time there had ended in such a way. 'Heartbreaking decision' "There hasn't been a lot of transparency to be honest since this first came out in May," she added."They should have been more open with parents about what has been going on behind the scenes so we had a chance to decide what to do for the best."Mrs Purdy said she had chosen to send Leon to Wakefield Independent School because of his health problems and it had been a "wonderful environment" for said because the fees were low in comparison to those of other nearby private schools which were more than twice as much, remaining in the independent sector was not an option for the family."There are a lot of pupils at the school with additional needs and there's just not that kind of support and provision in a lot of state schools."Another parent, Suzy McCartney, said her 13-year-old son Aaron had flourished as a pupil there and the decision to close was "heartbreaking". "I do feel for the school but I do think they should have been more upfront about the difficulties rather than just sending a letter out saying school was closing."The school said the " difficult decision" had been made "after a comprehensive review of the school's financial situation", according to the well as the VAT on fees and rises in NI contributions, it said "an increase in business rates along with minimum wage increases had made it unsustainable for Wakefield Independent to continue operating into a new academic year". The school also said it had been served with a notice from its landlord, the Nostell Estate, to propose a new lease, which had contributed to letter said it was providing support to staff members and was "working hard to support children and parents in choosing schools across all the local authorities we serve and to make the transition process as smooth as possible".A spokesman for the Nostell Estate said they were saddened about the closure and sympathised "with parents and families who have been placed in a difficult position".The spokesman said the estate had "actively supported the school for more than 30 years" and had been "trying to agree new leases with the school".They added: "We put forward a number of suggestions to assist them and were disappointed that the school could not agree to our proposals."We reluctantly served the school with a non-hostile formal notice that set out a timeframe in which the estate and the school could agree a new lease. "We wanted the school to stay. We were only three months into that 12-month period when the school announced its prospective closure."The school is the latest in a number of others across Yorkshire to announce its Fulneck School in Pudsey and Queen Margaret School for Girls' in York have announced their closures because of financial difficulties. Wakefield Independent School did not respond to a request for further comment. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Outstanding' private school to close under Labour
An independent school in Wakefield is set to close later this year as a result of Labour's VAT and National Insurance tax raids. In a letter to parents sent this week, Philip Hardy, proprietor and chairman of the board of governors of Wakefield Independent School, blamed the proposed closure on a combination of the VAT increase that has reduced pupil numbers, and the Government's decision to increase employer National Insurance. He added increases to the minimum wage and outstanding fees had also contributed to the decision, in the letter seen by The Telegraph. The letter said: 'Over the last six months, exhaustive efforts have been made by the directors to cope with several, in many cases sector-wide, challenges: a reduction in current pupil numbers caused by the VAT impact, difficulty recruiting new pupils, outstanding fees, plus increases in business rates, minimum wage and employers' National Insurance contributions.' The school has also been served with new lease terms by its landlord that Mr Hardy said were 'unsuitable'. A proposal for closure at the start of July has been put forward after 'a comprehensive financial review', and months of meetings with lawyers, accountants and consultants in a bid to save the school. The Yorkshire school was rated 'good' by Ofsted, with 'personal development' and 'behaviour and attitudes' both rated 'outstanding'. The Ofsted report, published in December 2023, also praised Wakefield Independent's approach to supporting children with special educational needs. Campaigners have warned children with special educational needs will be particularly hit by the tax changes, as higher fees threaten to push them into state schools that are not always able to cater to their needs. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'I don't understand what the Government is doing here, there must be a perception that everyone is wealthy because they use these schools, but that is just not the case. 'The vast majority of the parents at the school aren't particularly wealthy and just work really hard to send their children there. 'There are a lot of kids with special educational needs because the school is fantastic and the small class ratios are really beneficial.' The co-education school caters to pupils aged two to 16 years across infant, junior and senior schools. It currently has around 140 pupils, but has capacity for over 200, with fees costing up to £12,000 a year for pupils in year seven and up. In his statement, Mr Hardy wrote: 'We hope that making the announcement now gives staff, parents and pupils, with our full support, several weeks before the end of term, and a full summer holiday, to make any necessary arrangements for the future, without sacrificing the education we're determined to provide up to the end of term. 'The underlying mission of Wakefield Independent has always been to provide affordable private education on a non-selective basis.' He added that fees remain 'below half of those at other selective schools in the area'. Wakefield Independent is the latest fee-paying school to announce it is on the brink of closure as a result of Labour's tax raid on the sector. Earlier this week, it was announced that Lord Heseltine's old private school is set to close. Cognita UK, the education company which runs the school, said in a statement: 'This week we shared some difficult news with our families and staff about the proposal to close Oakleigh House School. 'We carried out a comprehensive review of the school's sustainability in light of local demographic trends and a changing economic environment, which sadly concluded that pupil numbers are expected to continue to fall to an unsustainable level in the next academic year.' The private preparatory school in Swansea also boasts Eddie Izzard as an alumnus alongside the former Conservative deputy prime minister. Cognita is also closing St Clare's School, another school it runs in Porthcawl, Wales. Wakefield Independent School was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
10-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
‘Outstanding' private school to close under Labour
An independent school in Wakefield is set to close later this year as a result of Labour's VAT and National Insurance tax raids. In a letter to parents sent this week, Philip Hardy, proprietor and chairman of the board of governors of Wakefield Independent School, blamed the proposed closure on a combination of the VAT increase that has reduced pupil numbers, and the Government's decision to increase employer National Insurance. He added increases to the minimum wage and outstanding fees had also contributed to the decision, in the letter seen by The Telegraph. The letter said: 'Over the last six months, exhaustive efforts have been made by the directors to cope with several, in many cases sector-wide, challenges: a reduction in current pupil numbers caused by the VAT impact, difficulty recruiting new pupils, outstanding fees, plus increases in business rates, minimum wage and employers' National Insurance contributions.' The school has also been served with new lease terms by its landlord that Mr Hardy said were 'unsuitable'. A proposal for closure at the start of July has been put forward after 'a comprehensive financial review', and months of meetings with lawyers, accountants and consultants in a bid to save the school. The Yorkshire school was rated 'good' by Ofsted, with 'personal development' and 'behaviour and attitudes' both rated 'outstanding'. The Ofsted report, published in December 2023, also praised Wakefield Independent's approach to supporting children with special educational needs. Campaigners have warned children with special educational needs will be particularly hit by the tax changes, as higher fees threaten to push them into state schools that are not always able to cater to their needs. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'I don't understand what the Government is doing here, there must be a perception that everyone is wealthy because they use these schools, but that is just not the case. 'The vast majority of the parents at the school aren't particularly wealthy and just work really hard to send their children there. 'There are a lot of kids with special educational needs because the school is fantastic and the small class ratios are really beneficial.' The co-education school caters to pupils aged two to 16 years across infant, junior and senior schools. It currently has around 140 pupils, but has capacity for over 200, with fees costing up to £12,000 a year for pupils in year seven and up. In his statement, Mr Hardy wrote: 'We hope that making the announcement now gives staff, parents and pupils, with our full support, several weeks before the end of term, and a full summer holiday, to make any necessary arrangements for the future, without sacrificing the education we're determined to provide up to the end of term. 'The underlying mission of Wakefield Independent has always been to provide affordable private education on a non-selective basis.' He added that fees remain 'below half of those at other selective schools in the area'. Wakefield Independent is the latest fee-paying school to announce it is on the brink of closure as a result of Labour's tax raid on the sector. Earlier this week, it was announced that Lord Heseltine's old private school is set to close. Cognita UK, the education company which runs the school, said in a statement: 'This week we shared some difficult news with our families and staff about the proposal to close Oakleigh House School. 'We carried out a comprehensive review of the school's sustainability in light of local demographic trends and a changing economic environment, which sadly concluded that pupil numbers are expected to continue to fall to an unsustainable level in the next academic year.' The private preparatory school in Swansea also boasts Eddie Izzard as an alumnus alongside the former Conservative deputy prime minister. Cognita is also closing St Clare's School, another school it runs in Porthcawl, Wales. Wakefield Independent School was approached for comment.
