Places found for children following closure of Wakefield independent school over VAT fees
Wakefield Independent School announced it would shut down earlier this year
State school places have been found for 88 children following the closure of a fee-paying independent school, a meeting heard.
Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for children and young places said new schools had been found for all children living in the district affected by the decision to close Wakefield Independent School.
In May this year, parents were told by letter that the school would shut at the end of the academic year, on July 3.
At the time, Philip Hardy, the school’s owner and chairman of the board of directors, said a reduction in pupil numbers after the government removed the private school fees VAT exemption was partly to blame
At a full council meeting, Nick Farmer, Reform councillor for Ossett ward, asked if alternative places for children from the school had been arranged for the new school year in September.
Coun Farmer asked Margaret Isherwood, the Labour-run authority’s portfolio holder for children and young people: “On July 3, Wakefield Independent School closed, blaming VAT on school fees.
“Your government said it would affect approximately 3,000 children (nationally).
“Up to date, at least 44 private schools have closed because of the VAT raid, affecting 6,000 children who have now got to go to state school.
“Your ministers now predict around 100 will close, affecting thousands more.
“Many parents are not millionaires and billionaires and make massive sacrifices to send their kids to schools which they believe will give them a better education.”
Coun Farmer also requested that Coun Isherwood give an update in September as to how many youngsters in the district had been affected by school closures.
In response, Coun Isherwood said: “I can confirm that all the children, a total of 88 children, that were in this district from Wakefield Independent School have all been found places and will be moving on in September.”
Coun Isherwood said she was unable to comment further on the reasons for the closure because she had no knowledge of the school’s finances.
She added: “But, for whatever reason, those children have been found places within the district.”
A statement on the school’s website says: “Sadly, we have to bid farewell to everyone in the WIS family.
“We have had a wonderful, unique school, with an abundance of fine characters passing through our doors, taking with them happy memories of school days that will last a lifetime.”
Mr Hardy said in the letter that he was writing to parents with “a broken heart and the profoundly sad news.”
He said: “Due to many factors outside of our control and following a comprehensive financial review, months of lengthy meetings with landlords, lawyers, accountants and experienced corporate solutions consultants, in an attempt to save the school, I have concluded there is no viable way but to put the proposal for closure forward,
“If we do not consider this decision now, I fear we could quickly run into an even more difficult situation, at some point in the near future.
“The timing of this proposal has been fraught with the difficulty of balancing many considerations.
“If we do not consider this decision now, I fear we could quickly run into an even more difficult situation, at some point in the near future.
“The timing of this proposal has been fraught with the difficulty of balancing many considerations.
“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 School has always been to provide affordable private education on a non-selective basis.
“With fees remaining half of those at other selective schools in the area, we have always achieved that by keeping costs as low as possible, margins tight and by operating on a not-for-profit basis.
“The closure of the school would leave a massive hole in our hearts and the wider community but I feel confident that our children would continue their journey having had the most excellent of starts.”