Fulneck School: Heartbroken parents in Leeds share disappointment on final day of historic private school
Heartbroken parents in Leeds have spoken of their disappointment as one of Leeds’ oldest private schools closes its doors for the final time.
Fulneck School in Pudsey was first established in 1753 and has welcomed the likes of Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith and suffragist Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy in its time.
But this afternoon (July 8), teachers bid farewell to students at the historic independent day and boarding school.
In its final months, Fulneck faced a wave of criticism about how the closure has been managed, with accusations of the institution failing to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs (SEN), allegedly cancelling end-of-year events, and claims it created confusion around promised refunds.
The school has said in response that 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”, insisting that “there are no outstanding financial commitments to families”.
Niki Hughes, whose son has special needs and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), said that she hopes the council investigates how the closure has been handled, claiming that despite promises to maintain high standards, families feel let down.
“There has been a lot of gaslighting about keeping high standards to the end, which has just not been delivered,” she said. “The staff are very hard to get hold of.”
She added: “I was told that the last three weeks of school would be enrichment activities and fun events for the children - and if they’re not suitable for SEN children, they could stay at home. But that’s just not good enough. It’s not inclusive.”
Parents say they were promised that teaching and support would continue until the very end of term and that a formal event would be held to mark the closure. But many said they were unaware of any official farewell until late in the final week - with one major send-off, a prom, having been organised independently by families.
“At half term, the school should have contacted the local authority and said that realistically, they’re not going to be able to meet the commitments they made - they should have come up with a plan,” said Niki. “The handling of the closure feels very lacking in morals, really unethical, and - again - puts the blame on the parents.”
Sally Coombes, whose son recently completed his GCSEs, said that the students weren’t able to enjoy a “presentation evening” as hoped. She said: “It’s very disappointing.”
The NASUWT union has confirmed it has launched a pay dispute after teachers were told they would not be paid for the final half-term. However, a spokesperson for the trustees previously insisted that staff “will be paid for all hours worked” and that the school remains committed to “meeting all legal obligations”.
One anonymous parent described how their son had been bullied - but his family weren’t told until three weeks later. The school said that “pupil wellbeing and safeguarding have remained paramount throughout” the closure.
Meanwhile, Niki raised concerns about communication and apparent last-minute decisions, arguing: “I have an issue with the fact that I didn’t know until Wednesday that there was going to be a closing event for the SEN children, so for mine who needs lots of notice about change, that’s been really difficult because there’s no advance warning.”
She added: “I had to go through a court case to get a place at this school - and I’m sat here wondering why on earth I put myself through it. Having said that, the individual staff who work with SEN students were brilliant and made a real difference.”
Some families have demanded clarity around financial matters - including whether they will receive refunds for cancelled activities and deposits.
The school’s trustees said in March that the decision to close followed a “comprehensive strategic review” and was due to declining enrolment and rising operational costs.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the school said: “We acknowledge that this has been an emotional and challenging time for the Fulneck School community. We are grateful to our pupils, families, and staff for the resilience and commitment shown throughout this period.”
Responding to comments about closure events, they said: “Today, the school held a formal Thanksgiving Service, attended by all pupils and staff, to mark the closure of the school with dignity and reflection.
“While some events were organised independently by parents, the school made every effort to provide meaningful opportunities for closure. The Thanksgiving Service was designed to be inclusive and accessible for all pupils, including those with additional needs.”
The statement continued: “The school has provided weekly newsletters and multiple updates to parents throughout the final term. While we understand emotions have been heightened, we have communicated regularly, clearly, and in good faith with our community.”
It also addressed the alleged bullying incident: “We are unable to comment on individual cases in any detail. However, in the case cited, the school made a well-judged and child-centred decision based on all available information and took appropriate action. Pupil wellbeing and safeguarding have remained paramount throughout.”
Finally, it was insisted that “all refunds for cancelled trips and deposits have been made as promised”. The statement said: “The school has closed with dignity and integrity, and we have received many heartfelt messages of thanks and appreciation from parents.
“Naturally, there will be some who feel dissatisfied, but the school strongly refutes the claims made, which are either inaccurate or presented without full context. We remain proud of how our pupils, staff, and wider community have handled this difficult period and are grateful for the support shown by so many.”