Fulneck: Leeds Council pledge support to families switching to state funding as school to shut after 272 years
Leeds City Council has pledged their “full support” to any families switching to state-funded schools after the closure of Fulneck School.
The historic independent day and boarding school, located on Fulneck Moravian Settlement in Pudsey, announced its closure in a shock statement released last night.
The school is set to shut its doors for good on Tuesday, July 8 2025 - at the end of the current academic year, with parents left devastated by the “difficult decision.”
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In a statement provided to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds City Council has pledged its “full support in line with our admission policies” to any families wishing to apply to a state-funded school in Leeds.
An authority spokesperson said: “We’re aware of the announcement about the closure of Fulneck School and appreciate the impact this decision will have on the school community.
“Local authorities have a limited role in the independent school sector, however for families wishing to apply to a state-funded school in Leeds, we will provide full support in line with our admission policies.
“We do commission Fulneck School to provide provision for a small number of pupils with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and will be working directly with those pupils and families to ensure suitable alternative placements are found as a priority.”
Fulneck was first established 272 years ago in 1753 in order to provide an education for the sons and daughters of the Church’s ministers and missionaries.
The decision to shut was made with “great sadness” after a “detailed and careful” strategic review. It comes following an “unsustainable decline in students” as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fulneck will be hosting a School Fair on April 2 at 2pm, with representatives from other independent schools across Leeds and Yorkshire set to be present.