A school near Bristol has confirmed it will close down this year due to financial difficulties. The primary school, which has around 120 pupils, said the decision came after “extensive” deliberation.
Fairfield School, a Parents’ National Education Union (PNEU) school in Backwell, will close in August with all pupils needing to find a new school for the following academic year. Ryan Davies, on behalf of the board of governors, said “we deeply regret the distress and uncertainty this news will cause”.
A letter sent to parents said the school will work with parents and pupils over the coming months to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. It also spoke of how many of the staff and pupils are “still thriving” under the circumstances.
Despite this, it has “become increasingly difficult” for the school to continue operating “in a financially viable way”. It said a downfall in pupil recruitment, rising operating costs and recent pupil retention were among the contributing factors.
The letter sent to parents on Friday, February 14, read: “It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you that the Board of Governors has made the difficult decision to close Fairfield PNEU School in August 2025. This is due to an unsustainable financial forecast for the next academic year and beyond, and I have sought to fully explain all the factors we have had to consider within this letter.” Continues below.
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It continued: “This decision has not been made lightly. It has been reached after extensive deliberation, detailed analysis and financial modelling, much soul searching and thorough consideration of a range of alternative options. We deeply regret the distress and uncertainty this news will cause.
“We will be unwavering in our commitment to support all pupils and their families throughout this difficult time and ensure smooth transitions for all pupils to new schools in September. In so many ways, Fairfield, our staff, and our pupils are still thriving.
“The outstanding results achieved by our current Year Sixes – with a record-breaking 18 scholarship offers from independent senior schools – and the fantastic performances given by our Key Stage 2 pupils in this week’s production are just two recent examples of the amazing progress and achievements Fairfield children make, all thanks to the skill and care of our incredible staff and your support and encouragement.
“This is why it’s particularly important that we explain the reasons behind this difficult decision. Over the past few years it has become increasingly difficult to operate in a financially viable way. The following factors are responsible for this:
1. Pupil recruitment – despite our best efforts to attract new pupils, over the past four years our intake at Reception and our ability to attract new pupils further up the school has declined. We believe this is due to:
a. A declining birth rate in our catchment area, affecting pupil recruitment most significantly since 2020
b. The rate of inflation and impact on cost of living, notably since 2022, making independent education less accessible for families
c. VAT on school fees – the uncertainty during 2024 and subsequent introduction of VAT on school fees in January 2025 has led to more families choosing the maintained sector over independents
2. Rising operating costs – the school has faced growing operational costs for some years, including staffing, utilities, maintenance and essential resources. Furthermore, the Autumn Budget introduced additional measures which have significantly increased the cost of running the school, namely the removal of business rates relief on our school buildings. Increases to the national living wage and higher employers’ national insurance contributions.
3. Recent pupil retention – Pupil retention has always been a strength; however, this January saw an unprecedented number of families giving notice to leave at the end of the academic year. None of these decisions relate to the quality of provision at Fairfield, but contribute to the challenging projections we now face for September 2025 and beyond
“Our original projection for pupil numbers in the current financial year was already at a historically low level. As a result of the above factors, our recently revised projection for September 2025 has fallen further. Returning to a sustainable number of pupils through recruitment is unfortunately not possible.
“While the school has been prudent and has built up financial reserves, continuing to operate into the next academic year based on our revised projections would put the risk of insolvency at an unacceptably high level. Insolvency would result in a disorderly closure of the school, potentially meaning a closure with no notice.
“This scenario would have an even greater impact on staff, pupils and families. The school has ethical and legal commitments that Governors take very seriously, which prevent us from taking this risk.”
It added that the board has “explored every possible alternative to avoid closure” but that despite efforts it can see no viable alternative.