Moorlands School: Shock as oldest prep school in Leeds set to shut doors after 127 years
A school which has been open for 128 years is set to close its doors in December, a shock new statement outlined.
Moorlands School on Fox Hill Drive, Weetwood Lane, Leeds, is to close at the end of autumn term on December 31, 2025, parents were told in a statement.
The Methodist school currently has 144 pupils aged between two and 11 with a capacity for 204 according to the government website.
Moorlands is the oldest prep school in Leeds according to its website, founded in 1897.
The school moved to its current location in 1967.
Members of the school’s Trust said the decision was made in the face of increasingly difficult economic conditions”.
Teachers would continue to ensure education and activities "continued uninterrupted“ until closure.
The decision to close was made on June 18, it was said.
The school will “liaise closely with each family to help secure the best possible next steps for their children”, parents were told.
The full statement from the Trustees of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST) reads: “It is with the greatest sadness that the MIST Trustees announce that Moorlands School will close at the end of the Autumn Term, on 31st December 2025. This extremely difficult decision was formally agreed upon by the MIST Trustees on 18th June 2025.
“This decision followed a period of careful reflection and a thorough review of the School’s financial viability, in the face of increasingly difficult economic conditions that are impacting many independent schools and show little sign of abating.
"The introduction of VAT on school fees, alongside a decline in enquiries and registrations, the withdrawal of charitable relief on business rates, increases in employer national insurance contributions, the limited ability of a small school to reduce fixed costs, and the rising budgets required for the upkeep of the school site and buildings, have sadly all contributed to an unsustainable financial position.
“The decision is not a reflection of the excellent care and quality of education offered by Moorlands’ staff, nor the tireless efforts of the School’s key staff and local Governing Body to secure a sustainable future for the School.
“Together with the key staff and the School Governors, we will work to ensure education and activities continue uninterrupted until the end of the Autumn Term. Meanwhile the School will liaise closely with each family to help secure the best possible next steps for their children.
“We are deeply grateful to all those who have contributed to Moorlands over the years – pupils past and present, families, staff and the wider community. Moorlands has been a special place of learning, growth, and community. The history, character, and culture of the School have shaped generations of pupils. While this marks the end of an era, the values and memories created here will remain with all those who have been part of its story.”
From January 1, 2025, private schools in the UK are required to charge VAT at the standard rate of 20% on all education and boarding services provided for a fee, having been previously exempt.