Private school announces closure after 17 years

The Meadows Montessori School will close its doors next month after 17 years

An independent school has announced it will permanently close next month due to "significant financial challenges" following a lack of pupils.

The Meadows Montessori School, in Larchcroft Road, Ipswich, will shut at the end of the autumn term on 16 December.

The site, which was opened in 2008, has 45 children aged between three and 16 enrolled but has the capacity to accommodate 100 pupils.

Sam and Matt Sims, the school's owners, said they had explored "all options" to try and keep the educational setting open but it was no longer sustainable.

"Despite every effort to adapt and plan, wider financial pressures in the economy and targeted measures towards independent schools has meant The Meadows has become unsustainable," said Mrs Sims, who is also the school's head teacher.

"We have had to take the incredibly sad decision to close the school," she added.

During its 17 years the school has taught about 300 children.

It was rated Good by Ofsted in 2016 and told by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2024 that it met "all relevant standards".

Its secondary school students were taught at a site in Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, before they merged with younger pupils at the Larchcroft Road complex.

Financially unviable

Mrs Sims said the government's introduction of VAT on school fees in January had resulted in less parents being able to afford to put their children into private education.

According to the school's website, the cost for primary school pupils was £3,528 per term and secondary school pupils was £4,935 per term.

She also said a rise in the amount of National Insurance contributions the school has to pay as an employer had contributed to making it financially unviable.

The school said its focus would now turn to supporting staff and helping its students find placements at suitable, alternative education settings.

"The Sims said they were proud of what the school and its pupils had achieved," a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the government said that 43% of employers will pay no employer National Insurance contributions this year, and more than half will either see no change or a reduction following the changes.

It added fewer than 0.1% of pupils are expected to move schools this year as a result of tax breaks being ended for private schools, and that average fees rose by 75% in real terms between 2000 and 2025, but pupil numbers remained steady.

A HM Treasury spokesperson added: "We want to ensure all children have the best chance in life to succeed.

"Ending tax breaks on private schools will help to raise the revenue needed to fund our education priorities for next year."