LIPA primary and secondary schools to close for good

Parents of pupils at two Liverpool schools have been told they will close at the end of the summer term despite a campaign to keep them open.

The LIPA primary school and secondary school, run by an academy trust specialising in performing arts, had been struggling with financial issues and concerns about its performance and facilities, and was rated as "inadequate" after an Ofsted inspection in 2025.

Many parents dismayed by the decision to close the school mounted a legal challenge against it.

A letter sent out to parents this week by the school's current leadership confirmed the Department for Education had upheld the decision to close the school at the end of the current term.

The letter from the current chair of the trust which runs the school, Kevin Mothersdale, states: "Following the listening period and consideration of the responses, the Department for Education has confirmed that LIPA School will close permanently at the end of the summer term on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.

"This decision was not taken lightly. The trust board reviewed all representations received during the listening period from parents, carers, staff, and other stakeholders.

"These views were considered by the trust and the Department for Education alongside key factors, including that pupil numbers have been reducing for some time, the current substantial financial deficit and the most recent Ofsted judgement, which has meant that the ability to offer a high-quality education for pupils has been severely impacted.

"These factors, alongside a significant overspend over several years, mean the school is not sustainable. Regrettably, despite exploring all reasonable alternatives, it has been concluded that pupils' best interests would be served by other local schools and that closure is the only option."

Despite this decision, the Save LIPA School campaign has insisted that its fight is "far from over" and that it will proceed with a planned Judicial Review of the closure decision.

It said the decision was "cloaked in secrecy".

In a statement, campaigners said: "LIPA School is the only free performing arts 4-to-16 school in the North West and one of the few schools in Liverpool with a staffed primary school library.

"Closing it would dismantle a successful model that aligns closely with national priorities on creativity, literacy and oracy - and would represent a profound loss for the city and its young people."

Liverpool City Council said it would be working with parents to find appropriate school places for their children.

The BBC understands there are currently just under 500 pupils enrolled across the two school sites, with 148 more expected to start in September 2026.

A city council spokesperson said: "Following a listening period, the Trustees of LIPA and the Department for Education have made the decision to close the school.

"As LIPA is an Academy, the Local Authority was not involved in the decision making.

"Following that decision, Liverpool City Council has now taken responsibility for coordinating in-year transfer arrangements to ensure that every child is supported to secure a new school place as quickly as possible.

"We recognise that this will be a worrying and uncertain time for parents, carers and families and we want to reassure them that, along with LIPA staff, we will support parents throughout this process."

LIPA is a separate institution to Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), the performing arts college founded by Sir Paul McCartney.

The school and sixth form were founded by LIPA Learning Group, which was established by the performing arts college, but are run by an independent trust.

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