Plans to permanently close a Liverpool school have been upheld by the government.
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) School will shut its doors this summer following a decision taken in agreement with the Department for Education.
Concerned parents backed a campaign of legal action to try and stop the facility, unconnected to Sir Paul McCartney’s arts academy of the same name, closing.
But a letter sent out by the school’s leadership has confirmed that the DfE agreed with the move to wind up the performing arts facility at the end of August.
“This decision was not taken lightly,” wrote school chair Kevin Mothersdale.
“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.”
The Save LIPA School campaign responded by insisting that their battle is ‘far from over’ ahead of plans to proceed with a Judicial Review of the original closure ruling.
In a statement, the group 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.
“We firmly believe that the DfE has not followed the legal process in its ironically named ‘listening period’ and that the LIPA Multi-Academy Trust has not followed the Academy Trust Handbook process.
“We will now pursue this through litigation.”