The owners of the school confirmed they had sold the building and would be closing it down in December
Belvedere Preparatory School in Liverpool(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A “scholarship” for a private school in Liverpool was described to one parent as a “golden ticket”, but just two days before the start of term, the owners of the school confirmed it had sold the building and was planning to close it down. It means all pupils at Belvedere Preparatory School (BPS), will have to find new places half way through the school year.
The Liverpool ECHO reported yesterday (September 2), how the owners of Belvedere Preparatory School, a fee-paying school located on Belvidere Road in Aigburth, sent an email on Tuesday morning (September 1), confirming they had sold the building during the summer.
Parents and teachers were told BPS would remain open and operational until December 22, but they would then have to find their children new school places for January, while teaching staff are now in a redundancy process.
One parent, who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, told us: “There’s been no consultation whatsoever, no warning to anyone, no invitation to come in and discuss the situation, so no chance to find a way of saving the school from closure, or any time for the parents to prepare and also break the news to the kids.”
They added: “We’ve just had had to tell our child, because they’re going to go to school in two days, and they’re absolutely devastated, we all are.”
We were also contacted by people who had been offered a “scholarship” to BPS, sold to them as a “golden ticket”, and who told us about the impact of the decision on their family.
After months of painstaking research, this parent said they secured a place at a different school earlier this year. Soon afterwards, they were contacted by a third-party, and told Belvedere Preparatory School was looking to offer a “scholarship”.
The parent said: “[BPS] were looking for a person who couldn’t afford to pay the fees, and as a single-parent, private education was not something I ever thought of, and was simply not an option because of the finances involved.
Belvedere Preparatory School in Liverpool(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“But when I spoke to the school, they offered us a place and explained it as a type of scholarship. They told me they wanted to give somebody a ‘golden ticket’, and provide a place for a child who wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise.
“Around this time, I had an offer at a place for another school, so I told Belvedere Prep and said I didn’t know what to do.
“Like any parent, I’d done such a lot of research around finding the right school place, but then Belvedere Prep offered us a place.
“I did feel uneasy about it, but when I told friends and family about this ‘golden ticket’, they said a scholarship to a private school was just too good of a chance to pass up.
“Any reservations I had about the school and its future were dismissed by the school who said it was in a good position, and were planning for the future.
“According to those conversations, they said there were no problems, and there was no indication whatsoever that the school was in any difficulty and I was told they were only focused on providing a great education for the pupils.”
In relation to what they plan to do now, they added: “My child has been in tears. Myself as well. I feel sick. We had everything planned and now, just two days before the start date, everything has been thrown up in the air.
“I’ve spent the last 24 hours researching school places, making phone calls, just trying to find a place for the start of this year as I don’t want my child to be disrupted mid-term.
“It’s so upsetting because here we had this ‘golden ticket’ but now it’s been taken away […] and we’re left with just uncertainty and worry.”
The ECHO has seen the letter emailed to parents, which is signed by the owners of the school, Bill and Kate Currie.
Mr Currie is the founder of William Currie Investments, which specialises in the retail, e-commerce and tech sectors, according to its website, and lists The Belvedere Preparatory School within its investment portfolio.
The ECHO contacted Mr Currie for comment on the situation, specifically those who were awarded “scholarships”. We were told the school had every sympathy for those affected, and that its ‘bursaries’ had been awarded in good faith and at a time when the school’s future was secure.
In relation to the school closure decision, Mr Currie referred us to the contents of the letter, and confirmed he did not wish to add anything further.
In the letter, the owners wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that we are writing to you to inform you of the very sad news that Belvedere Preparatory School will close at the end of the Autumn Term.”
They added: “The decision by the Government to introduce VAT on school fees, withdraw our business rates relief and increases in National Insurance contributions have been the catalyst for a substantial downturn in our pupil numbers and a significant increase in costs.
“The school is now losing a large amount of money which is not sustainable.”
The owners also wrote about the fall in registered pupils at the main school, claiming that numbers had fallen from 140 in September 2024, to 94 full fee paying students for September 2026.
The letter continued: “During the Summer, we were approached by a company that wants to buy the Belvedere School site and buildings and turn it into a specialist school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).”
Parents were told the letter serves as a formal notice that Belvedere Preparatory School will close at the end of the Autumn 2026 Term, and it added: “We understand how disappointing this news will be for children, parents and staff, and we will do all we can to help and support everyone affected during this period.”
In reference to the future of staff at the school, the FAQ section states: “All of the School’s staff are affected, and a redundancy consultation covering all staff began on the same day you received this. Staff were told before parents, on the morning of the same day.”