The Charity Commission has confirmed it is 'assessing information' relating to the sudden closure of Alderley Edge School for Girls (AESG), as parents demand answers over why a potential £4 million rescue bid was rejected.
The Manchester Evening News reported on Saturday that the private school in Cheshire closed for good weeks earlier than initially announced, leaving pupils and families devastated. In an email sent to parents on Friday, June 26, the school cited parent protests as making the site 'unsafe', triggering immediate closure.
Rescue Bid Rejected Amid Unanswered Questions
Campaigners had secured a potential £4 million in funding to save the school, but the board deemed the proposals non-viable, citing reliance on unconfirmed funding, a prep school-only model from September 2026, sale of school assets, and ambitious pupil growth targets. Gary Chaplin, part of the Parent Rescue Group whose 17-year-old daughter Ava attends AESG, said: 'Parents are no longer simply asking why the school closed. They are asking whether it needed to close at all.'
He added that the group included bankers, lawyers, turnaround specialists, financiers, commercial directors, business owners, and restructuring professionals who believed the school could be saved. Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said they felt there had been no proper explanation for rejecting the rescue bid and that parents are still waiting for answers about the return of deposits and fees for services not provided, as summer term fees had been paid upfront.
Charity Commission Steps In
The school is operated as an independent educational trust and registered charity. A Charity Commission spokesperson said: 'When a charity makes the difficult decision to close a school that people rely on it can be deeply disappointing and concerning to parents and pupils alike. We are currently assessing information relating to the closure of Alderley Edge School for Girls as part of a regulatory compliance case to determine any action or response.'
The Commission noted that trustees must have carefully considered what is in the best interests of the charity and that setting out how and why such decisions were made is particularly important where others may disagree. It stressed that opening a compliance case is not a finding of wrongdoing and that it has not launched a statutory inquiry at this time.
School Cites Financial Pressures
When first announcing closure, the school cited the government's introduction of VAT on private school fees, falling pupil numbers, and a slowing local birth rate as reasons for being 'no longer considered financially sustainable'. The school offers places for 400 girls aged 2 to 18, with annual fees of £19,641.
In its initial letter to parents, the school stated: 'After exhaustive consideration and with deep sadness, the board of governors is proposing to close Alderley Edge School for Girls at the end of the academic year on Tuesday 7 July, 2026.' The letter also cited unprecedented cost pressures including VAT on fees, removal of business rates relief, higher employer national insurance contributions, and rising costs.
Sudden Closure Blamed on Protests
In Friday's update, the school said the sudden closure was 'for health and safety reasons' as ongoing protests by parents meant they could no longer guarantee safety. The email added: 'We recognise the significance of such a decision, and we are personally devastated that it has come to this. This decision has not been taken lightly, and it is certainly not a reflection on our staff, pupils nor most parents and carers.'
A statement on the school's website said the board had engaged with a potential educational partner introduced by the Parent Rescue Group, but 'that party promptly communicated its decision not to proceed'. The school said its priority remains to support pupils, families, and staff through the rest of the academic year and ensure a smooth transition for September 2026.
