An independent Cumbrian school said its future is in doubt unless it raises £180,000 by next Wednesday.
Hunter Hall, in Penrith, said it would be forced to close at the end of this term unless the cash can be found.
It currently has 79 pupils aged three to 11 years old and opened its doors in 1986. It employs 20 staff.
It said it was a victim of the Government’s addition of VAT to school fees.
A meeting of the board of governors on Tuesday night concluded that the school would be forced to close unless £180,000 could be found to secure its future viability.
It said governors had been exploring all options for the school’s future.
Head Paul Borrows said: “For the last four decades, Hunter Hall has offered not only something different, but something innovative in the Cumbrian educational landscape.
“The school’s independence meant that it could be imaginative in its approach to teaching and learning, not only in terms of what the children learnt but also how and where they learnt. To be now faced with the very real threat of closure in our 40th anniversary year is absolutely devastating.”
The school said it faced unprecedented financial pressure due to national changes affecting the independent education sector, including the imposition of VAT on school fees, the removal of charitable business rate relief and recent increases in National Insurance contributions.
Despite significant cost-saving measures implemented over the past year, including negotiated rent reductions and staff voluntarily accepting a 7.5% salary reduction, several anticipated savings have not materialised. As a result, the school is facing a larger than expected deficit for the 2025–2026 financial year.
Co-chair of governors Natalie Harling added: “This is an immensely difficult moment for our school and our community. Hunter Hall is thriving educationally, with exceptional teaching and a warm, supportive ethos.
“We remain determined to do everything within our power to protect the school’s future. We are appealing directly to the many families and wider community who have benefited from our school over the last 40 years to dig deep and give what they can so that together we can save this very special school that has been the making of so many young people.”
The school will hold a meeting for parents on Friday at 7pm, offering both in-person and remote attendance, to provide further information and answer questions.
Hunter Hall is now appealing to its wider community, alumni, local residents and supporters of independent education to help secure the school’s future by contributing to the emergency fundraising campaign.
Donations can be made via the school’s official Crowdfunder page. The total stands at over £47,000 today, Thursday, November 27.
Lynsey Wrightson, Hunter Hall’s longest serving staff member, said: “Hunter Hall is a unique and cherished part of our local educational landscape – I simply cannot imagine not getting up every morning and coming to this beautiful site and seeing our children’s smiling faces.
“Please, old Hunters, local businesses, anyone who values what the school brings to the community, now is the time to come together to help in whatever way you can.”
