Parents say they feel they’re ‘finally being listened to’ as they continue their fight to keep city centre school openAnna Mulholland with her son and daughter Alice Mulholland, 15, who has attended LIPA since she was four-years-old(Image: Liverpool Echo)Parents desperate to save a Liverpool city centre school from closing down, will have their case heard at the High Court of Justice. The Save LIPA School campaign has continued its fight to keep the school open, and hopes the court will approve a Judicial Review into the decision to close it down.At the start of April, the Liverpool ECHO revealed that a letter was issued to parents of LIPA Primary and Secondary School, confirming a final decision had been taken to close the school at the end of the summer term in July. This followed a ‘listening period’, which came after an initial closure decision was announced for the Upper Duke Street School in February.But despite the passionate protestations of parents, pupils and teachers, the Department of Education agreed with the decision to close LIPA School and this was confirmed to parents in a letter in mid-April.The letter, from the current chair of the multi-academy trust which runs the school, Kevin Mothersdale, said: “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.A protest outside LIPA Primary School in Liverpool earlier this year(Image: Liverpool Echo)Despite this, the ‘Save LIPA School’ campaign has continued to insist that its fight is “far from over”, and confirmed its intention to proceed with a planned Judicial Review of the closure decision, which it argues was “cloaked in secrecy.”Since then, and as part of plan to have get a judicial review approved, the families have submitted more than a thousand documents detailing the case to keep LIPA school open.Parents contacted the ECHO last night (June 3) to confirm their case will now be heard at the High Court of Justice on June 11. The claimant in the case is one of the parents, Siobhan Green, while the defendant is listed as the Secretary of State for Education, with LIPA School listed as an ‘interested party’.The case requires both the claimant, and the Secretary of State for Education to provide a ‘skeleton argument’ by Monday June 8.Responding to the news the campaign’s argument will be heard at the High Court, a number of parents offered their response to the news, including Dagmara Wojciechowicz, who has two children at LIPA School, one in primary and one in secondary education.Dagmara Wojciechowicz has two children who attend LIPA school including her daughter Bianca, 7, who joined in 2022(Image: Liverpool Echo)She told us: “The proposed closure of LIPA School feels like a heart-breaking injustice and a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the children and families who depend on it.”Throughout this uncertainty, the teachers have gone above and beyond, supporting our children not just in the classrooms but emotionally, helping them feel safe and valued when so much is out of their control.”For many children, LIPA is their safe space—a place where they have found confidence, belonging and the opportunity to truly thrive. What makes this entire situation even harder to understand is that there is no other free creative school in the city.”Such big part of Liverpool’s identity is built on culture, music and the arts. It’s mind blowing to think that so little was done to support the school. Losing Lipa School would leave a void that cannot simply be replaced. We hope that the hearing can put the stop to this unjust process.”Lauren Byron, mum to two children who are also in LIPA’s primary school and high school, said: “Finally I feel like our voices are being listened to.A protest outside LIPA Primary School in Liverpool earlier this year(Image: Liverpool Echo)”There are major problems with the British education system and Lipa offered a creative approach to learning that the children needed. I’m grateful for such a strong community that won’t just accept a closure and appreciate all the work behind the scenes from our legal team to make this possible.”Another parent, and one of the founding members of the ‘Save LIPA School’ campaign, Anna Mulholland said: “An in person hearing is a positive step in our fight.”It is the first real opportunity for the courts to be made aware of the immensely detrimental impact this closure is having on the children and the extremely poor way the LIPA MAT and trustees have handled the situation.”
Liverpool parents take fight over school closure to High Court
