Complaint filed to charity watchdog after closure of Northamptonshire independent school as parents allege failings

Maidwell Hall School, which was an independent school for four to 13 year-old boys and girls and offered boarding, closed for the final time on July 5.

The school, which was attended by Charles Spencer in 1972, had to close as there were “nowhere near enough fee-paying students on the books to financially keep the school afloat”.

Now a complaint has been filed with the Charity Commission regarding the alleged failings of The Uppingham School Group, which ran the Northamptonshire school from late 2022. The school group says Maidwell faced “almost certain insolvency” when it was rescued by the merger in 2022 and that they repaid a six-figure bank loan.

However, Maidwell Parental Group says the complaint highlights several alleged failings around how the school was run after the merger.

A spokesperson from the Maidwell Parental Group said: “During the last seven months it has become evident that there is a case to answer.

“We believe it is only right and proper that this is thoroughly investigated by the commission.”

Stephanie Hughes, from Geldards LLC who have filed the complaint, added: “Geldards have been instructed by a group of stakeholders of Maidwell Hall School, part of the Uppingham Group of Schools, to engage the Charity Commission in respect of decisions made leading up to and including that to close Maidwell Hall School.”

In response, The Uppingham School Group says it invested “significantly in the estate to the tune of millions”, but this was not “adequate” to keep the school afloat. They also labelled the November 2024 budget as a “further blow” when VAT on school fees and the elimination of business rates relief was confirmed.

A spokesperson for The Uppingham School Group said: “If asked by the Charity Commission to respond, Uppingham School will be robustly refuting the claims made in the complaint.”

The Charity Commission confirmed it is looking into the concerns raised and also confirmed Uppingham School “promptly reported” the closure to the watchdog.

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We are assessing concerns raised with us about Uppingham School to determine any next steps. In line with our guidance, Uppingham School promptly reported the closure of Maidwell School to us.”

Over the last couple of years, Maidwell School had been at the centre of abuse allegations, including from Charles Spencer. The Earl published a book entitled ‘A Very Private School’ in March of last year. In the book, he makes claims about alleged abuse he suffered at the school. In June last year, Northamptonshire Police also launched an investigation into claims of sexual abuse at the school. A 67-year-old woman from Stafford was arrested in connection with allegations of sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s. She was released on bail.