Liquidators close 'insolvent' private school Fernhill early and cancel fun day

Liquidators appointed to an “insolvent” private school in South Lanarkshire have closed the school early and cancelled a planned fun day.

Fernhill School in Rutherglen was due to close at the end of the current term on June 19, after its future was deemed unviable due to “enormous financial pressures”.

The closure was announced days after the charity regulator said it had launched an inquiry into the independent Catholic school over potential “misconduct” in its management.

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) said the school had failed to submit its annual financial accounts for three consecutive years.

Fernhill directors Giuseppe ‘Sep’ Marini and David Equi concluded that the school was insolvent due to “enormous financial pressures”, including rising costs and VAT on school fees.

A decision was made to close the school at the end of the current school term as it entered administration.

On Thursday, Donald McKinnon, who has been appointed provisional liquidator, decided to close the school a day early and cancel a planned fun day to “safeguard pupils’ welfare”.

Mr McKinnon said: “My primary duty in this role is to safeguard the well-being of the pupils and the staff. Once the liquidator has been appointed, there will be an investigation into what led to this predicament.

“While the school had been due to close at 12 noon tomorrow, I have taken the practical decision to close it today to avoid any further distress to the pupils.

“To that end, I considered it appropriate and necessary to cancel the planned Fun Day to safeguard the pupils’ welfare regarding an obligation to appoint professionals on site to deal with security and other practical matters at hand.

“I would like to thank all staff members who, over a difficult period, have enabled the pupils to sit their exams. We appreciate the tremendous efforts made by teachers under very difficult circumstances.”

Fernhill School has been registered as a charity since 1975 and was also a charitable company.

In 2014, it was saved from closure when parents rallied to its rescue and provided crucial funding.

It is understood that the school charged annual fees of around £20,000 for senior secondary pupils.

An OSCR spokesperson said: “Our inquiries remain ongoing, inquiries can vary in length depending on the circumstances of each case.

“We will continue to conduct our inquiries until we are satisfied that we have gathered and assessed all the information necessary to determine whether any further regulatory action is required. In line with our published policies, we cannot comment any further at this stage.”