Private school in South Lanarkshire to close amid charity watchdog investigation

A private school in South Lanarkshire has announced it will close at the end of the current school term, days after the Scottish Charity Regulator raised concerns about misconduct.

The announcement came after the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) said it had launched an inquiry into Fernhill School – a Catholic institute in Rutherglen with primary and secondary pupils.

OSCR said the school failed to submit its annual financial accounts for three consecutive years covering the periods ending July 31, 2022, July 31, 2023 and July 31, 2024.

The regulator also raised concerns after unaudited dormant company accounts for 2023 and 2024 were lodged with Companies House without explanation.

Misconduct accusation

Fernhill opened in 1972 and has been a registered charity in Scotland since 1975. It’s understood that the establishment charges annual fees of around £20,000 for senior secondary school pupils,

In an inquiry report, OSCR said it appears the charity’s trustees may be in breach of their duties under section 28 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, which requires trustees to act in the interests of the charity.

As a result, the regulator said there has been misconduct in the charity’s administration.

On Wednesday, OSCR issued a formal direction under section 30B of the Act, requiring Fernhill to provide financial and other governance information.

The investigation will focus on how the charity is managed by its trustees, who act as the school’s Board of Governors.

According to the school’s governance information, the board is responsible for the effective management of the school, its strategic direction and future development, and for ensuring appropriate financial management and legal compliance.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Fernhill’s trustees said the school would work with the regulator.

The spokesperson said: “In the face of rising costs from VAT on school fees, non-domestic rates, employer National Insurance, upward pressure on teacher salaries and a resultant decrease in school roll, the decision has been taken to close Fernhill School at the end of this academic session.

“We have been in discussion with St Aloysius’ College to protect the continuity of education for our pupils, the heritage of Fernhill School and to provide good job opportunities for staff.”

In a separate statement shared on the school’s social media channels, Fernhill sought to reassure parents that pupils would continue to receive consistent care and education until the end of term.

“Whilst change is happening on the outside, care and compassion remain within,” the statement said.

“Please be assured that the quality of education and the care and consistency your children will continue to experience every day until the end of the academic year will remain unchanged.”

The statement added that classrooms would remain “calm and purposeful” and said the same staff would continue to teach and support pupils through to the end of the session.

“We ask our parents to remain true to what brought you to Fernhill School and stay with us until the end of this session,” it said.