A private Catholic school in South Lanarkshire has been closed a day earlier than planned after liquidators ruled it was no longer viable, with a much‑anticipated end‑of‑term fun day also cancelled.
Fernhill School in Rutherglen had been due to shut at noon on Friday 19 June after more than 70 years, but provisional liquidator Donald McKinnon brought forward the closure to Thursday, citing the need to “safeguard pupils’ welfare”. The move follows months of turmoil over the school’s finances and governance, including a formal inquiry by Scotland’s charity regulator into potential misconduct by trustees.
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) launched an investigation earlier this year after Fernhill failed to submit its annual accounts for three consecutive years. Although dormant, unaudited figures were lodged with Companies House, regulators said they still did not have the information they needed to understand the school’s true financial position. The independent day school, which educated pupils from nursery through secondary, had already announced its intention to close at the end of term amid “enormous financial pressures”.
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In a statement confirming the accelerated shutdown, Mr McKinnon said he had taken the “practical decision” to close the campus a day early and to cancel the fun day rather than risk additional distress for pupils. He said additional security and other professional support would have been required on site, adding that his priority was the welfare of children while the liquidation process got under way. Parents and staff had expected one final day of celebration before the gates shut, but were instead met with confirmation that the event could not go ahead.
Fernhill’s financial problems have been building for some time, with the school citing falling pupil numbers and rising costs – from teacher salaries to national insurance and business rates – as key pressures. Earlier this year, detailed reporting highlighted concerns over missing accounts and growing debts, as well as OSCR’s probe into whether trustees had fulfilled their duties to act in the interests of the school. The closure marks a dramatic end for a school that, as recently as 2014, was saved from the brink when parents raised a six‑figure sum to keep it open.
Families now face finding alternative places for their children at short notice, while staff are left waiting to discover whether they will receive outstanding pay and any redundancy entitlements from the liquidation process. The case feeds into a wider pattern of independent schools across the UK citing unsustainable financial pressures, with several longstanding institutions announcing closures in the past two years.
