Parents rally round to save private school from closure

A DESPERATE rescue package is being drawn up by parents in a bid to save one of the city's top private schools from closure.

Nearly 400 pupils in the Capital will be left scrambling to find spare places at other city schools after St Margaret's announced it would close in two weeks' time.

The school has gone into administration after struggling with an annual operating deficit of around 500,000 and falling pupil numbers.

Shocked parents were told on Thursday evening the school would close on 29 June.

While some organised protests, others started drawing up a possible business plan to keep the school open.

Parents and Friends Association chair Val Devlin, 40, said: "We have some very smart cookies among us in the parent community and we will not leave this school. We owe it to our children and the teachers too. They have claimed the roll was falling but it actually rose by 19 per cent in the past term."

Liquidator Blair Nimmo of